Morocco s Raja Casablanca mission arrived in Cairo on Monday night ahead of their game against Zamalek in the second leg of the African Champions League semifinal scheduled for Wednesday. The second leg was initially scheduled for 24 October, but the Confederation of African Football (CAF) postponed the game to 1 November after more than a dozen Raja players tested positive for COVID-19, before delaying the game for a second time to 4 November upon the request of Egyptian authorities. The Moroccan club will be missing their regular goalkeeper Anas Zniti, who has not yet recovered from the virus, as well as left back Abdeljalil Jbira and midfielder Mohamed Douik. However, Raja manager Jamal Sellami assured that the game s second postponement gave the team a chance to welcome back a large number of players who recovered from COVID-19 and returned to training. "We also had the chance to recover the players who were absent from the first leg match due to muscular injuries, although the lack of team trainings will affect the players fitness. "But in such games, it is the team spirit that controls the team. Raja’s players have shown many examples of strong cohesion," Sellami told Moroccan newspaper Al-Mountakhab. "We will be ready for the game on all levels. It will be a tense encounter and will witness many surprises," he added. Raja have not played any games since losing the first leg on 18 October, when Zamalek s Moroccan winger Achraf Bencharki headed the winner in the first half in an empty Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca. The winner of Wednesday s clash will face Ahly in the final at Alexandria s Borg El-Arab Stadium on 27 November.

Gareth Bale came off the bench to head the winner for Tottenham Hotspur in a 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Sunday, his first goal since returning to the club from Real Madrid. The Welshman was brought on in the 70th minute and three minutes later he met a Sergio Reguilon cross with a firm and well-directed header to restore Tottenham’s lead. Harry Kane had put Spurs ahead in the 13th minute from the penalty spot after Adam Lallana was ruled to have fouled him as he climbed for a header. Brighton responded with a long spell of good possession football as Spurs failed to drive home their advantage and Graham Potter’s side drew level in the 56th minute. Tariq Lamptey drove into the far, bottom corner after being set up by Pascal Gross at the end of a clever move from Brighton but the VAR official asked referee Graham Scott to look at a challenge on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg by Solly March. Spurs felt that Marsh had fouled the Dane but Scott ruled the challenge was fair and the goal stood. Tottenham then struck the post twice, firstly a drive from the edge of the box from Erik Lamela and then a close-range effort from a tight angle by Kane. Then came Bale’s winner as Spurs moved above Everton in the standings into second place on 14 points, two behind leaders Liverpool. Bale has yet to start in the Premier League for Spurs as he works his way back to full match fitness and was delighted to have got off the mark. “It’s a great feeling. You just want to come on and do a job for the team. I worked for the team and was lucky enough to get the goal,” he said. But Bale was wary of the suggestion that Spurs could be in a position to compete for the title this season. “(We are) very competitive, we know not to get too carried away. There are some great teams, we are just going to keep working as hard as we can,” he said. Everton lost 2-1 to Newcastle United earlier on Sunday.

Veteran right-back Ahmed Fathi played his last game for Ahly as the Egyptian champions crushed Talae El-Geish 3-0 in their final league game of the season on Saturday. Fathi played in the center of defence due to shortage of options at the back and was as solid as ever, producing a typical spirited display in his swansong. He was given a standing ovation by his teammates and the few attendees in the stands after being substituted in stoppage time. The 35-year-old has been one of Ahly s key players since joining in 2007, winning a host of titles including 10 league trophies and three African Champions League crowns. He is set to join the big-spending Pyramids FC in the close season after his contract with Ahly expired. Ahly, who won the title for a fifth consecutive season with six rounds to spare last month, were presented with the league trophy following the victory over El-Geish Former player Moemen Zakareya, who is suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a rare neurological disease, was among the high-profile footballers who were invited to attend the league celebration. Ahly players have been mimicking his trademark goal celebration in recent games, lending their support to the 32-year-old as he fights the disease, which causes loss of muscle control. Experienced winger Walid Soliman needed 45 seconds to open the scoring against El-Geish, latching onto a through pass from Mahmoud Kahraba to score on the second attempt after his initial effort was saved by the keeper. Angolan winger Geraldo added the second in the 18th minute, chipping the ball over the keeper after being released by a pass from Senegalese striker Aliou Badji. Kahraba completed the rout on 36 minutes with an angled low shot that found the bottom corner of the net from inside the area. The Red Devils are gearing up for the African Champions League final, which will take place in Alexandria on 27 November, as they chase their first crown since winning the last of their record eight titles in 2013. They will face the winners of Wednesday s semi-final clash between Cairo rivals Zamalek and Morocco s Raja.

Ismaily announced on Thursday the club signed Angolan forward Ary Papel shortly after his transfer to Saudi club Al-Taawon. The coastal club s website said Papel arrived at Ismaily on Thursday morning to sign the contract, adding that club officials are looking forward to attract high caliber players to be able to clinch titles and please the fans. The 26-year-old Angolan national team left winger had earlier signed with Zamalek a contract reportedly worth $2.2 million before he terminated his contract with the Whites due to not receiving his salary for three months after inking his contract with the Cairo-based club. Zamalek, who didn t announce the deal officially, reportedly signed a three-year contract with Primeiro de Agosto’s Papel starting from the new season. After terminating the contract with the White Knights, Saudi side Al-Taawon, led by former Zamalek coach Patrice Carteron, announced on 7 October the signing of Papel and after less than a month the player left the team reportedly because there was no place for foreigners on the squad s list. Papel, who spent 18 months in Portugal at Sporting Lisbona between January 2017 and July 2018 before returning to his homeboy club, left a good impression in the African Champions League, scoring twice in 11 games.

Argentina soccer great Diego Maradona is self-isolating after one of his bodyguards displayed symptoms of COVID-19, the country’s state-run news agency Telam reported on Tuesday. Maradona, who led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986, began isolating at his home in Argentina on Tuesday after last coming in contact with the guard on the weekend. The 59-year-old is not displaying symptoms and will do a COVID-19 screening on Thursday, local media reported. Earlier this month, Maradona had tested negative for COVID-19 after coming in contact with one of his players who had contracted the virus. Maradona is currently the coach of Argentine top division side Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, who are scheduled to play Patronato on Friday. He has suffered a string of health issues in recent years and remains at high risk of the coronavirus complications should he be infected.

Andrea Pirlo sees positives despite preparing for his biggest match since taking over as Juventus coach with Covid-19 -stricken Cristiano Ronaldo in doubt against Lionel Messi s Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday. Pirlo took over after Maurizio Sarri was sacked immediately after Juventus last 16 exit to Lyon in August, the veteran coach lamenting another failure in a "competition cursed for Juve". The Turin side have won the tournament twice, but not since 1996. They have been runners-up seven times, including twice in the last five years. In fact, 41-year-old Pirlo s last Juventus game as a player came in the 3-1 loss to Barcelona in the 2015 Champions League final. Juventus signed Portuguese star Ronaldo in 2018 with the aim of lifting the coveted European trophy, and his absence against Messi s Barcelona could weigh heavy. The 35-year-old will need to test negative 24 hours before being allowed to feature in Turin. The return at the Camp Nou is on December 8. "We miss him right now, of course," said Colombian teammate Juan Cuadrado. "He s a champion. In these very difficult matches, his strength, his mentality and his desire shine through." Ronaldo scored three goals for Juventus in their first two league games, before contracting the virus while on international duty. Even if Pirlo has yet to record a loss this season, Juventus are fifth in Serie A, with three draws in five games. "Barcelona? It doesn t worry me, they are two different matches," said Pirlo after Sunday s 1-1 stalemate against Hellas Verona. "Verona play differently than Barcelona, against teams that play like this you have to prepare a certain type of match. "We re in the construction phase," continued the novice coach. "We re sorry to leave points on the road, but we are on the right path. We are building a long-term project. I only see positive things." - Kulusevski, Morata spark - Pirlo s main weapons in Ronaldo s absence have been Spanish forward Alvaro Morata, who scored both goals against Dynamo Kiev, and Swedish striker Dejan Kulusevski, who rescued the point against Verona. Former Chelsea and Real Madrid player Morata returned to Juventus this season with Kulusevski signed from Atalanta in January before being loaned back immediately to Parma. The 20-year-old Swede was up and running immediately, scoring on his club debut in September and came off the bench to give Juventus the edge against Verona. Pirlo has also been impressed with how Paulo Dybala performed "well above expectations," in his seasonal debut against Verona after over three months out. Captain Giorgio Chiellini s presence is in doubt, with fellow defender Leonardo Bonucci s thigh strain being monitored, although Gianluca Frabotta, 21, has stepped into the breach, with Alex Sandro also out. "Seeing how we started the other championships, this start has been a bit slow," said Cuadrado of the nine-time reigning Italian champions. "But we haven t lost yet." Both teams won their Group G openers with Barcelona beating Hungarians Ferencvaros 5-1 and Juventus 2-0 at Dynamo Kiev. - Ronaldo v Messi - If Ronaldo misses his chance to line out on Wednesday he will have to wait until December to renew his rivalry with Argentine Messi. They are the two greatest players of their generation with 11 Ballons d Or between them, and the two highest scorers in Champions League history. They have not faced off since the Portuguese superstar left Real Madrid for Juventus, and both are running out of time to win the Champions League again. Messi, now 33, has featured in four victorious campaigns, all with Barcelona, while Ronaldo has won it five times, four with Real Madrid and once with Manchester United. Ronaldo has 130 Champions league goals, of which ten have been for Juventus, to Messi s 116. Messi has won 16 of their 35 encounters to Ronaldo s 10, with the remaining nine ending in draws. Messi has also scored 22 goals in those games to Ronaldo s 19. The pair have only met five times in Champions League games, most recently in the semi-final in 2011. Barcelona got the better of Real Madrid with a 3-1 aggregate win with Messi scoring twice in the first leg. Their most memorable clash was the 2009 Champions League final when Messi scored as Barcelona beat Manchester United 2-0.

Juventus should not require a slap to wake up even if the atmosphere at grounds is soporific, coach Andrea Pirlo said after the Serie A champions stumbled to a 1-1 draw against Verona on Sunday. Pirlo said he could understand players might be influenced by appearing in near-empty stadiums during the COVID-19 pandemic but added that it was something they would have to adapt to. “We played a wait-and-see game in the first half, we were not aggressive in midfield although we had the best chances,” said Pirlo, whose side fell behind after an hour. “There was a good reaction after their goal but we shouldn’t need a slap to wake us up.” “It’s one thing to play in the Champions League with a crowd that raises your levels of attention,” said Pirlo whose side host Barcelona in Europe’s elite competition on Wednesday. “Tonight there was a more soporific atmosphere but you need more determination -- these things win matches as well.” Games against teams such as Verona and Atalanta were always difficult, he added. “They get you involved in one-on-one battles all over the pitch,” he said. “We worked to avoid their high press and that worked better in the second half. It tough against them but we could have done better.” Verona coach Ivan Juric was disappointed at his team’s performance in the closing stages. “We did really well for an hour but then we fell away, we didn’t have the right energy,” said the Croatian who got into an angry altercation with the Juve bench at the final whistle. “There were some insults and when I am insulted, I react,” he said. “But it stops there.”

Liverpool were far from their best as they laboured to a 2-1 victory over Sheffield United in the Premier League on Saturday but Juergen Klopp praised his side’s resilience as they again showed a knack for overcoming adversity at Anfield. Diogo Jota’s second-half header sealed the points after Roberto Firmino had cancelled out Sander Berge’s penalty as Liverpool extended their unbeaten league run at home to 62 matches. Liverpool are undefeated in their last 13 home league games in which they have conceded the first goal, winning the last nine. They had to do it this time without injured defensive talisman Virgil van Dijk and at the end of a demanding week in which they drew 2-2 at Everton and ground out a 1-0 win over Ajax Amsterdam in the Champions League. “A tough week obviously -- a lot of games, a lot of minutes, tough opponents, hard-fighting opponents,” Klopp said. “(We) won the two matches after the Merseyside derby, so really pleased with that, obviously. “We didn’t score (the third goal) so the game stayed open and they had their moments, but we defended well with a big heart. And so I liked it.” Jota has now scored in his first two home league games since joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Incredibly, since netting against Arsenal on Sept. 28, the Portuguese has played in eight games for club and country. Klopp said there was more to come from the 23-year-old. “He is still adapting. In the moment, a lot of things we do are not natural to him but that’s only because Wolves play different -- but a lot of things he did for Wolves are exactly what we want him to do,” Klopp said. “That he is that close already is just a sign of how good a player he is. As I said, if he stays fit, he’s 23 and the future is bright. We will need his quality and I am really happy that he’s settled nicely so far.” While Liverpool moved joint top with Everton, Sheffield United have managed only one point from six games. Yet they pushed the champions all the way and manager Chris Wilder saw many positives. “There are a lot of disappointed people in the changing room,” Wilder said. “It was a tight game and it wasn’t one-way traffic. A lot of good things tonight but it feels a bit Groundhog Day but we will get better and learn a lot from today’s game.”

Manchester City s Raheem Sterling said social media companies have the technology to tackle online abuse but questioned whether they have the will to do so. Sterling was responding to the results of a Professional Footballers Association (PFA) report https://www.thepfa.com/news/2020/10/21/pfa-charity-ai-research-study into messages sent on Twitter to 44 current and former players in England. The report said that during the six weeks of "Project Restart", data science company Signify Group analysed 825,515 tweets directed at the players, identifying over 3,000 explicitly abusive messages. As much as 56% of all discriminatory abuse identified during the study was racist, with 43% of Premier League players in the group experiencing targeted and explicitly racist abuse. "I don t know how many times I need to say this, but football and the social media platforms need to step up, show real leadership and take proper action in tackling online abuse," Sterling told British media. "The technology is there to make a difference, but I m increasingly questioning if there is the will." The study, also backed by anti-discrimination body Kick It Out, called for stakeholders to fund a centralised artificial intelligence-driven system to monitor abusive users across social media. It recommended prosecutions, stadium bans and suspensions for abusers. "The recommendations we have announced today can make a real impact, but it needs everyone to work together to achieve change," PFA head of equalities Simone Pound said. In response to the study, a Twitter representative told Sky Sports the platform strongly condemned racist behaviour. "We want to reiterate that abusive and hateful conduct has no place on our service and we will continue to take swift action on the minority that try to undermine the conversation for the majority," the representative said. Facebook said it had recently partnered with Kick it Out on its Take A Stand campaign. "We ve also introduced technology to give people more control over their experience, including a setting for public figures to prevent people they don t know from messaging them," a Facebook representative said.

Moroccan football team Raja has been ordered to be quarantined for a week due to coronavirus infections, with the country’s health ministry deciding late Tuesday to abandon the team travelling to Egypt, leaving Saturday’s anticipated match against Zamalek in doubt. The Moroccan side was due to be hosted by the Whites at Cairo International Stadium in the second leg of the CAF Champions League semifinal. Zamalek earned a precious first-leg advantage, beating the hosts 1-0 on Sunday. Just 24 hours after the first leg, Raja officially announced that six players newly tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of infected players to eight, besides two from the technical staff. With the fate of Saturday’s scheduled match uncertain, Moroccan newspaper Al-Montakhab reported late Tuesday that the CAF, the African football governing body, is set to postpone the match. Zamalek’s president Mortada Mansour showed solidarity with the Moroccan side on Tuesday night, welcoming postponing the match until the recovery of Raja players. Zamalek are bidding for their sixth Champions League title, and the first since they defeated Raja 1-0 on aggregate in a two-legged final in 2002. Raja were recently crowned Moroccan champions after a breathtaking race with Wydad Casablanca, which was settled on the final day of the season.

The Premier League said on Monday that eight people had returned positive results in its latest round of COVID-19 tests conducted on players and staff last week. The league said the individuals who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus would now self-isolate for 10 days. "The Premier League can today confirm that between Monday 12 October and Sunday 18 October, 1,575 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19. Of these, there were eight new positive tests," the Premier League said in a statement here. A total of 42 people have tested positive for the virus in seven rounds of testing since the new campaign began on Sept. 12. There have been more than 750,000 COVID-19 infections and over 43,000 deaths in the United Kingdom, according to a Reuters tally.

Achraf Bencharki headed home in the first half as a disciplined Zamalek side snatched a 1-0 victory over Raja in Casablanca to close in on the African Champions League final on Sunday, following in the footsteps of Cairo rivals Ahly. The in-form Moroccan wizard, whose creativity has proved vital in Zamalek s path towards the semis, outjumped his marker at the far post to score what proved to be the winner on 18 minutes. He set a record in the process, becoming Zamalek s highest-scoring foreigner in African competitions with nine goals, surpassing former Burkinabe striker Abdoulaye Cisse even though he only joined Zamalek in the summer of 2019. Zamalek could have doubled their advantage on at least a couple of occasions after the break, with Bencharki masterminding their pacy counter attacks as Raja poured forward en masse to score an equaliser. The visitors also survived a late onslaught to claim a crucial win as they seek to reach the final for the first time since 2016. On Saturday, record eight-time winners Ahly defeated Raja s rivals Wydad 2-0 at the same Mohammed V Stadium, with the Egyptian duo now looking overwhelming favourites to reach the final of Africa s blue-riband club competition. The second legs will take place next weekend at Cairo s International Stadium. Compact Defence Zamalek were barely troubled in the first half, with their compact midfield and rearguard restricting Raja to some tame efforts. They relied on the pace and trickery of wingers Ahmed Zizo and Bencharki to unlock the high backline at the other end and both combined to score the opener on 18 minutes. Zizo skipped past his challenger down the right and whipped in a cross that keeper Anas Zniti misjudged, with Bencharki leaping above Ilias Haddad to head into an empty net at the far post. The closest Raja came to an equaliser before the break was a 42nd-minute header from Soufiane Rahimi that Zamalek keeper Mohamed Abou-Gabal pushed away. In the second half, Zamalek had two more chances to kill off Raja s hopes, with Bencharki chipping the ball over Zniti before crossing low for deep-lying forward Youssef Ibrahim, whose shot struck a defender with the goal gaping. Another chip from lone striker Mostafa Mohamed over Zniti missed the target before Zamalek were pegged back in the latter stages, resorting to deep defending that allowed Raja to lay siege to their area. However, they held firm to come away with a valuable victory that put them in the driving seat for a place in the 6 November final.

Egypt s Ahly moved within touching distance of reaching the African Champions League final for the third time in four years, producing an impressive away display to down Morocco s Wydad 2-0 in the semi-final first leg on Saturday. An early goal from Magdi Afsha and a second-half penalty from Tunisian left-back Ali Maaloul helped Ahly put one foot in the final as they chase a record-extending ninth triumph and their first in seven years. Wydad, who were hapless throughout at their own Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, appeared to be dearly affected by the absence of several key players, especially in defence, where natural midfielder Yahya Jabrane was repeatedly exposed. Jabrane, drafted as a central defender due to shortage of options at the back, was robbed by Afsha for Ahly s opener before blocking a shot from Nigerian forward Junior Ajayi with his arm shortly after the hour mark, with Maaloul tucking away the resulting penalty. Wydad, who beat Ahly in a two-legged final in 2017, have tasted their first home defeat in the competition since losing to the Cairo giants in 2016. The Red Devils will be firm favourites to advance to the final when they host Wydad next week at Cairo Stadium. Bold approach Ahly took Wydad by surprise in their early stages, adopting a bold approach and pressing the hosts high up the pitch. They opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute when the hesitant Jabrane gave away possession as Afsha broke clear to calmly slot the ball past the keeper and into the bottom corner. Ahly were pegged back after going ahead and too many mis-placed passes in their own half allowed Wydad to mount pressure, although the Moroccans were still too lethargic to create openings. It took Wydad until the latter stages of the half to create some danger, with Walid El Karti mis-hitting a close-range volley and veteran winger Ismail El Haddad blasting high over from a good scoring position. They were then awarded a penalty after VAR review on 39 minutes when Ivorian striker Gbagbo Magbi appeared to have been felled by keeper Mohamed El-Shennawi after running onto a threaded pass, only for Badie Aouk to send a tame spot-kick down the middle and straight into the hands of the in-form goalie. There was more bad news for Wydad in a second half dominated by a composed Ahly side, whose fast breakaways unsettled their opponents shaky backline. After a well-worked counter attack, Jabrane conceded a penalty that Maaloul converted after sending keeper Reda Tagnaouti the wrong way, leaving Wydad with an uphill to climb. Ahly held firm in the latter stages and were barely troubled to secure a vital win on the road.

All Zamalek s players have tested negative for COVID-19 after undergoing PCR tests ahead of the game against Morocco s Raga in the semifinal of the CAF Champions League on Sunday. The White Knights are scheduled to face Morocco s Raja in the first leg of the competition s semis on Sunday, with the second leg scheduled to take place six days later in Cairo. "All Zamalek crew underwent PCR tests in Morocco and they tested negative for Coronavirus," read a statement on the club s official website. Zamalek s Moroccan winger Achraf Bencharki joined the team s training session amid preparations for the crucial showdown after finishing his duty with the North African national team. "Bencharki will join the team s regular trainings on Thursday and he is fit for the game," the statement added. Meanwhile, Zamalek s Tunisian attacking midfielder Ferjani Sassi, who said on Wednesday he tested positive for COVID-19, will most likely miss the semi-finals despite being named in the team s squad that flew to Morocco on Tuesday. Zamalek s injured defender Mahmoud Alaa will undergo a rehab program ahead on Thursday to determine his availability for the game. The Cairo giants are bidding for their sixth Champions League title and the first since they defeated Raja 1-0 on aggregate in a two-legged final in 2002.

Neymar overtook Ronaldo and moved into second place behind Pele on Brazil’s all-time goalscoring list after notching a hat-trick in a 4-2 victory over Peru on Tuesday in a World Cup qualifier. The Paris St Germain striker now has 64 goals, two more than Ronaldo and 13 behind Pele, who heads the list with 77, according to the count by world governing body FIFA. Brazil coach Tite was reluctant to compare his current star with past greats. “It’s unfair making comparisons,” he said. “What I can say is Neymar has this unpredictability. He is the bow and the arrow, he’s a player who both makes and takes chances. And he gets better and better, and more mature.” On Tuesday, Neymar equalled and then surpassed Ronaldo with two penalties either side of halftime before grabbing No. 64 in injury time at Lima’s National stadium. The 28-year old celebrated by holding up the number nine with his hands in what appeared to be a tribute to Ronaldo, the former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Corinthians striker. Neymar, who made his Brazil debut in 2010, scored his 64 goals in 103 games.

Masry’s Palestinian striker Mahmoud Wadi has announced his departure from the Port Said based club to join rivals Pyramids FC during the current summer transfer window. “I will miss Masry club a lot. I am grateful for all the benefits the club has added to my career,” Wadi told ON Time Sports on Tuesday. “I am thankful for the happy days I spent here. I have received huge support from the fans, and I am sad to be departing from Masry. The decision wasn’t such an easy one, but this is football,” added the player who joined the costal club two years ago from Jordan’s Al-Ahli. The 25-year old Wadi played 75 matches in different competitions throughout his whole career with Masry; netting 19 goals. “This is the future and ambition that I am searching for. Joining a big club like Pyramids FC is a challenge to deliver my best,” Wadi explained. “Once the deal is finalized, my main target will be securing both collective and personal achievements,” he concluded. Masry currently lie seventh in the league table with 42 points, 44 behind leaders Ahly who played one match more. Pyramids lies in third place with 64 points. Egypt s rising football powerhouse Pyramids FC recently announced the signing of several Egyptian Premier League stars like Ahly s duo winger Ramadan Sobhi and goalkeeper Sherif Ekramy. Pyramids are also set to sign another Ahly veteran in right-back Ahmed Fathi, whose deal also runs out at the end of the season. The big-spending club finished third in the Egyptian league last season and were strongly challenging Zamalek for the second spot, which earns qualification for the lucrative African Champions League, this term.

English Football League chairman Rick Parry has praised Liverpool and Manchester United for "showing leadership" after they came up with a radical plan to overhaul the Premier League that he believes will benefit the whole game. The controversial "Project Big Picture" includes proposals to reduce the Premier League from 20 to 18 teams and abolish the League Cup and Community Shield. The club finishing 16th in the Premier League would join the Championship play-offs while there would be greater voting rights for the nine longest-serving Premier League clubs. Under the plan, EFL clubs would receive an immediate £250 million ($325 million) rescue package and a 25 percent future annual share of Premier League revenue. Football in England has been played behind closed doors since March because of the coronavirus pandemic and lower-league clubs are facing financial calamity, with fans barred from stadiums. Parry insists the proposals -- which would be the biggest shake-up of English football in a generation -- offer the best chance of securing the future of clubs outside the top flight but they have been deeply divisive. The Premier League said the plans would have a "damaging impact on the whole game" while the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport criticised "backroom deals". - Liverpool, Man Utd praised - But Parry, a former chief executive of Liverpool and the Premier League, was fulsome in his praise for Liverpool and United, England s two most successful clubs. "It is two of our great clubs showing leadership when it is needed, exercising great responsibility, and from the EFL point of view it is making our clubs sustainable and bridging the gap between the top of the Championship and and the bottom of the Premier League," he said. "The cherry on the icing on the cake is the prospect of a £250 million rescue fund immediately, which does of course help, but the principal part of the story is the biggest reset since the formation of the Premier League which, all being well, will set up the pyramid for the next 25 years. "The proposal is designed for the greater good of English football." Parry said the Premier League has had plenty of opportunity to come up with plans of their own. "They could have come up with a plan like this at any time," he added. "How long has it taken to get a short-term rescue package even to the starting gate? Months." "The message from Liverpool and Manchester United and their ownership is they actually genuinely do care about the pyramid," Parry added. "This hasn t been rushed together, this isn t a Covid plan, it has been years in the thinking and months in the making." Salford co-owner and former Manchester United defender Gary Neville said "there is too much good in this plan to dismiss it". "There are parts of the proposal that require negotiation," he said. "Let s get round the table please PL/EFL/FA/FSF (supporters group). If it suits 9 PL clubs and maybe 72 EFL clubs then let s work with the other 11." But speaking on Sky News on Monday, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: "If we keep having these backroom deals and all these other things going on we will have to look again at the underlying governance of football." The Football Supporters Association said it "notes the report with grave concern" and added: "As football s most important stakeholders, it is crucial that fans are consulted and involved in the game s decision-making."

All eyes will be on the game this Sunday between Egyptian Premier League champions Ahly and Pyramids FC, who are fighting to secure their runner-up place in the teams table. Pyramids FC are highly motivated to face Ahly in the 33rd matchday of the Egyptian Premier League as they are eager to snatch the game s points to stay in second place with four points over their rivals Zamalek. Pyramids FC are bidding to make their first ever appearance in the CAF Champions League next season if they finish as runner-up in the domestic league. The Cairo giants Ahly, wrapped up their record-extending 42nd Egyptian Premier League title this season with six rounds left after gaining an unassailable 20-point lead on top over second-placed Pyramids FC. A game of musical chairs is running between Pyramids FC and Zamalek as the latter lost two points after the goalless draw with Wadi Degla last week placing them at third place with only one point behind Pyramids FC. Ahly consider the game against Pyramids a crucial preparatory match for the Red Devils, against Morocco s Wydad, in the semi-final of the CAF Champions League which is yet to take place on 17, October. "The CAF Champions League games will be different from the games we played in the Egyptian league but Ahly are always ready for all competitions," Ahly s South African coach Pitso Mosimane said. The game against Pyramids FC is also considered quite the test for newly appointed South African coach Pitso Mosimane who managed to beat Arab Contractors 1-0 and Enppi 3-0 respectively in the league since his arrival. "Ahly players performed well during their match against Enppi as the back line introduced a cement defence alongside the superb performance of striker Marawan Mohsen who scored twice," said Mosimane at the post game s press conference. "I am doing my best to please Ahly fans by introducing a superb performance as well as positive results," he added. Since the goalless draw with Wadi Degla and losing the runner-up place to Pyramids, some Zamalek supporters took to social media and decided to support the team s arch rivals Ahly in their mission against Pyramids FC. Other Zamalek hard-core fans however, refused the idea despite they possibly being absent from the prestigious continental tournament next season. Pyramids FC will start the match with full capacity as winger Abdalla El-Saied, who always shines against his former club Ahly, is fit for the game after missing the last match between the two sides. The Red Devils welcome back the services of winger Ahmed El-Sheikh and Senegalese striker Aliou Badji after missing Enppi game due to injuries. Ahly defenders Rami Rabia and Ayman Ashraf are still unable to play due to injuries alongside the team s first-choice goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shennawi, who missed the last game against Enppi, also due to an injury. Mosimane called up youth players to the first team to make up for the absences. Tunisian left-back Ali Maaloul and Angolan winger Geraldo however, are not available because of international duties.

Each team will be able to register up to four foreign players in their squad for the 2020/21 season but that number will be trimmed the following season, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced on Wednesday. The EFA has kept the number unchanged for the new season, with each team also allowed to register an additional fifth player providing that he is Palestinian, Syrian, Tunisian, Moroccan, Algerian or Libyan. The EFA said fewer foreigners will be allowed to join league clubs in the following season, although it did not specify any number. Teams are still prohibited from signing any foreign goalkeepers, the EFA wrote in its regulations for the 2020/21 season. A significant change from the past seasons is that coaches who unilaterally terminate their deals with the clubs they manage will not be permitted to take charge of another team in the same season. A coach who is sacked will be allowed to take charge of one more team during the course of the season, the EFA added. Teams will be allowed to loan out up to five players every season, a decision that is likely to affect Cairo duo Ahly and Zamalek, who usually prefer to send most of their fringe players out on loan so they can gain first-team experience. The EFA also set dates for the summer transfer window, which will run from 10 October to 4 November, a few months later than usual after the league was suspended for five months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has played down reports linking him with a move to Barcelona. The 29-year-old was reported to be one of Ronald Koeman’s primary targets in the close season but Wijnaldum said there was “nothing concrete”. “I don’t think it was that serious,” he said. “Otherwise you would have read a bit more, or more would have happened. “The way it looks now, I will stay in Liverpool. My contract is valid for another 10 months and that can change. You never know in football.” Wijnaldum has played in all four of Liverpool’s Premier League games this season.

A spectacular strike from Ahmed "Zizo" El-Sayed in the 115th minute gave Zamalek a 2-1 victory against Smouha on Monday to reach the Egypt Cup quarter-finals. The Whites, who won six out of the past seven titles, will face FC Masr in November. After a scoreless and dour first half, Smouha turned on the style in the 54th minute when Salah Mohsen scored one of the best goals of the season, cutting from the left and producing a magnificent curling finish into the top corner. Second half substitute Emam Ashour grabbed the equaliser after intercepting a low cross from Zizo in the area and his deflected shot wrongfooted the keeper in the 81st minute. Going into extra time, Zamalek attacked en masse and got what they deserved with an outstanding shot from Zizo after a solo display in the 114th minute.