Soccer2day

1 Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has responded to the speculation surrounding his future amidst suggestions that he could be sold in the upcoming transfer window. Yesterday, a bombshell report from The Telegraph revealed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are plotting a radical summer overhaul of playing personnel as they aim to kickstart the new era at United on a high note. This season, United have endured a dreary and very disappointing campaign that has seen them suffer 12 top-flight defeats. Champions League qualification is no longer possible for Erik ten Hag’s men who currently lie in sixth position. With Newcastle closing in fast, United are facing an uphill battle to even clinch Europa League football. The only hope the Red Devils of somewhat restoring some dignity and pride that has already been lost is by beating Manchester City at Wembley in the FA Cup final later in May. The Telegraph explained that INEOS could consider bids even for the likes of Marcus Rashford and Fernandes. No one in the starting XI is untouchable except Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund and Kobbie Mainoo. The prospect of Fernandes potentially exiting Old Trafford was brought up once again by BBC who confirmed that the Portugal international could indeed be let go if United were to receive a “major offer.” The club skipper spoke to DAZNPortugal and addressed his situation and the chances of him carrying on with the 20-time English champions. When asked whether he could say goodbye to the Premier League in the coming weeks, he replied, “I’m not thinking about other things at the moment.” “Obviously, it doesn’t just depend on me, does it? A player always has to want to be here, but at the same time, you have to want him to stay. At the moment, I feel there’s that on both sides.” “I’m not thinking too much about the future, not least because, obviously, this season hasn’t been at the level I’d hoped for, either individually or collectively, so far. We could still end the season by winning the cup. After that, we have a very important Euros coming up.” Fernandes added, “So if you want me to be very honest if I have to think about not continuing in the Premier League.” “It won’t be until after the EUROs because nothing will be able to take my focus away from the FA Cup final and the EUROs, as there’s nothing more important than that at the moment.” “Um jogador tem que sempre querer cá estar, mas, ao mesmo tempo, têm que querer que ele cá fique e, neste momento, sinto isso de ambas as partes” Bruno Fernandes em exclusivo à DAZN#PremierELEVEN pic.twitter.com/UX8pqhEgci — DAZN Portugal (@DAZNPortugal) April 30, 2024 Despite United’s struggles on the pitch this term Fernandes has still managed to put up very impressive numbers. The 29-year-old has plundered 15 goals and 11 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions. Want to be the first to hear breaking Man United news? For carefully selected, crucial updates, join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/United-Breaking-News.

With current Feyenoord manager Arne Slot set to take over from Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, we spoke to Dutch football journalist Michael Statham (@EredivisieMike) to learn more about the new head coach.   Why do you think Liverpool were interested in Slot? People believe that he is very similar to Jurgen Klopp with playing style, a little bit of charisma about him as well. Some comparisons as well have been made with Pep Guardiola. I think he is very good but I’m not going to go out and say he’s as good as him already. Of course he can’t have proven himself yet but, Arne Slot, trying to talk about him cautiously, I do think he’s that good. I do think he’s up there, by far the best manager in the Netherlands and has been for four years now, and I’m saying that with, of course, Erik ten Hag having come from the same country. Slot is someone who is obsessed with playing style, a very good man-manager and I think he’s got what it takes.   Should fans worry that he is unproven outside the Netherlands? I think what he’s been able to show in the Netherlands is that pretty much every season he’s been a head coach, he’s had a success. Whether that was winning the Dutch league last season, the Dutch Cup this season, or going back as far as 2017 with second-tier side Cambuur – he managed to finish third having taken over mid-table and reached the semi-finals of the Dutch Cup. He’s always been able to stretch players, people, what the club can achieve and stamp his authority on the history of clubs, whether that was with AZ Alkmaar or Feyenoord. I think that what sets him apart is the way that he plays football, though, and I think that’s why Liverpool want him.   Does Liverpool’s squad fit his style or is an overhaul needed? I don’t think an overhaul is needed. I also don’t think it would be right to compare him to Klopp and say he needs to have the same impact. He loves to play a 4-2-3-1, but in Dutch style that’s a 4-3-3 basically. Out of the top seven leagues in Europe, his side Feyenoord have the most turnovers of any club – second place is Liverpool. Recoveries as well, so in terms of coming back into games they’re always fighters. They like to force themselves upon opposition and he is just a very attacking coach. I do think that he’s someone that likes who likes to use the width, in terms of getting extra players forward to open up areas, making space in the centre of the pitch using a double pivot. Liverpool, without doubt, would probably take a backward step after him coming in, but you have to expect that a little bit with the change. I think the way that he gets to full-back to press up high with the winger is a mark of the way he gets these sides to play.   Does he always stick to his system or does he adapt to the opposition? On the whole he sticks to what he has. Hardly ever has he changed the formation but he occasionally has put a second striker on and put him in the No. 10 position. He does rotate where the players play, so Mats Wieffer is a midfielder but when they’re chasing a game, he’ll drop in at centre-back and they’ll put an extra attacking player on. He does those kind of things, but they’re quite predictable when chasing the game.   Any players he might like to bring with him? Quilindschy Hartman is a great left-back, a talent of the future. He’ll be the Netherlands left-back for a long time to come. Wieffer has done quite well this season, but I don’t know how much higher his ceiling is. • READ HERE: Feyenoord defender Lutsharel Geertruida “would love” Liverpool transfer Santiago Gimenez has been great for Feyenoord for a season-and-a-half but there’s no-one that you’re thinking ‘yeah, he’s going to take him with him. He’s brilliant’. But they have got lots of very good players who have the potential perhaps to play for a team like Liverpool. Big thanks go to Michael for his insight. You can follow Michael Statham on X (Twitter) @EredivisieMike.

If Kaizer Chiefs are to end Mamelodi Sundowns’s unbeaten run in the league, they’ll have to do it the hard way. Amakhosi host Masandawana at the FNB Stadium on Thursday evening. The clash, which was supposed to be played on Tuesday, was moved to the 2nd of May by the PSL due to Downs’ having to play TS Galaxy on Monday, Chiefs secured their first win in two months on Sunday against SuperSport United. Their coach Cavin Johnson knows a win could be a turning point in their season. Sundowns’ 2020/21 unbeaten record was ended towards the end of the season by Kaizer Chiefs and they could want to repeat the feat. Cavin Johnson said all their remaining games were cup finals with a top-three finish still mathematically possible. “I think it’s a major game for us,” he said this week. “We’re at FNB and we’ve just come off a good win against SuperSport. In doing this we prepared our team to go out, it’s our home game and we want to end the season off on a strong note. And whatever games we have left to play, they’re all Cup finals. That was our message – to go there and play another cup final, finishing the season.” Kaizer Chiefs could have six players missing when they face high-flying Sundowns. “TT [Ditlhokwe] hasn’t played, he’s ready but he hasn’t played a game of 45 minutes or for an hour as yet but yeah we know Dove is suspended because of four yellow cards. We gonna see how we fix our defence structure up,” Johnson told the media. Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns renew their rivalry on Thursday The likes of Itumeleng Khune, Keagan Dolly, Tebogo Potsane and George Matlou will definitely miss the Thursday clash. Nkosingiphile Ngcobo is also doubtful “We still have Itu out, we still have Keegan out – they all came back with heavy flu,” Johnson said. Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns have met twice already this season, in league and MTN8 matches. The Brazilians have beaten Amakhosi twice with one clash ending up in a draw. Masandawana could wrap up the league against Chiefs In the log standings, Chiefs will want to move upwards from their current 8th spot. The Glamour Boys have accumulated 33 points after 25 matches with 33 points The visitors need only six more points to wrap up the league title with games to spare.

Virgil van Dijk was strangely linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund at the weekend, with sources in Germany now explaining the Bundesliga club’s stance. The fallout of Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at West Ham, and the almost certain collapse of any title hopes, led to plenty of speculation over the future. Mohamed Salah was touted with an exit following his row with Jurgen Klopp on the touchline, while Van Dijk was sensationally tipped to join Dortmund. Those rumours came via the Sunday edition of the Mirror, and were quite clearly nonsense – but now German publication BILD has explained the club’s view. It is outlined that Dortmund are expected to seek a replacement for Mats Hummels this summer and that Van Dijk’s wages are not a massive difference to those earned by Niklas Sule. But Dortmund sources told BILD that a deal for Van Dijk would be “economically difficult to realise,” while they aim to “focus on promising talent” in the transfer market. In other words, Van Dijk is too old and too expensive to make sense for a club like Dortmund. Case closed, then. Another ridiculous rumour to add to the pile as summer approaches and Liverpool endure a difficult end to Klopp’s reign. The club do, however, face a decisive period when it comes to their captain, who will enter the final year of his contract at the end of the season and turns 33 in July. With the imminent appointment of countryman Arne Slot – along with an assistant manager in Sipke Hulshoff who works with the No. 4 as part of the Netherlands national team – the likelihood is that Van Dijk retains a key role. Despite this miserable drop in form at the most important stage of the campaign, Van Dijk’s revival this term cannot be overlooked. For much of the season, Van Dijk looked back to his best, and he is likely to remain a cornerstone of the Liverpool squad for years to come.

A key update has emerged regarding an end-of-season bus parade for Liverpool, as well as a controversial choice of referee for Sunday’s clash with Tottenham.   End-of-season parade highly unlikely It looks increasingly likely that Liverpool will finish the season with just the League Cup to show for their efforts, and no Premier League title. So will there still be a bus parade if that happens? According to This Is Anfield‘s David Lynch, Liverpool decided against having one – barring an unlikely league triumph in the next few weeks. In truth, celebrating a solitary League Cup may be going too far, nice as it would be to give Jurgen Klopp a great send-off. The club would have been ridiculed by many – perhaps fairly!   4 other things today: Tottenham referee & new AXA deal Paul Tierney will referee Liverpool’s clash with Tottenham on Sunday – a final farewell between him and Klopp could be fun! Arne Slot may not have a full Liverpool staff for day one of pre-season in July – find out why HERE! Anthony Taylor has AVOIDED punishment for his Cody Gakpo farce and will referee this weekend. What a joke!   Latest Liverpool FC News Liverpool could sell Wataru Endo after just one season at the club, according to journalist Graeme Bailey. We’re not counting him as a reliable source! The Reds sent scouts to watch Brondby midfielder Yuito Suzuki last month – the 22-year-old has 10 goals and eight assists in 27 games this season (Bold)   Other chat from elsewhere Man United will listen to offers for “virtually all their first-team squad” this summer – what a shambles they are! (BBC Sport) Fulham have been fined £75,000 and banned from registering academy players for six months – it’s all to do with a payment made for Liverpool midfielder Fabio Carvalho as a youngster! (Premier League) Newcastle are in ‘pole position’ to replace Eddie Howe with former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri, it is claimed – would that be harsh on Howe or can the Magpies do better? (Sport Witness)   Video of the day and match of the night Want to know the difference between Klopp and Arne Slot as managers? Find out in the video below: Match of the night is Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid (8pm BST), in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie. It’s Harry Kane vs. Jude Bellingham, so expect an English media love-in!

In 2022 the son of Kaizer Chiefs Scara Ngobese, Lwandle Yende made headlines after surfacing at Amakhosi.  There was a lot of speculation surrounding the future of Yende, before he ended up in Chiefs colours. There were reports that he had already signed for Chiefs, and in doing so they had beaten of a rival. That rival, was in the form of Mamelodi Sundowns. Yende is thought to be a talented player just like his father was, with lots of potential. A picture of him wearing Chiefs training gear then seemed to confirm that he was potentially following in his father’s footsteps at the club. This was before former Amakhosi coach Arthur Zwane confirmed that such news were premature. “10111” as Zwane is affectionally known as has confirmed that Ngobese hasn’t signed on at the club just yet, and is still on trial. Ngobese’s son Yende was on trial at Chiefs in 2022 “I have spoken to the coaches (at the Chiefs academy) and they said they are assessing the boy (Lwandle Yende). I don’t know if he is still around because I have not been there in the past three days. But the last time I was there, they were still assessing him. This to see if he could be given the opportunity to be part of our development structures. I will get feedback when I next go there. At the moment I don’t know whether he is going to be a part of us or not,” Zwane said back in May 2022. Zwane then sounded a warning with regards to the hype surrounding the player Yende. He said that it would be the Chiefs academy coaches who would have the final say. They would decide on whether he was talented enough to make it at the club, or not.  Now he is at SuperSport It then seems as if Yende didn’t end up making the grade at Chiefs. According to the latest pictures he is now part of the SuperSport United academy.

1 It is well-known at this point that keeping growing PSR concerns in mind, Manchester United will first need to sell players before thinking of recruitment. New co-owners INEOS are planning a large-scale summer clearout and not even high-profile stars such as Casemiro and Marcus Rashford are safe from the cull. One area in urgent need of reinforcements is at the back where both Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans’ deals are coming to an end with the club reluctant to keep paying the Frenchman his humongous salary. Victor Lindelof is also being eyed by Galatasaray among other clubs and the Red Devils are planning to add not one, but two centre-backs to their ranks in the summer. Maguire’s renaissance One player who was close to leaving the club last season was Harry Maguire and links with West Ham United have resurfaced once again while even Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a shock move for the former club skipper. But Football Transfers have now revealed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has no plans of letting the 31-year-old depart this summer with the new ownership keen to see him mentor the upcoming talents at the club. Willy Kambwala has already made his first-team debut and is set to earn even more minutes next season while the likes of Harry Amass, Habeeb Ogunneye and Jack Kingdon have all been part of the matchday squads. All of them need a helping hand and the experienced England international can certainly help with their development. Apart from his mentorship, Maguire has proven himself to Erik ten Hag, who wanted to let him go last summer. Mounting injury concerns saw the Dutchman turn to the former Leicester City star who has not let him down. From 16 starts last season, the England international is up to 25 starts already this term and he has played through the pain barrier to try and help the team, something the manager has publicly endorsed. And it seems Maguire has impressed the new co-owners as well who are planning to trigger the one-year extension option in his contract. The centre-back’s current deal lasts until 2025. “Manchester United will aim to retain the services of Harry Maguire despite suggestions that the former captain is up for sale, FootballTransfers can reveal. Maguire to stay “The club are gearing up for a major summer overhaul in the upcoming transfer window, but one player Ineos are keen to keep hold of is the 31-year-old. “The Red Devils are looking to offload at least ten first-team squad members, but one player they intend to retain is Maguire, who they believe can mentor the array of talented youngsters at the club. “According to sources, Ineos have initiated discussions over triggering the option on his contract during the first part of next season.” A complete overhaul is not possible in one or two transfer windows and keeping experienced stars and recruiting young could be the ideal way to refresh the first team and prepare them for future success. Maguire deserves his plaudits this season. He might not be the long-term answer to the problems plaguing the club but he has done his chances of staying no harm. Want to be the first to hear breaking Man United news? For carefully selected, crucial updates, join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/United-Breaking-News.

Orlando Pirates are believed to be ready to go into the market for yet another striker in the off-season.  Pirates are believed to already be closing in on DRC striker Andy Boyeli but that doesn’t seem to be enough. They’re also believed to be in the race for Ivorian striker Freddy Michael Kouablan, with archrivals Kaizer Chiefs. The club was already active in the recently concluded January transfer window. The likes of Thabiso Lebitso and Talent Mbatha were roped in by Pirates, who then saw Bienvenu Eva Nga released. Then perhaps, the biggest outgoing was that of club stalwart Thembinkosi Lorch. The playmaker shocked the local football fraternity by securing a deadline-day move to rivals Mamelodi Sundowns. In recent weeks, it was rumoured that they’re monitoring veteran Swati goal machine Sabelo Ndzinisa. this publication reported that Pirates had welcomed former Burnley youth academy striker Tremaine Eastmond for assessments. While they seem to have passed on the opportunity sign the veteran Ndzinisa, Eastmond seems to be a player edging closer to a move.  Pirates ready to revamp striking department Pirates have even cast their net as far wide as the Motsepe Foundation Championship. They are thought to have been scouting Hungry Lions striker Muzomuhle Khanyi. It now seems as if he is not the only first division striker on their radar. The Buccaneers are also rumoured to be chasing Casric Stars hitman Decide Chauke according to Soccer-Laduma.  “For now, it’s an inquiry which means there is something they (Pirates) are seeing in the player. They have interest in him hence they have inquired. It seems they are really serious about bringing in more strikers in the off season and Decide (Chauke) is one of the players they are looking at. He is a good striker and at his age he can be the right signing as he is only 28-years-old right now,” said one source.  A second source touched on how Pirates got to Chauke Chauke a target “Their (Pirates) scouting department is doing a good job. They are looking in different directions to find the right striker or strikers to join the team next season. There will be changes in the striking department next season and that’s why they are looking at Decide (Chauke) from Casric Stars,” said the second source. Wether Pirates eventually decide to sign Chauke, remains to be seen.

Story Links JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – North Florida assistant women’s soccer coach Morgan Luckie has been promoted to the role of associate head coach, as announced by head coach Eric Faulconer on Tuesday afternoon.  Luckie has been with the UNF program since the spring of 2019. Luckie played four seasons for Faulconer at Armstrong State University. She also served one season as a graduate assistant under Faulconer at Armstrong in 2016. “Morgan is extremely passionate about our program, our athletic department and UNF. She comes to work each day trying to make a difference. She works tirelessly every day to impact all aspects of our program and she is totally invested in our student athletes.  She is very deserving of this elevated position, and I am excited to continue to work with her in the future,” stated Faulconer. Luckie’s primary responsibility has been with the Osprey goalkeepers where she has had great success. Three of the top four all time leaders in goals against average for UNF have been mentored by Luckie. In 2019, Rhiannon Conelley earned ASUN All-Academic Team honors, finishing her final season with a personal best goal against average. In 2021, Mercedes Sapp garnered ASUN Goalkeeper of the Year Honors. Sapp is the program’s all-time leader in career save percentage and second all-time in goals against average. Current Osprey goalkeeper Sofia Miliancano finished the 2022 season with 0.397 GAA (best in program D1 history), good for fourth in the nation while conceding just four goals through 906 minutes played. Miliancano was the 2023 ASUN Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year before sustaining a season ending injury in the first game of the 2023 campaign. “UNF has been my home for the last five years and I couldn’t be happier to continue my journey here in this new role,” said Luckie. “I am thankful for Eric and his support and belief in me since I had the privilege of playing for him starting in 2012. I am grateful for this opportunity to continue to serve a program and university I care so deeply about. I look back on all that we have accomplished since 2019 and am proud of how far this program has come but I am very excited and eager for the future. It is a dream to lead and work with our student-athletes every day while watching them learn, grow and develop into high-character, well-rounded and successful individuals. UNF is a special place filled with many special people and I am so lucky to be a part of this Osprey family. Swoop!” Luckie was a four-year standout and two-year captain goalkeeper at Armstrong from 2012-2015. During her four-year career she was twice selected as All Southeast Region by the United Soccer Coaches organization. She also garnered Peach Belt All-Conference, All-Tournament, All-Academic and Presidential Academic Honor Roll recognition during her career. She was selected as the goalkeeper for the Armstrong State all decade team and was chosen by the NCAA for their degree completion award. First all-time in ASU program history in goals against average and second all-time in saves and shutouts, Luckie helped lead Armstrong to three NCAA tournament appearances, a Peach Belt Conference regular season and tournament title, an NCAA regional championship and a No. 1 final regular season national ranking in 2012. After completing her playing career, Luckie joined the Armstrong staff as the goalkeeper coach for the 2016 season, where she helped guide the Pirates to an overall 14-5-2 record and a NCAA round of 32 appearance. A native of Charlotte, NC, Luckie has her United Soccer Coaches Goalkeeper Level 1 and 2. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Armstrong in Health and Physical Education and her master’s degree in Professional Communication & Leadership from Georgia Southern University.

Arne Slot will oversee his first pre-season as Liverpool manager this summer, but the Dutchman may do so without assistant Sipke Hulshoff until late into July. The next pre-season will be much different for Liverpool, with preparations for the past eight campaigns run by Jurgen Klopp and his staff. With Klopp departing and Slot poised to take over in the role of head coach, the summer could take a new complexion, most notably as players adjust to the Dutchman’s training methods. However, Slot’s assistant manager, 49-year-old compatriot Hulshoff, may be absent from the start of pre-season due to commitments at Euro 2024. A deal was brokered with Feyenoord for Hulshoff, head of performance Ruben Peeters and technical advisor Etienne Reijnen to follow Slot to Anfield as a new backroom forms. But Hulshoff currently couples his role at Feyenoord with a similar position with the Netherlands national team, where he serves as No. 2 to Ronald Koeman. He was appointed at the start of 2023 and caught the eye of Virgil van Dijk during their first training camp together. As it stands, there are no reports that his status will change ahead of the Euros, which will be held in Germany between June 14 and July 14. That could mean that Slot begins life in charge of Liverpool without his closest ally – who, it should be stressed, is credited with running the majority of training sessions similar to Pepijn Lijnders under Klopp. Liverpool’s first friendly of pre-season is currently scheduled for July 26, when they will face Real Betis on the first leg of their US tour. Therefore, Hulshoff’s time at the Euros would not clash with that trip to Pittsburgh, but it would undoubtedly impact crucial early preparations. At this stage, there is a chance that Liverpool refuse their incoming assistant from holding two jobs, meaning Hulshoff would be required to exit his role with the Netherlands. But the working theory is that Slot will make do without Hulshoff in the early weeks of pre-season before reuniting on Merseyside in mid-July.

Kaizer Chiefs are believed to be ready to make some major changes to their playing staff next season. Even though there have been names linked with a move to Chiefs, the club is also set to release some. Players like Siyethemba Sithebe and Sifiso Hlanti have been mentioned, with their deals up soon. They have been joined by Happy Mashiane and Zitha Kwinika of late. One player that has been fighting those exit rumours at Chiefs is Njabulo Ngcobo. The centre back joined Amakhosi from Moroka Swallows, after winning defender of the season. Before putting pen to paper at the club, they fought of stern competition from Mamelodi Sundowns for his services. The club was able to clinch that deal through their good relationship with the Dube Birds.  Things have not quite gone according to plan for Ngcobo at Chiefs thus far, however. The player has not been a regular in the starting line up in his two-and-a-half years at Naturena. That has led to rumours that he would be sold by the club at the start of the current season. The signings of Given Msimango and Thatoayane Dithlokwe only made matters worse, but he decided to stay and fight. That seems to have paid dividends as he has managed to get the odd start here and there.  It was recently reported that Ngcobo was edging no closer to any contract talks at Chiefs. The biggest likelihood would’ve been him signing for DStv Premiership rivals AmaZulu. Now even though that opportunity may still exist, it is thought that there has been a huge development at Amakhosi. Ngcobo to stay at Chiefs According to FARPost Ngcobo could be set for a new Chiefs deal, is weighing up the prospect of regular football. This could likely come in the form of AmaZulu.  “The future of Kaizer Chiefs defender Njabulo Ngcobo has been thrown into further uncertainty with reports that a DStv Premiership side has entered the race to secure his signature. The talented centre-back’s contract with Chiefs is set to expire soon, and a contract renewal seems imminent. However, the new suitor’s sudden interest could complicate matters. The Durban-based club (AmaZulu) is reportedly keen to bolster its defensive ranks, and Ngcobo’s skillset and potential fit their ambitions perfectly. A source close to the player has indicated that Ngcobo is weighing up his options carefully. While AmaZulu’s offer is tempting, the chance to continue his successful journey with Chiefs remains a strong possibility.” Wrote the publication.  Will he stay or go? It remains to be seen if Chiefs do try to tie down Ngcobo and he decides to stay.

Liverpool will not hold an open top bus parade through the city centre at the end of the season, except in the unlikely event they win the Premier League title. The prospect of a celebration that would double up as a farewell to Jurgen Klopp was raised after the Reds secured the League Cup by beating Chelsea at Wembley in February. The club had contingency plans in place for multiple dates depending on their potential success in the Premier League or Europa League, which were required to be ratified in advance with Liverpool City Council. However, This Is Anfield understands that, after the Reds were dumped out of Europe and lost ground to both Manchester City and Arsenal, their proposed celebrations will be shelved barring a miraculous turnaround in the title race. Asked about a potential end-of-season celebration earlier this year, Klopp was adamant that he did not wish to be the focus of any such event. He said: “That’s the one part this is not so cool, that it could be seen as [a farewell], I don’t think that makes sense.” And the manager’s stance allied to the fact that a parade for winning the League Cup alone would be unusual has altered Liverpool’s plans. The club have twice held celebratory parades under Klopp, with the first coming after the 2019 Champions League final win over Tottenham. The second was held immediately after defeat in the showpiece fixture of the same competition in 2022 but saw the Reds show off both the FA Cup and League Cup. Speaking on that occasion, Klopp said: “Without a shadow of a doubt, no club in the world – this world – that they lost the Champions League final the night before and the people arrive here in the shape they are, the mood they are. Absolutely outstanding. “This is the best club in the world – I don’t care what other people think!”

Kaizer Chiefs are thought to be on the hunt to reinforce their midfield, during the next transfer window. Chiefs are currently eighth on the DStv Premiership log, with interim coach Cavin Johnson refusing to make January signings.  Johnson had often alluded to the media that, he believes in the current crop of players he inherited at Chiefs. He also stressed he just needs more time to coach them, rather than go into the market. With that being said, it has not quite worked out for him, as the squad suffered a few key injuries. Whether because of those injuries or not, they have since regressed incredibly in 2024.  At the start of the year, Chiefs were in sixth place, but not far away from second place points wise. Now a run that had seen them win just one game in 2024, saw them slump out of the race for second spot. Amakhosi will now be under a new coach and probably a new technical team altogether next season. The fresh group are expected to be armed with the tools to dip into the market, reinforcing their playing squad. Chiefs ready to move for Mkhize? One of the players that was linked with a move to Chiefs in the January transfer window is Siphesihle Mkhize. This publication reported on Monday that the former Mamelodi Sundowns star was close to joining Amakhosi from Sekhukhune United. His agent has since given their pursuit a boost. “Siphesihle Mkhize is contracted to Sekhukhune United and we thank the club for believing in him. The fact that they bought him out of Sundowns meant a lot about how they rate him. “I mean you can see that the move has worked perfectly for both the player and club. Mkhize has managed to play regular football at Sekhukhune, and you can see how the team is doing. And you know when a player is doing well, the so-called big teams are going to sniff around. But I can tell you know we haven’t engaged Chiefs over the transfer of Mkhize. However, I always say with all my players, they are ambitious players who are looking to improve their game. So, all the interest in Mkhize has to be directed to Sekhukhune. I’m sure with the right offer, the club give him their blessings.” Said agent Ntobatsi Masegela to FARPost. Given encouragement? It remains to be seen if Chiefs will eventually make a formal move for Mkhize. But the fact that Masegela believed Sekhukhune would be willing to do a deal, should be encouraging for the Glamour Boys.

1 Manchester United’s senior team may have struggled but the age group teams have been on fire with the famed United academy churning out one top talent after the other. The United U18s clinched the U18 Premier League North title while losing only twice all season while they also clinched the Premier League Cup for the first time. The U21s have also qualified for the play-offs, where they will face off against Arsenal. The academy has been the source of the only sliver of hope this season from a first team perspective as most high-profile names have struggled this season. Erik ten Hag has benefited from the breakthroughs of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo while the rampaging injury crisis has seen him hand out debuts to the likes of Dan Gore, Willy Kambwala, Omari Forson and most recently, Ethan Wheatley. Lacey’s season done The forward became the 250th academy graduate to make his debut for the first team, a remarkable record and testament to the hard work done behind the scenes. As relayed by The Peoples Person, 17-year-old Shea Lacey was next in line for a possible debut before the season concluded. But that has to wait now. Gutted to have picked up another injury to finish my season early looking forward to next season pic.twitter.com/wgV1MdiHnf — Shea lacey (@Shealacey10) April 29, 2024 The winger revealed on social media that he has once again suffered an injury setback and is set to be out for the remainder of the season. “Gutted to have picked up another injury to finish my season early looking forward to next season,” the Liverpudlian wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Fans eager to see him make his debut Lacey, who recently signed his first professional deal with the club, was out for over five months due to a torn thigh muscle which restricted him to only 10 appearances this season. Since regaining fitness, he has been a constant presence in first team training sessions where he has impressed the Dutch manager. Following this latest setback, the club should try and look after the super talented wonderkid even more to ensure fewer disruptions moving forward. Hopefully, the England U17 international can regain fitness before pre-season commences as fans are desperate to see him feature for the first team and they believe they have their “very own Lionel Messi“. Want to be the first to hear breaking Man United news? For carefully selected, crucial updates, join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/United-Breaking-News.

1 Former Netherlands international Wesley Sneijder has launched an extraordinary attack on Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, claiming he lost the dressing room 18 months ago. The Dutch manager enjoyed a successful debut season at the helm, finishing third and winning the club’s first silverware since 2017. It has been all downhill since then however, as the Red Devils find themselves in sixth place in the Premier League and in real danger of finishing outside the top six for the first time since the 2013/2014 season. As would be expected, the former Ajax manager has faced a lot of criticism for his role in the nightmare that has been this season with pundits like Paul Scholes claiming back in March that INEOS had already decided to replace him at the end of the season. Speaking on Dutch television show Veronica Offside (via The Metro) former Dutch star, Sneijder, had some choice words for his compatriot’s spell in charge of United and believes the problems he is facing at the club have been brewing since 2022. Sneijder claimed, “He already made a mistake by competing with Ronaldo. He lost everyone’s respect there. He thought it would work the other way around, but of course not.” “Those guys in the dressing room thought, ‘Is this man crazy?’” The World Cup finalist went on to predict that Ten Hag’s future is already sealed due to the poor performances of the current campaign. “Of course he already knows that he has to leave. But you’re not going to go yourself. If I was him, I would sit there comfortably [until he’s sacked].” Whilst it is more than fair to highlight Ten Hag’s role behind United’s demise this campaign, it is somewhat harsh to refer to the Ronaldo incident as the catalyst for such problems. The Portuguese conducted an explosive interview with Piers Morgan in November 2022 and despite some players probably being disappointed with the player’s departure, it clearly didn’t affect their performances. This is due to the fact that the Old Trafford team probably played their best football of the Ten Hag era between December 2022 and March 2023 when they won the Carabao Cup and consolidated themselves in the top four of the Premier League that season. Sneijder clearly has a bee in his bonnet when it comes to United as he recently spoke out against Antony’s reaction to winning the FA Cup semi-final penalty shootout against Coventry City and also criticised the club’s pursuit of Wout Weghorst in January 2023. The player was famously pursued by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2011 but he never ended up at the Theatre of Dreams. Sneijder has revealed since that he was very close to a move to Manchester but the deal collapsed when his representatives asked for more money. It is most certainly fair to blame Ten Hag for the tactical mess United are in and he will most likely pay for it with the loss of his job. Nonetheless, Sneijder’s criticism can certainly go over the top and in the case of the latest Ronaldo example, barely make any sense at all. Want to be the first to hear breaking Man United news? For carefully selected, crucial updates, join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/United-Breaking-News.

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena has accused TS Galaxy coach Saed Ramovic of trying to avenge Benard Parker’s injury. The 37-year-old TS Galaxy striker sustained a career-threatening injury against Mamelodi Sundowns in October 2023. He was stretched off the field following a dangerous tackle by Bongani Zungu. Downs and Galaxy met for the first time since that match on Monday with the Brazilans claiming a 3-0 win. The match however produced a late drama when Orebotse Mongae was given a red card for a tackle on Zungu. After the match, Mokwena accused the coach and players of trying to avenge Parker. “I am disappointed with the tackle on Bongani Zungu, very disappointed,” Mokwena told the media. “Because I was told already last night that the coach on the opposition showed that tackle that Bongani Zungu did on Bernard Parker and said ‘Don’t forget what Bongani Zungu did’. Mokwena says TS Galaxy planned to avenge Parker “I’m very disappointed because these things happen. And I can say again to you that Bongani Zungu’s tackle can happen in any other game, anywhere I’ve seen worse tackles.” “We have even got Nasir out injured, but we’ve forgiven and moved on because it’s a contact sport, but we go and intentionally injure players and we send out these things, it’s a bit disappointing from a professional level, but anyway, we do the talking on the pitch.” Mokwena defended Zungu last year following his dangerous tackle on Parker. He said the former Bafana Bafana midfielder would never purposefully injure an opponent. Ramovic and Mokwena clash again after another tense match Galaxy coach Ramovic played down revenge talk. Despite him and Mokwena not seeing eye to eye, Ramovic said his players were inspired by Parker. “I think the best thing is that he should watch [the incident] again on TV, maybe I’m wrong, it is not what he thought but… if Mokwena wants to advertise his ignorance all the time, you don’t have to do anything, just let him talk.” We saw what a great inspiration Parker is, unbelievable, fantastic attitude to come back from a horrible injury, to get back at the game is just an inspiration to every player, for every person who has this kind of injury,” the Galaxy coach said. Despite last year’s drama, both Mokwena and Zungu reached out to Parker. The striker has since returned to the field of play.

This past weekend Chiefs picked up a much-needed against SuperSport United, with rising Amakhosi star Mfundo Vilakazi making yet another key appearance this season. However, one ugly incident caught the eye of onlookers when Vilakazi flashed a zap sign at Lakay after he was on the receiving end of a rough tackle from the former Mamelodi Sundowns player. Bafana Bafana team manager Vincent Tseka even commented on the moment, stating on X: “The sooner the young man forgets about this incident, the better. It’s good that he also managed to speak Lyle.” Notably, though, Lakay responded to actually defend Kaizer Chiefs’ 18-year-old sensation after he had apologised. “Bra V. It’s sorted, we spoke and he apologised,” Lakya wrote on social media. “It’s part of the game when emotions are high. He is a good kid!” Bra V . It’s sorted , we spoke and he apologised . It’s part of the game when emotions are high . His a good kid — Lyle Lakay (@LyLo_7) April 28, 2024 Mfundo Vilakazi arrived at Kaizer Chiefs’ Youth Development Academy in 2021, initially playing for the U17 team. He was then promoted to the reserve team, where he continued to excel and caught the eye of the senior coaches. The 18-year-old started training with the senior squad earlier this season and was included in the team shortly afterwards, having already made the matchday squad on several occasions. KAIZER CHIEFS HAVE NOW LOCKED IN THE SERVICES OF MFUNO VILAKAZI The Soweto-born attacking midfielder expressed his delight at recently signing a senior team contract through to 2028. “I’m happy and excited to have a contract with a big club like Chiefs. It has always been my dream from a young age to play for the senior team and represent Kaizer Chiefs. I am looking forward to contributing to the club and paying back the management for believing in my talent. I thank all the supporters who always push me to do better, I promise not to disappoint.” TALENT FOR THE FUTURE Kaizer Chiefs Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jr. added: “We are very excited to be able to conclude this contract extension. Mfundo is an exceptional talent and we are looking forward to seeing him showcase his God-given technical ability with the senior team for many years to come. It’s now all about the hard work for the young man and we know he will do his best. “Mfundo’s promotion is a testament to the great work in our development structures. We have built an environment that is conducive to producing talent for the senior team, which is fundamental to the ethos of Kaizer Chiefs. We have some hard-working people – from under-13 to the reserve side – who do not focus purely on winning but mainly on producing top footballers for the senior team.” The contract extension will see him stay at Naturena until June 2028.

Despite a bizarre error in stopping Cody Gakpo from scoring against West Ham, Anthony Taylor has been kept on the PGMOL’s list of referees this weekend. From the initial call to the on-field cover-up to the strange explanation after the game, Taylor’s involvement late into Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with West Ham was remarkable. After waving play on and urging West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola to get going, the referee then blew his whistle to halt Gakpo as he charged the ball down, ready to fire into an open net. • READ: Referee Anthony Taylor blasted for “very messy” error in stopping Gakpo goal Seemingly realising his error, Taylor then approached Areola and, with no obvious issue for the Frenchman, called West Ham physios onto the pitch for treatment. Liverpool were denied what would have been a valuable winner, in the latest in a long list of baffling calls from officials in this season’s Premier League. While it may have been expected that Taylor face punishment for his clear mistake, the 45-year-old will still referee in the Premier League this weekend. PGMOL submitted their appointments to the top flight with Taylor in charge of Burnley vs. Newcastle in Saturday’s 3pm kickoff. That may be viewed as a demotion of sorts, with Paul Tierney appointed the most high-profile fixture of the weekend in Liverpool vs. Tottenham, but that is unlikely to be the case. More realistic is that those within PGMOL saw no issue with Taylor’s performance at the London Stadium, accepting his version of events. It will only add to the mounting distrust of officials in English football, particularly since the introduction of VAR to the Premier League in 2019. Now, it is rare, if ever, that a fixture goes by without incident, with there evidence that a revamp of PGMOL is required from top to bottom in order to improve standards. That Taylor is one of the most trusted officials in the Premier League and can produce such an error and avoid any internal backlash highlights the ongoing issue.

Kaizer Chiefs are believed to be pressing ahead with plans to secure the services of a new coach next season. Arthur Zwane was in-charge at Chiefs last season, before being replaced by Molefi Ntseki ahead of the current campaign. To the majority of the Chiefs fan base, Ntseki was already an unpopular appointment, with no positive track record. Prior to taking over the first team reigns, he had never coached a senior professional side. He did, however, coach Bafana Bafana after Stuart Baxter, before being fired for failing to qualify for AFCON 2021. The duo reunited as part of a new structure at Amakhosi, which put him in charge of football development. Ntseki did not last long as Chiefs coach, however, being sacked before even the halfway mark of the season. This came after an unconvincing start to the campaign which also saw them knocked out of two cups. After being relieved of his duties, the club appointed Johnson to take over on an interim basis. Coincidently, Cavin Johnson also came into the club in a developmental role, before being asked to steady the senior ship. A run which saw Chiefs winning three of their last four games of 2024, saw Johnson in with a shout. But now according to the latest, the club are back looking at other candidates. There have been the likes of Pitso Mosimane and Manqoba Mngqithi in a local sense. Internationally, Jose Peseiro, Vanderlei Luxembergo , Raul Caneda Perez and Nasreddine Nabi.  Vitoria new coaching favourite for Chiefs There have also been outsiders offering themselves to Chiefs, like former Orlando Pirates coach Roger de Sa. This publication also reported a new name has been added to the list in former Benfica and Egypt coach Rui Vitoria. Chiefs are pressing ahead with Vitoria as their new preferred candidate, this publication recently reported. In doing so, he has seemingly replaced last week’s favourite in Raul Caneda! Soccer-Laduma sources have since revealed why Chiefs now prefer Vitoria over Caneda. Replacing Caneda? “Rui (Vitoria) was with Egypt at the Afcon in Ivory Coast earlier this year while Raul (Caneda) has been out of coaching for sometime now and the team (Chiefs) is looking at someone who has been active in recent times and he is fresh in the game and that’s why they are looking at Vitoria as the one overtaking Caneda right now,” said the source. Caneda has been out of permanent work for some time now, but is still active when called up. This as a Manchester City regional scout.

1 New co-owners INEOS have plans to reshape the Manchester United squad moving forward as they seek to try and return the club to the top of the English footballing pyramid. However, after years of bad investment in the transfer market, PSR concerns have caught up with the Red Devils and they first need to focus on moving players on and raising capital before thinking about recruitment. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is planning a large-scale summer clearout which includes high-profile names such as Casemiro and Marcus Rashford even though the Mancunian would prefer to stay and fight for his place. Players who are out on loan are all expected to be sold with the likes of Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood staring at the exit door. Greenwood’s future But unlike the Glazers, INEOS have plans to be much more ruthless when it comes to sales and they will not agree to any cut-price deals for their stars. Greenwood’s exploits in Spain for Getafe include 10 goals and six assists in 31 games across all competitions and the 20-time English league champions will not sell him on the cheap. Getafe want to keep the versatile forward for the long term while they are not averse to the idea of another loan. Both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid were also chasing the England international while Juventus reportedly are in the lead currently. But as ESPN have revealed, United want between £30-£40 million for the 22-year-old and Getafe are in no position to pay that much. Both Barca and Atleti have also removed themselves from the race. The Old Lady seem to think they can get their man on the cheap or use United’s interest in Gleison Bremer as leverage. But United remain firm on their asking price and should they not receive a satisfactory offer, a return to Old Trafford could be on the cards for Greenwood. “Another academy graduate, Mason Greenwood, is expected to depart this summer with the club seeking a permanent deal for the 22-year-old. “Greenwood has scored 10 goals on loan at Getafe this season but it’s unlikely the Spanish team will be able to fund a permanent transfer. United are looking for between £30m and £40m. “A source has told ESPN that, as with Rashford, United will not accept a significantly reduced fee and if the club’s demands are not met, Greenwood could return to Old Trafford.” INEOS have huge call to make The United forward was charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was suspended by the club two seasons ago. Those charges were subsequently dropped, and United’s own internal investigation also ended with manager Erik ten Hag keen to reintegrate the academy graduate back into the first team. But fan backlash meant former CEO Richard Arnold’s decision had to be reversed and the club was forced to send him out on loan to Spain. Despite what Sir Jim has said about the forward in the past, it would be a controversial move to bring back Greenwood. The player himself is not too keen and a huge summer awaits both the player and his parent club. Want to be the first to hear breaking Man United news? For carefully selected, crucial updates, join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/United-Breaking-News.

Paul Tierney and Jurgen Klopp will meet for what could be the last time when Liverpool host Tottenham on Sunday, with the officials now confirmed. Klopp and Tierney have shared a chequered history, not least following the 4-3 win over Tottenham at Anfield this time last year. Speaking after the game, Klopp implied bias from the referee, which earned him a substantial fine along with a two-match ban from the FA. It wasn’t until November that Tierney refereed another Liverpool fixture – the 3-0 win over Brentford – but he has since taken charge of three more. Sunday will bring his fifth of the season, with the 43-year-old appointed referee for Liverpool vs. Tottenham at Anfield. Tierney’s assistants will be Scott Ledger and Mat Wilkes while Tom Bramall is fourth official, and in the VAR booth, John Brooks is assisted by James Mainwaring. Only five officials – Michael Oliver (41), Anthony Taylor (40), Craig Pawson (34), Andre Marriner (32) and Martin Atkinson (30) – have refereed more Liverpool games since Klopp took charge than Tierney (29). Throughout his career he has only refereed Man City fixtures more often, with 31 so far, while he has only shown Leeds players as many yellow cards as he has Liverpool (47). While Klopp apologised for his comments on Tierney following the clash with Tottenham last season, the official has been involved in more controversy this term. He was in the VAR booth for Alexis Mac Allister‘s red card against Bournemouth in August, which he failed to overturn upon review before it was chalked off after an appeal to the FA. Tierney was then criticised for disallowing a goal for Cody Gakpo against Burnley on Boxing Day, despite there being little evidence of a supposed foul from Darwin Nunez in the buildup. January saw Bournemouth forward Justin Kluivert avoid a red card for planting his studs on Luis Diaz‘s ankle, with Tierney on VAR, while in March, Nottingham Forest were incensed by his decision to hand Caoimhin Kelleher a drop ball before Nunez’s winner. It has been a running joke since the announcement of Klopp’s departure that he could finally show his true feelings to Tierney – perhaps that could come at Anfield on Sunday!

Kaizer Chiefs are believed to be pressing ahead with plans to secure the services of a new coach next season. Arthur Zwane was in-charge at Chiefs last season, before being replaced by Molefi Ntseki ahead of the current campaign. To the majority of the Chiefs fan base, Ntseki was already an unpopular appointment, with no positive track record. Prior to taking over the first team reigns, he had never coached a senior professional side. He did, however, coach Bafana Bafana after Stuart Baxter, before being fired for failing to qualify for AFCON 2021. The duo reunited as part of a new structure at Amakhosi, which put him in charge of football development. Ntseki did not last long as Chiefs coach, however, being sacked before even the halfway mark of the season. This came after an unconvincing start to the campaign which also saw them knocked out of two cups. After being relieved of his duties, the club appointed Johnson to take over on an interim basis. Coincidently, Cavin Johnson also came into the club in a developmental role, before being asked to steady the senior ship. A run which saw Chiefs winning three of their last four games of 2024, saw Johnson in with a shout. But now according to the latest, the club are back looking at other candidates. There have been the likes of Pitso Mosimane and Manqoba Mngqithi in a local sense. Internationally, Jose Peseiro, Vanderlei Luxembergo , Raul Caneda Perez and Nasreddine Nabi.  There have also been outsiders offering themselves to Chiefs, like former Orlando Pirates coach Roger de Sa. This publication also reported a new name has been added to the list in former Benfica and Egypt coach Rui Vitoria. Chiefs identify Vitoria as new lead candidate? Now according to Soccer-Laduma Chiefs are pressing ahead with Vitoria as their new preferred candidate! “You know at this stage things are changing regarding the issue of the coach as there are consultations going on between the technical team and management and that is why now the Portuguese coach (Rui Vitoria) is the one on the top of the list. They have looked at what he has achieved and how his team’s play. They believe that if given the chance, he could change the fortunes at the club. So as we speak now, he stands a better chance than the Spanish coach Raul Caneda. That’s how things are now,” said the source.  Proven track record Vitoria won eight trophies, including two league titles during his time at Benfica. He also recently coached Egypt at the Afcon. Will Chiefs turn to him for their new head coach role next season?

‘Mokoena lied blatantly through his teeth which we deem to be a serious embarrassment to our game, never mind the Club that he represents,’ Galaxy said in a statement. TS Galaxy have threatened to take legal action against Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena following his comments after the DStv Premiership match between both clubs on Monday. Galaxy were reduced to 10-man after Orebotse Mongae was shown a red card for a late tackle from behind on Bongani Zungu who had to be stretched off with five minutes left to play. That led to Mokwena suggesting after the game that Mongae had malicious intent as a revenge for the leg breaking tackle by Zungu on his teammate Bernard Parker earlier during the season. “I’m disappointed with the tackle on Bongani Zungu because I was told already last night that the coach of the opposition showed that tackle, that Bongani Zungu made on Bernard Parker. Showed it to the players and said don’t forget what Bongani Zungu did,” Mokwena said on SuperSport TV after the match. “I’m very disappointed because these things happen. I can say it again that I know for a fact that Zungu’s tackle can happen in any other game and anywhere. I’ve seen worse tackles, we still have Abubeker Nassir out injured and we forgave and we’ve moved on because football is a contact sport but now we intentionally injure players, it’s a bit disappointing from a professional level but we do the talking on the pitch.” The Rockets released a statement on their official twitter page on Tuesday morning calling Mokwena a liar and called on him to prove his claims or face consequences of his words “TS Galaxy FC takes serious exception to the comments made by @Masandawana coach Rhulani Mokoena, insinuating that our Head Coach instigated the injury suffered by Sundowns player Bongani Zungu during our match last night,” the club said in a tweet. “Mokoena lied blatantly through his teeth which we deem to be a serious embarrassment to our game, never mind the Club that he represents. If Mokoena still believes in his own lies, we are now calling him out publicly to prove his claim within 24 hours, failing which our Club and our Coach will assert their rights in law.” ‘Mr Sunshine said that we did it on purpose’ Mokwena might have won the battle on the pitch with an emphatic 3-0 win at Loftus Versfeld on Monday thanks to a brace by Peter Shalulile and a solitary strike by Thembinkosi Lorch. However, the war of words between Mokwena and his Galaxy counterpart Sead Ramovic is far from over. “I didn’t see the tackle either. I have to watch it again but ironically he’s the player that injured Parker. Yes, but I can assure you that no one from our team will do that on purpose. I heard from SuperSport TV that Mr Sunshine said that we did it on purpose,” Ramovic added. “I think to say something like that is very low and I didn’t want to comment on it because I learned from the past that if a person advertises his ignorance, you don’t have to do much but let them talk and this is what I will do. “I can promise you guys that we are a team that sticks to fair play. We want the sport to unite and not be divided. We will never do anything on purpose to hurt anyone. This will always be in our rules and this will be with our club while it exists and we will always be a fair team.”

Kaizer Chiefs are believed to be ready to make some major changes to their playing staff next season. Even though there have been names linked with a move to Chiefs, the club is also set to release some. Players like Siyethemba Sithebe and Sifiso Hlanti have been mentioned, with their deals up soon. They have been joined by Happy Mashiane and Zitha Kwinika of late. One player that has been fighting those exit rumours at Chiefs is Njabulo Ngcobo. Now besides those names, the likes of Edmilson Dove, George Matlou and Keagan Dolly will see their contracts run out. While other players on that list may have the chance to fight for their Chiefs future’s still, Dolly might not. Dolly recently injured himself in a game against Golden Arrows, a victory before the Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates. That was just three games into his gradual come back from a long-term layoff.  The injury Dolly suffered is a fractured toe and earlier this week, this publication reported that it could end his Chiefs career. The last update suggested that there was still hope yet for the attacker at Amakhosi. It was thought that his future would only be decided by whoever the new coach will be.  Just last week, this publication reported that Chiefs and Dolly may have failed to agree on reduced terms. Now according to iDiski Times the two parties may be set to part ways at the end of the current season.  Chiefs set to part ways with Dolly? “Kaizer Chiefs are said to be considering the exit of Keagan Dolly as they look to restructure the club and technical team in the off-season. As the highest-paid player at the club, early discussions have been lowered terms. The 31-year-old is likely to part ways if no agreement is made”. Wrote the publication.  Billiat situation all over again? Should the situation surrounding Dolly prove to be true, it would mirror that of his good friend Khama Billiat. The former Zimbabwe international and Chiefs failed to agree on reduced terms, which saw the player end up leaving on a free.

Former Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu midfielder Michael Morton has given his opinion on why the Premier Soccer League has fewer white soccer players today. This comes after Bafana Bafana defender Matthew Booth touched on the topic of the lack of white players in South African football. The tall defender said it was more of a class issue than a racial issue. Morton, who is a product of Pirates youth academy took to X(Twitter) to join in the discussion. The 34-year-old veteran midfielder is one of the few white players in the PSL. “I think I may be qualified to enter this conversation,” the Cape Town Spurs man said on his X account. “I don’t think the problem is as guys get to 18 or 19 years old. Those players, once they’ve reached that point, they’re going to the next level. “It’s more so at 13 and 14 where they make the jump to high school. The old traditional ”Model C“ white schools don’t take football very seriously, and I think we lose a lot of very talented footballers in that jump where they have to choose between cricket, rugby and a whole bunch of other sports and football is not really taken that seriously.” Morton said many young white players stop taking football seriously once they get to high school. “Community-run clubs are also struggling financially and the level is not that great. I think we are losing a lot of talented footballers in that period. “That’s my personal experience. I’ve played with a lot of talented guys that when they jumped to high school, didn’t carry on playing football.” Morton and Matthew Booth give reasons why SA lacks white soccer players In his interview with Shakes Rampedi, Booth gave more insight into reasons white players are nowhere to be seen in the PSL. “For me, it’s more of a class issue, it’s not a colour issue. We’re losing kids of all colours who are middle class and upper class. But just visually, it seems like there is very few white players,” he said. “If you go down to any amateur club in Johannesburg, for example, it’s a rainbow of colours; white, black, coloured, Indian, you name it. And then you see a definite change, it’s not a colour issue.” In the 90s and 2000s, PSL had plenty of white players with some having played for the national team. Eric Tinkler, Mark Fish, Neil Tovey, Bradley Carnell and Glen Salmons played for Bafana at some point. Matthew Booth feels the Safa failed to lure white middle-class and upper-class youngsters into the game.

Liverpool U21s will face Crystal Palace in the last 16 of the Premier League 2 playoffs, which will give Stefan Bajcetic the chance to take his next step. Though their campaign ended with back-to-back defeats to Sunderland and Arsenal, Liverpool U21s qualified as a top seed for the knockout stage of Premier League 2. After 20 league games, the top 16 teams split for playoffs to determine the eventual champions, with those ties determined by league placing. Liverpool finished eighth, meaning they were drawn against ninth-placed Crystal Palace for a one-legged tie at the AXA Training Centre which will take place between May 3 and 6. The winners of that tie will play either Sunderland or Wolves in the quarter-finals, with Arsenal, Man United, Reading or Middlesbrough to come in the semi-finals. By finishing in the top 12, Liverpool have also qualified for next season’s Premier League International Cup, a tournament in which they faced AS Monaco, Benfica, Feyenoord and Athletic Club this time around. With potential silverware still up for grabs, by extending their campaign the young Reds could have also laid the path for Bajcetic to complete his recovery. The Spaniard has made the first-team squad twice since returning to availability, but his only minutes on the pitch have come for the U21s. Bajcetic clocked 30 minutes against Man United, 45 against Sunderland and then an hour against Arsenal, as he works towards his first full 90 minutes at any level since the Carabao Cup victory over Derby in November 2022. “It’s brilliant! [It was a] bit of a late call,” U21s coach Barry Lewtas told This Is Anfield after Bajcetic assisted on his return at Man United. “We do have players like Kaide Gordon and Stefan who have missed quite a bit of time. “He was desperate to play and buzzing with half an hour. He came on and I thought he was going to blow up after 10, he put that much into it! “It was great to have him back, it’s amazing for him.” Having missed the majority of the season with growing pains, Bajcetic has undergone an intensive rehabilitation programme, which Jurgen Klopp has described as “his pre-season.” The long-term aim will be to reintegrate the 19-year-old as a first-team player next season, though he will now do so under a new manager. Arne Slot will likely take a similar view to Bajcetic as Klopp did, with the versatile teenager one of the most talented youngsters to come through at Liverpool in many years.

Kaizer Chiefs are believed to be ready to make some major changes to their playing staff next season. Even though there have been names linked with a move to Chiefs, the club is also set to release some. Players like Siyethemba Sithebe and Sifiso Hlanti have been mentioned, with their deals up soon. They have been joined by Happy Mashiane and Zitha Kwinika of late. One player that has been fighting those exit rumours at Chiefs is Njabulo Ngcobo. Now besides those names, the likes of Edmilson Dove, George Matlou and Keagan Dolly will see their contracts run out. Hlanti was primed for the exit door For Hlanti, it was even thought that he would not get a contract renewal last year. He eventually did, however, with Chiefs offering him a one-year extension with a further year as an option. With the club struggling again this season, it is believed that they will be looking to make some sweeping changes all round. Besides the coaching department, the veteran defender was touted to be among the first through the exit door. Hlanti has been at Chiefs for three seasons with very little effect. His lack of pace, passing and crossing ability has often frustrated the Amakhosi faithful. Additionally, at the age of 34 it was seemingly a no-brainer that it was time to move him on.  According to The Citizen, Chiefs are happy to keep Hlanti for an additional year! Chiefs now ready to extend deal? “Hlanti is very much valued at Chiefs. He’s a good professional who doesn’t drink or smoke and plays a very crucial role in the background. Chiefs management won’t have a problem with him staying for one more season, but they will leave that decision to the new coach. Once they appoint a new coach, he will have the final say on whether Hlanti says or leaves.” Said the source. Chiefs have been linked with Fawaaz Basadien as a replacement for Hlanti, but those talks have long died down. Could that be another sign that he will stay? Amakhosi fans let us know in the comments how you feel.

1 Manchester United need to focus on selling players in the summer before they can think of recruitment due to rising PSR concerns. United have often overspent on targets since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, going after mercenaries and paying over the odds for readymade stars rather than trying to unearth the next gem. Their dismal sale record has not helped either. That is why, as The Peoples Person relayed recently, the Red Devils are open to moving on almost all members of the squad including Marcus Rashford despite the star signing a five-year deal last year. In the previous campaign, the Mancunian had netted 30 times and the new contract offer was justified but this season, his form has fallen off a cliff. Rashford’s uncertain future The England international only has eight goals to his name this term and on top of that, his off-field controversies have threatened to harm the dressing room atmosphere as well. His teammates were less than enthused to see him partying after a derby defeat and his Belfast escapades drove a wedge between the forward and manager Erik ten Hag. Rashford also spoke out on the abuse he has been receiving this season and multiple reports seemed to indicate that the time was ripe for a parting. Paris Saint-Germain were linked with a move as they are set to lose their icon, Kylian Mbappe. But if journalist Graeme Bailey is to be believed, the England international now wants to fight for his place in the team moving forward. Writing for TBR Football, the journalist reveals that the United academy graduate wants to repay the club’s faith in him and he firmly thinks he can make a huge difference to the club’s fortunes moving forward. “Whilst there is not a host of clubs beating down United’s door to enquire about his availability – TBR has been informed by sources with knowledge of the situation that Rashford has made it clear to United that he plans to stay and repay the club’s faith in him. “He knows his form this season has been below his own standards but he still firmly believes he can play a key role in the club going forward. Rashford wants to stay “TBR Football understands that United’s focus going forward is going to be via their academy players and they would love Rashford to lead from the front – helping fellow graduates Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Willy Kambwala, who the club want to build their team around.” Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has also indicated along similar lines. “The internal discussion is about keeping Rashford and trusting him.,” the Italian wrote. The 26-year-old has a current market value of €60 million and United will reportedly sell only if they receive a mega offer. It is unlikely that any team will come close to offering nine figures for a player who is so inconsistent. Instead of entering his prime, the Mancunian still looks like a player who lurches from one extreme to the other in games and he usually lets his head drop at the slightest inconvenience. He must impress the hierarchy and convince them that he deserves a place in the grand scheme of things moving forward and he can start once he regains fitness. United still have four huge league games and the FA Cup final to fight for. Want to be the first to hear breaking Man United news? For carefully selected, crucial updates, join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/United-Breaking-News.

‘I want to thank them for supporting the players in good and bad moments because that is what true supporters do,’ said the Sundowns head coach. Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena has brushed aside claims that the club’s fans are losing faith in him after yet another elimination in the semifinal of the Caf Champions League. ALSO READ: Three Chiefs players who could halt Sundowns’ invincible season Masandwana showed support to Mokwena after Monday night’s DStv Premiership 3-0 win over TS Galaxy at Loftus Versfeld. They chanted his name at full time and sang a special song for him. When loosely translated, the lyrics ‘Rulani re go rata kaofela, re tsamaya le wena’ means ‘Rulani we all love you and we’re with you’. Mokwena insists he has the backing of the Yellow Nation even after the heartache of missing out on another Champions League final. “RHULANI! RE GO RATA KAOFELA! RE TSAMAYA LE WENA!!!!” The Yellow Nation showing love to our head coach @coach_rulani pic.twitter.com/8YFXK2OAUq — Masandawana Fan Vlog (@MSFCfanVlog) April 29, 2024 “Contrary to what people might try to create, I meet a lot of Sundowns supporters and I receive so much love. It is only proper that I thank them for this public show of appreciation,” Mokwena said. “It really touches me … even in the Champions League, the stadium was full and there was lightning and rain but they stayed. It’s easy for them to stay at home because they are suffering from a bout of flu or to say that I supported the team in the rain and we lost. So psychologically there is a barrier that they needed to overcome and they did it. “I want to thank them not just for supporting me but I always say that I’m probably the least important person at this club and to be shown the appreciation really humbles me. I want to thank them for supporting the players in good and bad moments because that is what true supporters do. “I appreciate the fact that they become the beacon of light because in good moments they sing and in bad moments they stay behind and sing. This is what the players deserve and I want to thank the yellow nation for demonstrating what it means to really be a supporter. They are a special group and that’s why we fight so much for them and sacrifice so much.” Mokwena added that the loss to Esperance in the Champions League fuelled their desire to get back to winning ways against Galaxy and edge closer to retaining the league championship. ‘Anger and disappointment fueled us’ “I will never stop studying how the greats do it in good or bad moments. How they succeed and how they bounce back from failure,” Mokwena concluded. “Ours is to accept that we failed and we let ourselves down. We looked at the game again and thought how did we not win with this type of performance and that made us a bit angrier. ALSO READ: You biscuit! Percy Tau lands Egyptian sponsorship deal (VIDEO) “That anger and disappointment fuelled us to give us this performance and I have to give credit to the senior players because they managed the change room. Themba Zwane, Ronwen Williams, Denis Onyango and even coach Kennedy Mweene because he’s still very close to the players. We knew we had to show up regardless of how we feel … we also understand our responsibility.”

Kaizer Chiefs highest-paid star set to depart and more moves like Sundowns loanee set to return to parent club. In the Premier Soccer League, the off-season often brings waves of speculation and anticipation. Clubs strategize and make pivotal decisions for the future. As the 2023/24 campaign draws to a close. There are rumours of potential transfers and squad shake-ups taking place. Let’s delve into the latest transfer speculations and explore the potential impact on these clubs. As they prepare to gear up for the upcoming season, as per iDiski Times digital paper edition 152.  Dolly on the move: Farewell to Kaizer Chiefs? Kaizer Chiefs are rumoured to be contemplating Keagan Dolly’s departure amidst plans to revamp the club and its technical team during the off-season. Despite being the club captain for the majority of the season. Talks about a new contract were delayed due to Dolly’s injury. With discussions set to resume at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. Uncertainties arise as Chiefs seek to renegotiate terms, possibly leading to Dolly’s departure. As Kaizer Chiefs highest-paid player at the club, negotiations may follow the pattern seen with Khama Billiat. Who eventually left without renewing his contract. The 31-year-old’s future at Chiefs seems uncertain, especially as the club aims to allocate more funds to a revamped technical staff under their new head coach for the upcoming 2024/25 season. Dolly was lured back to South Africa by Chiefs in July 2021 after four years in France with Ligue 1 side Montpellier. His arrival as a marquee signing to play alongside his former Mamelodi Sundowns teammate Khama Billiat appeared to be the boost Amakhosi needed to end their trophy drought but he’s yet to win silverware with the club he supported growing up. Return of Ighodaro: Homecoming to Sundowns? Etiosa Ighodaro, amidst interest from clubs in Romania, Ukraine, and Belgium, might be on his way back to Chloorkop for the upcoming season. The Nigerian forward is on the brink of obtaining South African citizenship. Having arrived in the country at the age of 18 to join Sundowns. His prolific goal-scoring performances during loan spells with Chippa United and SuperSport United over the past two seasons have caught Sundowns’ attention. Despite efforts to secure him permanently or extend his loan. Sundowns view Ighodaro as a valuable addition to strengthen their attacking lineup. Especially since he will be registered as a local player and could potentially represent Bafana Bafana. Having not yet been capped by the Nigerian national team. Ighodaro arrived in South Africa at a very young age, joining Sundowns from Abuja College in 2021 but so far he didn’t get the chance to make his debut for the Tshwane giants as he was loaned out several times.  Mokotjo’s future uncertain: Sekhukhune United’s potential Departures? Sekhukhune United might bid farewell to Kamohelo Mokotjo as his contract approaches its expiration at the end of the season. Reports suggest that Babina Noko are shifting focus towards youth development and scouting promising talent from lower leagues. The emergence of young talents like Asekho Tiwani, Elias Mokwana, Vusi Mncube, Keletso Sifama, and Cameron Carnell hints at Sekhukhune’s future direction. Already, Edwin Gyimah has departed, and players like Daniel Cardoso and Badra Ali Sangare might follow suit. As the club aims to streamline its squad and reduce its wage bill. The Bafana Bafana international Mokotjo was a free agent. Since leaving Major League Soccer (MLS) side Cincinnati in November 2021 before eventually joining Sekhukhune.