Besitkas banned after Turkish Cup drama with Fenerbache

If you live for drama, then this one’s for you. FirstTouch shared stories about Mamelodi Sundowns’ unthinkable 24-0 win against Powerlines FC, the gun incident, banishment of players etc. and today’s no different. We zoomed into Turkey to understand the buzz around the Fenerbahce and Besiktas game that took place on Thursday. Besiktas refused to show up for the resumption of semifinal cup tie against Fenerbahce. The match was originally abandoned last month due to violence from the crowd and they had rescheduled it for May 3, 2018. The match was in the 57th minute before the head coach of Besiktas was attacked by some fans. Senol Gunes was struck by an object that was thrown from the stands and it hit his head. The coach was rushed to the hospital only to get 5 stitches in the head because of that violent scene. The match was supposed to resume from the 57th minute behind closed doors and Fenerbahce were fined £175,000 by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF). In addition to that, their stadium was closed to supporters for three matches.

Besiktas regret the decision of defaulting the match and they tried to overturn it in court but their appeal was rejected on Wednesday. The match was recorded as a forfeit and Fenerbahce are through to the final by default. They will play Akhisarspor in the final. What an odd thing to happen in football. A team decides not to show up for a match. We might not know the reasons behind this but we can clearly see the impact on them as they have been ordered to pay back the £700,000 they earned from the competition this year as well as being banned from competing in that tournament next year.

Transfers: Premier League clubs on Egyptian “Trezeguet” alert

Mahmoud Hassan nicknamed after the French striker, David Trezeguet, is in the hot red form on loan at the Turkish side, Kasimpasa from Anderlecht. Sources to ESPN informed that Everton, Leicester City, and Burnley have sent scouts to watch the 23-year-old play as the clubs are on the lookout to bolster their attacking options this summer. Hassan has scored 14 goals for Kasimpasa and registered five assists. With one year remaining on his contract, the English Premier League clubs would be very optimistic of landing him for a bargain price.

‘Trezeguet’ was also instrumental in Egypt’s successful world cup campaign, playing on the opposite wing of imminent Ballon d’Or candidate, Mohamed Salah. He will most likely follow his countryman to England, more so if he impresses at next month’s FIFA World Cup Finals in Russia.

Sarr’s team makes it to the UEFA Europa League Final

Recently, we reflected on Bouna Sarr’s decision to reject Senegal for France. Today we look at his performance in a UEFA Europa League semifinal clash with RB Salzburg. The Marseille right-back was present and ever ready to pitch himself to Didier Deschamps, the French national team coach, as he represented his club in a competitive tournament. He was part of the team that won the first leg 2-0 and was hoping to replicate that kind of performance today. Marseille were rock solid at the back today thanks to Sarr and his teammates but the second half was a bit challenging for Marseille.

Amadou Haidara from Mali started off a Salzburg comeback by scoring from an amazing run that saw him finish past Pele after flying past 6 players. 1-0 at 53 minutes and Salzburg became dangerous. It was not long until they piled more pressure on Marseille for the second. This time, it was Bouna Sarr who was unlucky to score an own goal in the 65th minute. The scoreline was 2-0 at the end of the 90 minutes which meant that the tie was level on aggregate 2-2 so it needed to be settled in extra-time or eventually penalties if no team had scored. Lucky enough, the former happened as substitute Rolando came on to volley home from a corner kick in the 115th minute. Salzburg were gutted by this blow and did not make a difference in the end as the aforementioned Mali player got sent off. Marseille are through to the final thanks to Rolando’s goal. Another African born player who plays for Portugal.

Culture: Brazilian legends, Roberto Carlos and Julio Baptista in Zimbabwe

In their efforts to present Zimbabwe as a safe tourism destination under the national perception management project, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority has welcomed two ex-superstars of the game into the country. Roberto Carlos and Baptista were expected to alight in the South African nation on Thursday, 03 May 2018.

"The World Class Legends visit to the destination is a sports tourism initiative to promote Brand Zimbabwe. The World Class Legends CEO Rayco Garcia, former Brazilian and Real Madrid left-back Roberto Carlos and Julio Baptista arrive at Robert Mugabe International Airport at 1715hrs aboard Emirates. A press conference will follow thereafter at Meikles Hotel at 1800hrs." - Zimbabwe Tourism Authority

Roberto Carlos da Silva Rocha made a name for himself from mid-1990 to mid-2005 appearing for Spanish giants, Real Madrid - where he spent eleven seasons. He scored 71 goals from the left-back position and won four La Liga titles and three Uefa Champions League trophies. He was best known for his stamina, speed, strength and bending free-kicks going as high as 169 km/hr. His world cup winning teammate, Júlio César Clemente Baptista, nicknamed the beast played for Major League Soccer Side, Orlando City SC, Sao Paulo, Sevilla and successfully transferred to Real Madrid. The forward also spent some time at Arsenal on loan and at Roma.

Zimbabwe has previously brought Barcelona legends to play the National team legends in November 2017.

Arsenal familiarize themselves with disappointment in 2-1 loss to ATM

It must be really tough to be an Arsenal fan. The English club went into the match with an aim to score one goal and prevent Atletico Madrid from scoring. That’s all they needed, one goal unlike teams like AS Roma who needed about 5 goals to turn the tie. Wenger used the same team that played against Atletico Madrid last week which meant that Mkhitaryan could only afford a place on the bench. Diego Simeone shacked things up a bit as he trusted his most versatile player, Thomas Partey, in right back as opposed to his usual midfield role. The Ghanaian defensive midfielder has been one of the standout players in both ties against Arsenal. He was trusted to cover at right back in the last stages of the first leg clash and that performance was enough to convince Simeone to trust him in that position once more. Arsenal failed to score a goal in the first half thanks to his interceptions and blocks which prevented the gunners from whipping in dangerous crosses from the right. It was in the 45th minute that Partey’s teammate, Diego Costa scored the goal to give the advantage to Atletico Madrid. The second half was even better by the English side as they tried to instigate attacks but the Ghanaian player blocked most of those attempts by intercepting crucial passes by Ozil, Ramsey, Monreal, and Xhaka on the right. Even when Mkhitaryan was called upon the pitch to replace Wilshere, Arsenal never produced enough to worry his defense. The few opportunities created by Ozil went begging as there was no one in the right spot to parry it home. Godin took most of the shine as well for clearing these useless attempts.

This match was meant to be a memorable night for Wenger in his last away match in European competition as Arsenal boss. He was seen squatting near the touchline from the 85th minute but his team could not produce a result. Much credit to Partey and his manager Simeone who coached his team from the stands. He prepared the team for this fight and they succeeded in knocking out Arsenal out of the UEFA Europa tournament. Simeone is on to the final. Maybe if he is announced as the next Arsenal boss, he should bring the African player to Arsenal and solve the defensive problems they have been having since Patrick Vieira left in July 2005. These disappointing results from a team with a weak mentality is what the new coach will have to deal with. What a tough ask!

2018 CAF Champions League: The race to the quarter-finals begins!

The premier club competition on the continent roars back into life this weekend. The final sixteen teams, organized in four groups will battle it out for the eight quarter-final spots. Only the first and runners-up from each group will progress. Below is the group by group analysis:

Group A

Tunisian outfit, Esperance will be looking to revenge a 2017 quarterfinal loss when they visit Egyptian champions, Al Ahly. Township Rollers of Botswana will host Kampala City Authority of Uganda in a relatively unfamiliar fixture where either of the teams are not expected to challenge the two North African sides for quarter-final places.

Group B

This group has been dubbed the group of death for the 2018 tournament. Holders of the CAF Confederation Cup, TP Mazembe who are also five-time CAF Champions League winners will welcome two-time champions, Setif, in DR Congo. There is another all North African clash between Mouloudia Alger of Algeria and Difaa El Jadida of Morocco who are quite prolific, having scored 29 goals between them in eight qualifiers.

Group C

Arguably, the most anticipated match is in this group, where South African champions, Mamelodi Sundowns look to get one over defending champions, Wydad Casablanca of Morocco who knocked-out the South African side in a quarter-final penalty shootout last year.

Debutants, Port of Togo and Horoya of Guinea will also begin their races to try and cause an upset in this group.

Group D

Former champions, Etoile Sahel of Tunisia are expected to cruise to the top spot with their first encounter being a visit to Primeiro Agosto of Angola who had been absent from the competition for 21-years. Kingdom of the eSwatini side, Mbabane Swallows will carry on their fairytale season with a visit to Ndola to face another Zambian opposition, Zesco United.

Matchday 1 kicks off this Friday with the matches continuing on Saturday.

Liverpool’s Number 2 in line to become the next Arsenal boss

Jurgen Klopp’s assistant manager for 17 years has decided to take some time off the first team duties because of personal reasons. The man in question Zeljko Buvac who has worked with Sven Mislintat before at Borussia Dortmund and the new Arsenal’s head of recruitment is believed to be an admirer of Klopp’s number 2. He is reported to be pushing for him to become the next Arsenal manager after Wenger leaves at the end of this season. Buvac has worked with Klopp since his days at Mainz and he has been called ‘the best signing ever’ by the Liverpool boss. He is believed to be the brains behind the German coach’s success which is no surprise why Sven Mislintat is vouching for him. These reports are starting to paint a picture of the type of manager that Arsenal is looking for. They are more into someone who has experience with big clubs whether being a coach, assistant or even a retired player who played at the highest level and understands the pressure of having to win every match.

Questions have been raised about Buvac though by analysts like the former Liverpool midfielder, Danny Murphy. He said, “I would find it unbelievable to appoint someone who has never, ever managed as a number one at a club like Arsenal. I think that would be ridiculous for a club like Arsenal.” The former defender does not care how intelligent Buvac might be because he has not proved his worth as the main guy. Therefore, he is not ready for a big club like Arsenal. Do you think Murphy is right?

Liverpool book a date with Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Final

Liverpool have been the surprise package in this year’s UEFA Champions League tournament. They have swooped past some teams in style with their free-scoring abilities. The Jurgen press has been effective in their games as they have knocked an attacking team like Manchester City and beating Roma 5-2 in the first leg of the semifinals. It was not going to be easy for them to replicate that scoreline especially considering what Roma did against Barcelona. They were aware of the fact that they could not afford to rest and allow Roma to come to them and counter on the break. Klopp asked his men for more and Sadio Mane delivered the first goal for Liverpool. It was a mountain to climb for Roma who needed to score 4 to qualify without a reply from Liverpool. They reduced that goal count to just 3 when Milner scored an own goal from a dangerous cross by Florenzi on the right.

Roma failed to capitalize on the countless chances that they were creating and they were punished by Wijnaldum who scored Liverpool’s second of the night. From then, it was all Roma. Daniel De Rossi showed his class as he was instigating the attacks by his Pirlo-like passes as well as controlling the tempo. Roma looked a different team in the second period which gave them confidence leading to Dzeko’s goal. Time was running out for the Italian team with the scoreline at 2-2. Nainggolan did what he does best, as he connected to a pass from the left and he scored a 25-yard drive past Karius.

Game on, it was. Roma created chances in a match that was full of penalty claims by both teams. The referee finally gave a penalty to Roma and Nainggolan who scored in the 94th minute. All they needed was just a goal to take the tie to extra-time. It would have been another amazing comeback but they were out of time. The referee blew the whistle soon after Liverpool played from the center. What an amazing run it has been for Klopp and his team? They have secured a medal for themselves. It is just a matter of finding out whether it will be gold or silver as they take on the Los Blancos in the final.

3 Peat? Real Madrid through to the UEFA Champions League Final

Real Madrid have shown that they are not all that as they have shipped in a lot of goals when playing with teams like Tottenham, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain. Bayern Munich came into the game with the intention to press Real Madrid high up the pitch and score some goals if they were to stand a chance of qualifying to the final. They received a boost in welcoming Alaba back to the team who missed the first leg of the clash because of a thigh injury. Real Madrid had Benzema up front alongside Ronaldo and Zidane omitted his most preferred defensive midfielder, Casemiro.

The game was off to an interesting start as Joshua Kimmich repeated his heroic efforts in the first leg as he scored the opener for Bayern in just the 3rd minute. They succeeded in marking Ronaldo who has been a threat since the beginning of the tournament but what they did not realize is that their plan was predictable. Zidane knew that they would do that so he focused his team’s attack on Benzema who has been out of form. The Frenchman scored the equalizer for the defending champions in the 11th minute from a cross by Marcelo. Bayern Munich had the opportunity to go into the break with a lead but on-loan Real Madrid midfielder, James Rodriguez unbelievably blazed over the bar from two yards out.

Benzema scored the second for again for Madrid after Ulreich’s bizarre mistake. The goalkeeper lets a back pass from Thiago run past him because of indecision. He looked like he wanted to catch the ball before remembering the indirect rule so ended up sliding and attempting to kick the ball. Real Madrid capitalized on that and they were once again ahead in the tie. Now, Bayern needed two goals to make to the next round. James Rodriguez scored one and Bayern gave their all in search of a second. Thomas Muller had the very last chance of the game when the ball fell to him but he failed to score and Real are through to the final on aggregate. 3-2 was enough to see them through to the third final in a row. What can easily be concluded is that they are not as scary as people thought. They showed their weaknesses against Tottenham, Juventus, and Bayern but were lucky to pull through. Will they get away with it again in the final?

UCL Road to Kiev Final: Roma vs Liverpool

The story of the season so far has been the meteoric rise of Mohamed Salah. Purchased from Roma last summer for what was then a highly scrutinized fee, Liverpool have given him the stage to show his many talents and take that next step in becoming a truly World Class player. The first leg was symbolic of his entire season. With 2 goals and 2 assists, it wasn’t until he was substituted that Roma looked to have any advantages in the game. Roma have proven that they can find a solution for 3 goal deficits to Barcelona’s chagrin, and they will be hoping the Stadio Olympico inspires another comeback on Wednesday. After winning 4-1 at the weekend in their Serie A match against Crotone, they will be hoping for the same exact scoreline against Liverpool. Credit must be given to Jurgen Klopp who has inspired his side this far in the Champions League and brought back genuine excitement amongst the rabid Liverpool fans.

The winner of this tie will already know who they are facing in the final in Kiev on May 26th. Di Francesco will need to make sure his tactics are better than they were in the first leg if he is to hope for another dramatic comeback like the one he produced against Barcelona. With a newly signed contract extension, Roberto Firmino will be leading the line and hope to lead Liverpool to their first Champions League final in over a decade. All eyes will be on how Liverpool handle the early moments of the game, however, especially given that Manchester City scored early against them the last tie, but Klopp’s men were able to still produce a clinical display of quick, sharp counterattacking football to dispose of Manchester City. Dzeko vs Salah will prove to be the matchup that in all likelihood shapes how this second leg will play out.

Roma could dispose of Liverpool with the same 3-0 scoreline they produced the last time they played at the Stadio Olimpico.

Liverpool will be hoping Mane is fit and ready to go after reportedly visiting a hospital after the first leg. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will, unfortunately, miss out after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the first leg.

James Milner is a player reborn with Liverpool and leads all players in assists this campaign with a record 9 assists this season in Champions League.

UCL Road to Kiev Final: Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich

The stars seemed to be aligned for Madrid this season. After eliminating two perennial Champions League favorites in PSG and Juventus in the previous knockout rounds, Zidane’s men are 90 minutes away from a third consecutive Champions League final. What has been key for Real Madrid has been their ability to score goals in crucial moments during these matches. The first leg was massively disappointing for Jupp Heynckes’s men and they must feel frustrated having to arrive in Madrid with a 2-1 deficit to overturn. Lewandowski will be hoping for a better performance in the second leg and with a returning David Alaba and Javi Martinez, Bayern may be able to do what PSG and Juventus previously failed to do.

Both sides rested their key players at the weekend, with Heynckes going as far as rotating 8 different players into the lineup for their Bundesliga game. Bayern won comfortably regardless of the rotations, defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1. Zidane also had the luxury of resting his key players with La Liga beyond Madrid at this point of the season, and his side won 2-1 at the weekend against Leganes.  Bayern have already won the Bundesliga title and the DFB Cup final also awaits them, but the Champions League is the trophy they will want to win the most this season. Madrid have nothing left to play for other than defending their European dominance for a second straight time, which has yet to be accomplished or even attempted in the modern Champions League era. James Rodriguez vs Isco will be the duel that could prove key for both sides because both players will be looking to provide that spark for their goal-scorers in Lewandowski and Cristiano. With a goal at the weekend for Madrid, Gareth Bale may also have a say in this tie, however, Marco Asensio and Lucas Vasquez have both provided valuable contributions so far in the knockout rounds. Bayern may rue all of the chances they missed in the first leg, but they will know that Madrid have proved vulnerable at home after seeing Juventus come within minutes of victory in the last tie.

Cristiano failed to score for the first time in a Champions League game this season, which is an incredible statistic, but he will look to score in the second leg to lead his team to the final in Kiev.

Lewandowski’s future has been subject to intense speculation these last few months, which can sometimes unsettle a player, but he will certainly put in a better performance in the second leg for his potential new employers

Bayern will be without key men Arturo Vidal and Arjen Robben in the second leg. Madrid will also be without key man Dani Carvajal. It will be interesting to see how Zidane covers that position knowing that Ribery was one of Bayern’s best players in the first leg.

Spotlight: Who is Yaya Toure?

As we approach the end of the English Premier League season, FirstTouch takes time to look back and appreciate one of the most influential players in the league. Yaya Toure, an all-round midfielder from Cote d’Ivoire, played for Barcelona and Manchester City in the best years of his career. The 33-year old is approaching the end of his time at the Etihad with his contract set to expire at the end of the 2017/18 season. Let’s look at what Yaya Toure has been through during his stay at the above-mentioned clubs in Europe.   

First off, let’s focus on his time at Barcelona. Yaya Toure joined Barcelona from Monaco in 2007 for £6.7m after being an influential midfielder for the French side where he rescued them from relegation. However, Toure had problems with the previous manager of the club, Laszlo Boloni, who was not playing him in his midfield most preferred position. When he joined Barcelona, he enjoyed the first season under Rijkaard where he made a total of 40 appearances which managed two goals. Yaya Toure was still in the shadow of big brother Kolo who was making a name for himself at Arsenal as a rock solid defender in the EPL. Guardiola took over the reins just a year later, and he preferred Busquets to Yaya Toure as the defensive midfielder for Barcelona in 2008. The promise of first-team football in his preferred position at Barcelona was not going to be possible. Guardiola used the player as a center-back in the UEFA Champions League final in 2009 when the team suffered from injuries. He was later allowed to move to the club of his dream in 2010.

Manchester City approached Toure and he, initially thought that he would be joining Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. It was his agent who clarified that he was joining the team who wears blue and he was excited by the challenge of joining a club that was in the shadow of their local rivals. Manchester City paid £24.6 million for the services of a player who was pretty much a reserve player and Toure was going to be receiving £139,000 a week. The journey of the African player to become a legend at the Etihad Stadium was set on course.

2012 was a year of history for the cash-rich Manchester club. It is the year that the club beat Manchester United to the title on goal difference. Sergio Aguero scored the winner for Manchester City in stoppage time of the last game in the 2011/12 season. Yaya Toure was an integral part of the club’s midfield. This earned him much respect in the English Premier League and comparisons with some of the greatest midfielders in the league like Keane, Vieira, etc. was just a moment away. Toure came out and thanked his teammates for the title and paid tribute to his manager for trusting in him and playing him in a position that he found difficult to maintain in the previous clubs he represented.

In addition to that, Toure evolved to become a ruthless attacker who scored goals that are still admired today. In the 2013/14 season, Yaya Toure assumed a more attacking role in Manchester City and even though he was primarily deployed as a defensive midfielder. This season, Yaya Toure managed to score 20 goals in the English Premier League which was unspoken off considering that he came from deep to set himself up and his contribution won his club the English Premier League title again as well as the FA Cup. At this moment, Yaya Toure had become the more popular player in his family and had stepped out of the shadow of the former Arsenal player.

His career might sound smooth when reading this piece, but Toure has had his fair share of controversy during his time at City. The player once threatened to leave the club because they had forgotten to show him love on his 31st birthday. His agent, Dimitry Seluk, is the one that confirmed the story that the player felt disrespected and the club was put under pressure. Some saw this incident as a stunt by the pair to pressurize the club to improve the terms of the contract, and the club fell for it. His contract saw him being the highest paid player in English football at $334,000 a week. All this was soon going to fade away with the player approaching the ‘old age’ years.

The manager who pushed him out of the club at Barcelona and laughed at Toure for joining a ‘s**t’ team eventually found his way to Toure’s home. Pep Guardiola has announced the new boss at Manchester City in 2016, and the Ivorian player probably knew that he was doomed. It is no secret that the pair had a rocky relationship because of the way the manager treated Toure at Barcelona and eventually forced him to move to the Citizens. This time, Guardiola took over a club where Toure was already a legend and was the focal point of the team before Aguero. The Spaniard soon changed that and eventually left Yaya out of the first team after his manager after Toure’s agent, Dimitry Seluk, called out Guardiola on his hypocrisy in coming to England after making fun of the club in 2010. This did not sit down well with Guardiola, and he punished the player because of his agent’s words. The fans were heartbroken by this situation but the relationship was mended, and Yaya was restored to the first team early last year. He played enough to earn another year in an extension.

This season seems like it will be his last at Manchester City and he has been ousted again for the third time in his career by the same manager. Guardiola brought replacements for the player because he does not believe in his abilities and it is about time that the player takes the next step in his career. Toure played in the 4-1 win against West Ham today, and he could only manage a second-half appearance even when the team has been confirmed champions of the Premier League this season. It is evident that Guardiola never like him and the African player will probably leave in the summer. It has been quite a journey for the Ivorian midfielder who won the La Liga (twice), Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup, League Cup (twice), and the English Premier League on three occasions. He has undoubtedly subscribed his name in the Hall of Fame of not just English football, but on the European scene and he will be missed if he decides to call his time at the end of the season.

Allardyce facing scrutiny

Everton boss Sam Allardyce is in a situation that he cannot help. The former England boss is at a club that was struggling at the beginning of the season and were looking like they would be facing the relegation battle if they could not change their ways. Big Sam was hired to replace Koeman and he has been out of favor because of his style of play. His team is set up in a way that is more defensive and plays for the counter attacks which has produced results ever since taking over as they are in 8th position already. However, this does not sit down well with the fans who are looking for an attractive football that means being attacking and dominating other teams which is not really much of an ask from a squad that was invested in a lot more than ever seen before with the recruitment of players like Walcott, Tosun, Sigurdsson, Rooney, Pickford, Klassen, Michael Keane among others. The problem with that style is that it has not produced results when Koeman was in charge. Arsenal are more likely to face the same challenge when they replace Wenger in the summer. If they bring in a manager who produces results but has a style of play that does not satisfy the fans, it is likely that the stadium will not be filled on the matchday.

Sam Allardyce said, “I can't honestly produce any more than I'm doing. What can I say when you've got 14 points out of seven games when you were faced with the club being in a very difficult position when you arrived? I can only say it's just one of those things, and if we keep winning hopefully they (the fans) might change it to love.”

It is unfortunate that the fans are not appreciating his work even when he is producing good results. What happens when he gets fed up the negative energy and leaves? Will Everton find a person who can meet the expectations of the fans which mean both playing good football and getting results? Engage with us in the comment section.

Zaha influential in Crystal Palace’s 5-0 win against Leicester

The game started with Crystal Palace at 35 points and needing to beat Leicester to have a chance at survival in the relegation battle. The club has been lifted by Zaha’s return from injury who has been influential in some of their best performances ever since he rejoined the club from Manchester United. The Cote d’Ivoire forward opened the first goal of the game after receiving a brilliantly flicked pass from McArthur before slotting in the top right corner of the net. 1-0 up against Leicester at home, Palace were looking for the perfect night. But all this came after two chances that were cleared from the line by both teams. Iheanacho blocked Tomkin’s header for Palace while Joel Ward saved Vardy’s shot. Palace then gained control of the game and Zaha gave a slick through ball to McArthur who shot on the turn and watched his shot roll into the bottom left corner of the goal. That was it for the first half.

Marc Albrighton was sent off on the 56th minute for dragging down Zaha as the last man. The rest of the show was reserved for the last minutes of the match where Loftus-Cheek scored the third goal on the 81st as he beat the goalkeeper one-on-one after receiving a defense splitting pass from Mamadou Sakho. Patrick Van Aanholt scored the 4th of the night after Hamer’s failed attempt at clearing the ball gifted the Palace player the opportunity to curl into the bottom right corner. Benteke came off the bench to score a penalty after he was brought down in the penalty area by Maguire in stoppage time.

Bale scores in a 2-1 win for Madrid against Leganes

In the wake of the 2-1 win against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, Zinedine Zidane made the decision that he would rest his star players in the coming weekend to make sure that they are at their best when they play the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid faced Leganes on Saturday and the boss lined up a much-changed squad that saw players like Llorente, Ceballos, Borja Mayoral, Achraf, Vallejo and Theo Hernandez all getting starts alongside Gareth Bale, who has been rumored to be out of favor at the club. The Welshman scored the opener on the 8th minute after Karim Benzema’s shot was blocked by a defender before falling in the path of Bale who volleyed the ball past Cuellar who could not help but watch the ball pass between his legs and into the net.

Much like the Los Blancos, we have seen all season in La Liga, a lapse in concentration was bound to happen. The first came through Miguel Angel Guerrero and he failed to convert a cross-come-shot into the net as he tried a fancy flick. Nordin Amrabat also found space and hit a shot that beat Casilla in goal but could only hit the crossbar before it whiskered away into the stands. Borja Mayoral Moya then scored the second for Real Madrid in the 45th minute from a cross by Mateo Kovacic on the left.

Leganes found a consolation Darko Brasanac in the 66th minute who was assisted by Amrabat after he comfortably beat Theo Hernandez before sliding into the unmarked player. 10 changes but still Real Madrid manage to win. This means that they are 1 point behind second-placed Atletico Madrid and 12 behind Barcelona in first place.  

Abroad: Ghanaian midfielder charged with two counts of rape

Ghanaian midfielder, Kingsley Sarfo who joined Swedish side, Malmo in June 2017 is going to be prosecuted for two counts of statutory rape of a minor. He is accused of committing the crimes in September 2016 and June 2017.

Prosecutor Rikard Darell announced that he had enough evidence to prosecute Sarfo in Malmo after a series of investigations and interrogations.

"Now the investigation is complete and I think I have sufficient reason for prosecution.The evidence consists largely of contacts between suspect and plaintiff on social media. In addition, a series of interrogations, including witnesses, has been carried out.” - Rikard Darell

The 23-year-old midfielder has been in custody since February is currently suspended by his club and receives no salary. He admitted to having sex with the minor but denies committing a crime as he thought she was older.

Zambia 1993 Plane Crash: Remembering the fallen heroes

On the 27th of April in 1993, a talented Zambian squad on its way to Dakar, Senegal to play a world cup qualifier match, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean after shortly taking off from Libreville, Gabon. All the twenty-five squad members passed on, including the flight crew. As we remember the amazing Chipolopolo side, we look at some of the Zambians paying tribute to the fallen footballing heroes.

The Zambian captain, Kalusha Bwalya, who is a survivor of the 1993 national team set up after he had made separate arrangements to join the team in Dakar from his club, PSV Eindhoven, paid his respects on Twitter:

“Today I decided to go give homage to my fallen teammates a day earlier. A day does not go by that I don’t think about my family that I lost off the coast of Gabon in 1993. 25 years later my heart is still broken. A team that could have gone so far.” - Kalusha Bwalya

The former Chipolopolo captain who led the team to a historic and emotional 2012 AFCON title triumph, Christopher Katongo has also paid his respects encouraged the country to do more for the families of those who tragically passed on in the accident.

"We have to remember in a way that the family actually has to feel it. We are not doing enough for the family to really feel we had a hero.” - Christopher Katongo

Speaking about the country’s state at the time of the accident, Katongo added:

"The whole country was quiet. Nobody was shouting, it was only whispering. I had never seen the country quite like that. No one was listening to music, everybody was listening to the radio and every hour there was news of the crash." - Christopher Katongo

To the 1993 Copper bullets side, we remember!

Abroad: Meet Irfan Kawri, the Zambian football manager on the rise

There weren’t any Africans in the Ballon D’Or conversation since George Weir, but Mohamed Salah has completely changed that. In the same vein, the notion of not having a lot of Africans in the management of top teams in the world might soon be history. ESPN made contact with Irfan Kawri, the former Zambian national team assistant coach who is moving mountains in the United Kingdom. Irfan left the Chipolopolo job after their 2016 African Nations Championship and African Nations qualifier for England where he was born to a Zambian mother and Indian father. He now serves as the assistant of the coach lower league side, Clitheroe FC combining that with an Opposition Analyst and Scout role with Championship side, Queens Park Rangers. It doesn’t end there, the physical education and football teacher also works with the Manchester Schoolboys U-14s. It’s a combination of roles that complement each other, definitely building him to know a whole lot about the game.

"The balance is good in the sense that I am using different skills and abilities, and developing my skillset which makes it extensive. The skills and abilities are transferable.” - Irfan Kawri

He also refuses to be bothered by the challenges that may come as a result of being a Black and Minority Ethic coach learning his trade in English Lower Leagues:

"Although the general public will say people from BME background are underrepresented and at a disadvantage. I have never ever brought any attention to that. Every role I have had I've got through hard work and thanks to my personality. I've never been involved with or taken advantage of any BME scheme or initiative."

The likes of Jose Mourinho, Andres Villas Boas, Louis Van Gaal and Roy Hodgson previously combined teaching and scouting roles before being management greats. The 36-year-old, Irfan Kawri may soon join that company.