The former Chelsea and Juventus midfielder also stressed the importance of winning both their upcoming friendly games

France head coach Didier Deschamps has insisted that their upcoming friendly matches against South Africa and Ivory Coast have value.

The world champions are set to take on Ivory Coast’s Elephants at Stade Orange Velodrome in Marseille on Friday, before facing Bafana Bafana at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille next week Tuesday.

Nicknamed Le Bleus, France have included high profile players such as Hugo Lloris, Raphael Varane, N’Golo Kante, Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe in their squad for the two games.

There have been critics who have slammed the two matches against the African sides, suggesting that they have little value for Les Bleus, but Deschamps has dismissed this suggestion.

“Some of you will say that these matches have no value but it is better to win them otherwise they will increase in value,” Deschamps said during a press conference according to .

“I prefer to be in my place, qualified for the World Cup with two friendly matches on the programme than that of my Italian or Portuguese counterparts who will face each other in the play-off.”

Les Bleus have already qualified for the World Cup finals which will be hosted by Qatar later this year after they dominated their qualifying group – recording five wins and three draws from eight matches.

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“Do not trivialise an international gathering. The pleasure of meeting up is there because the players have chained matches with disappointments and moments of happiness,” the retired defensive midfielder continued.

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“We haven’t been together for four months: it’s the return of the French team. Next, I am realistic. Many players are there, had very important matches before and will have very important ones after.”

“We are going to play in Lille, the stadium is full and in Marseille, the stadium will be.”

France will be looking to avenge their 2-1 defeat to Bafana at the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals in Bloemfontein.

The Bafana Bafana striker is set to miss forthcoming international friendlies owing to an injury sustained in recent club engagement

South Africa head coach Hugo Broos believes a six-month break would help Percy Tau fully recover from his consistent injury problems.

His latest setback was in Al Ahly’s recent Caf Champions League assignment away to Al Merrikh, where his team won 3-1 with the 27-year-old scoring the first goal. Taher Mohamed replaced Tau in the second half.

The forward has been experiencing muscle injuries while representing club and country, and Broos has suggested a solution for him.

“It is a problem, what I said, Percy is already eight months injured, maybe I am exaggerating but it’s not a surprise. In June with the transfer to Ahly he didn’t train so much, he didn’t play so much,” the 69-year-old said as quoted by .

“Then he played two games, Zimbabwe and Ghana, injury, then he started with Ahly, injury. So I think for Percy it will be good that he trains for six months and not play because his physical basics are not good.

“Every time he plays he’s overloaded and gets injuries, what we see with the players of [Mamelodi] Sundowns and [Orlando] Pirates because the program is so overloaded, they get injuries, this is something normal and this is what happened with Percy.

“His basics are not good, he’s playing too many games and doesn’t have the physical opportunities to do that and he’s falling from injury to injury.”

Tau will not be involved as Bafana Bafana play Guinea’s National Elephants in Belgium on Friday and world champions France in Lille on Tuesday in international friendlies.

He has since been replaced by Royal AM star Victor Letsoalo in the Broos’ squad.

The upcoming friendlies would be the first time Bafana return to action since their 2022 Fifa World Cup hopes were upset by Ghana in November 2021.

South Africa squad

Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (SuperSport), Brandon Petersen (Kaizer Chiefs), Bruce Bvuma (Kaizer Chiefs), and Veli Mothwa (AmaZulu).

Defenders: Nyiko Mobbie (Sekhukhune United), Terrence Mashego (Cape Town City), Siyanda Xulu (unattached), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Golden Arrows), Veluyeke Zulu (Chippa), Rushine De Reuck (Mamelodi Sundowns), Lyle Lakay (Mamelodi Sundowns), Khuliso Mudau (Mamelodi Sundowns), Rivaldo Coetzee (Mamelodi Sundowns), Bandile Shandu (Orlando Pirates), and Athenkosi Mcaba (Stellenbosch).

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Midfielders: Sbonelo Cele (Golden Arrows), Pule Mmodi (Golden Arrows), Ethan Brooks (TS Galaxy), Keagan Dolly (Kaizer Chiefs), Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Goodman Mosele (Orlando Pirates), and Thabang Monare (Orlando Pirates).

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Strikers: Evidence Makgopa (Baroka), Victor Letsoalo (Royal AM), Mduduzi Mdantsane (Cape Town City), Fagrie Lakay (Pyramids), Victor Letsoalo (Royal AM), Lyle Foster (Westerlo), and Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Minnesota).

The Reds moved quickly to land the Colombian forward during the winter window and have seen him make an immediate impact at Anfield

Jurgen Klopp admits that Luis Diaz is producing “miracles” at Liverpool, with the Reds seeing during the January transfer window deliver immediate returns.

Those at Anfield acted quickly over the winter once it became apparent that a player they had been monitoring for some time.

A big-money offer was presented to Porto and the Colombian forward was added to star-studded ranks on Merseyside alongside Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota – and the talented 25-year-old has not looked out of place.

What has been said?

Klopp told of the impact made in England by a player that is exceeding early expectations: “You don’t expect miracles immediately from these kind of players. But he is not far away from doing exactly that. Long may it continue.”

The German added on the reasons for Liverpool making their move in the middle of the 2021-22 campaign: “Every coach would say the same about a January signing. You do it, but if you could, you would do it in the summer.

“There is a reason why you sign a player. The reason is the quality that he has. The reason is the way that he is playing the game.

“With Luis, where it has been really special is that when we saw him we knew that he would fit in immediately.

“That is really difficult usually but because he did not have to change, that is why we have a really confident boy here.

“He was in a really good moment with Porto, playing good for Colombia, and so he came here full of confidence. But what we tried to make sure is that he does not lose that because of the playbook as we tell him that he has to do this and he has to do that.

“We want him to be natural.”

The bigger picture

Diaz has registered two goals for Liverpool through six Premier League appearances, while also catching the eye in FA Cup and Champions League competition.

A Carabao Cup winners’ medal has helped him to make a dream start to life with his new club, but Klopp believes there is “loads more to come” from the South American as he continues to break down language and sporting barriers.

Klopp added on a player that is quickly becoming a fan favourite at Anfield: “It was clear from the first moment that we saw him that he would be a player who could play immediately, on a specific level, if he could deal mentally with it. Because I cannot take the pressure he feels completely off him if he feels it.

“Nothing has happened yet.

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“Yes, the start has been really good. But he is a long-term project for us and we are a long-term project for him.

“There is loads more to come.”

Further reading

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The Parc des Princes outfit are unmatched in France when it comes to squad investment, particularly after a busy transfer window last summer

Neymar and Lionel Messi are leading the way in the top 10 list of highest Ligue 1 earners, which is populated entirely by Paris Saint-Germain players.

PSG have been one of the richest clubs in world football since Qatar Sports Investments’ successful takeover at Parc des Princes in 2011.

Marquee signings have become a regular occurrence over the past decade and, after the additions of several more household names last summer, including Messi, reports that the squad is now worth a total of €629 million (£525m/$692m).

PSG dominate Ligue 1 salary list

The French newspaper has also published a top 30 list of the highest salaries in Ligue 1 for 2021-22, with Brazilian forward Neymar out in front with gross monthly earnings of €4m.

Messi, who joined PSG on a free transfer after leaving Barcelona at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, comes in second on €3.3m, over €1m ahead of third-place Kylian Mbappe.

Marquinhos and Marco Verratti are up next in fourth and fifth, while Achraf Hakimi, Keylor Navas, Angel Di Maria, Georginio Wijnaldum and Gianluigi Donnarumma fill the remaining spots in the top 10.

Top 10 earners in Ligue 1

Club

Player

Monthly earnings

PSG

Neymar

€4.083m

PSG

Lionel Messi

€3.375m

PSG

Kylian Mbappe

€2.220m

PSG

Marquinhos

€1.2m

PSG

Marco Verratti

€1.2m

PSG

Achraf Hakimi

€1.083m

PSG

Keylor Navas

€1m

PSG

Angel Di Maria

€950,000

PSG

Georginio Wijnaldum

€916,000

PSG

Gianluigi Donnarumma

€916,000

Who else on the list?

Monaco’s Wissam Ben Yedder is the first non-PSG player in the list at 15, with slots 11-14 occupied by Mauro Icardi, Sergio Ramos, Leandro Paredes and Juan Bernat.

Ramos joined PSG last summer, too, after seeing his contract at Real Madrid expire, but is only taking home €791,666 per month as the 12th highest-paid player at Parc des Princes.

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Ben Yedder’s Stade Louis II team-mate Cesc Fabregas is the only other non-PSG star to make the top 20, while Marseille duo Cedric Bakambu and Dimitri Payet come in at 23rd and 29th respectively.

Lyon have only grabbed two spots in the overall list, with Tanguy Ndombele, who is currently on loan from Tottenham, and Jerome Boateng landing at 27th and 28th. Meanwhile, Lille’s Renato Sanches is the sole representative from the reigning champions in 30th.

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The Argentine has been in charge at Parc des Princes since January 2021, but could find himself out of work in the not too distant future

Mauricio Pochettino is facing serious questions of his future at Paris Saint-Germain after despite having the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe at his disposal.

With European glory eluding the Ligue 1 heavyweights once again, there has been plenty of talk to suggest that another change in the dugout will be made this summer.

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Pochettino is already being linked with prominent posts elsewhere, with of the former Tottenham coach, but parting with the Argentine will be an expensive business for PSG.

How much will it cost PSG to sack Pochettino?

The 50-year-old is tied to a contract at Parc des Princes through to 2023, so still has over 12 months left to run on that agreement.

With that taken into account, reports that it would cost PSG around €20 million (£17m/$22m) to part with their entire coaching team.

That redundancy package would include a €15m (£13m/$16m) compensation fee for Pochettino, while his four assistants would split €5m (£4m/$5m).

It is reported that Jesus Perez, who is Pochettino’s right-hand man, is working on a salary of €80,000 a month, while Miguel D’Agostino and Toni Jimenez pull in €50,000 each and Sebastino Pochettino – Mauricio’s son – earns €20,000.

PSG are said to have regrets over offering extensions to their management team at the start of the current campaign, with initial deals thrashed out in January 2021 only set to run until the summer of 2022.

The Ligue 1 heavyweights have been in this position before, with some hefty severance payments made in the recent past.

Current Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, whose departure paved the way for Pochettino to be appointed, received between €7-8m (£7m/$9m) when seeing his contract ripped up, while Laurent Blanc departed with €22m (£18m/$24m) in June 2016.

Who is the highest-paid coach in world football?

Pochettino is far and away the best-paid coach in French football, with his base salary said to be three times higher than that of his closest rivals Jorge Sampaoli and Christophe Galtier – who earn around €330,000 a month at Marseille and Nice respectively.

The man in charge at PSG would also be the highest-paid coach in Germany when Bundesliga wage packets are taken into account, with Julian Nagelsmann pulling in €666,000 on a monthly basis at Bayern Munich.

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Pochettino does, however, sit some way down the global payment chart, with the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp earning more than him at Premier League giants Manchester City and Liverpool.

It is, however, Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone that boasts the most lucrative coaching contract, with Pochettino’s fellow countryman working on a deal that is reportedly worth €3.33m a month.

Further reading

A man who worked closely with the Portuguese during his first spell at Old Trafford details the work that was undertaken

Former Manchester United power development trainer Mick Clegg has offered an insight into Cristiano Ronaldo’s work on his physique and relentless march towards perfection in his younger years at the club.

Ronaldo initially arrived at Old Trafford from Sporting CP for £12 million in 2003 at the age of 18 and, over the next six years, he managed to make an indelible mark on English football.

The Portuguese scored over 100 goals for United while winning three Premier League titles and the Champions League, before departing for Real Madrid.

What’s been said?

Ronaldo went on to enjoy even greater success in Spain and also took in a trophy-laden spell at Juventus before completing his long-awaited return to Old Trafford last summer.

Clegg recalls how much the forward stood out from his peers during his first spell in Manchester, and has rejected the notion that he underwent a major physical transformation before reaching his prime.

“I never saw a scrawny kid,” Clegg, who worked with Ronaldo between 2003 and 2009, told . “That kid had a fantastic physique, a fantastic ability to move. All he needed was time. People sometimes ask for ‘Cristiano’s routine’, his chest routine or whatever, but what are they talking about? It’s five and a half years. It was five and a half years of the hardest work I’ve ever seen from any athlete ever.

“It was never scrawny, what he wanted to do was get the right amount of the strength, the power, the skill, the cognitive processes, and all these things then come together. But it’s also about confidence.”

Clegg added on how Ronaldo gradually improved his decision making and execution in the final third of the pitch: “You can see how it came together for him. Some players practice something and then take it into a game, and if it doesn’t work, they’ll never use it again.

“Cristiano practises something, then he’ll take it into training games, then take it into a game against teams at the bottom of the league, and he would hone his skills there.

“He wouldn’t use it in the big games against Chelsea or whoever until he was confident with it. And he never, ever lost confidence he could make whatever he’s working on work.

“That’s why he got so many people shouting at him. He’s this, he’s that – no. He was working on an apprenticeship. It was about working to get perfection.”

How is Ronaldo’s homecoming season going?

United supporters gave Ronaldo a rousing reception in his first game back at Old Trafford against Newcastle on September 11, 2021.

The 37-year-old marked the occasion by scoring twice, and has since continued to show that his instincts in front of goal remain as sharp as ever.

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Ronaldo has hit a total of 18 goals in 33 appearances across all competitions so far this season, including a stunning .

His form has done little to help United progress as a collective, though, as they are now guaranteed to extend their trophyless run to five seasons and have a real fight on their hands to secure Champions League qualification.

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The Indominable Lions stopper was en route to training before the accident happened on Tuesday

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Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana has been involved in a serious car accident ahead of their 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Algeria.

The Ajax shot-stopper was reportedly on his way to Doula from the capital city Yaounde on Tuesday morning when the incident happened.

However, he survived the accident that involved three vehicles without serious injury. So far, no casualties have been reported.

It means the custodian is still available for the Indomitable Lions who will host the former Africa Cup of Nations champions on Friday.

Voulant rejoindre les ce mardi matin pour le stage préparatoire aux barrages de la André Onana fait un accident grave sur l’axe lourd Douala-Yaoundé. Heureusement pour le portier camerounais, ses jours ne sont pas comptés.

— CRTVweb (@CRTV_web)

Meanwhile, the Indomitable Lions are set to be without Napoli midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa for the aforementioned tie.

The 26-year-old was injured last weekend when turning out for his club against Udinese in Serie A, where they came from a goal down, scored by Gerard Deulofeu, to win 2-1 courtesy of Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen’s double.

Zambo Anguissa played the entire game but suffered an injury as confirmed by the Indomitable Lions, who have now brought in Arnaud Djoum of Apollon Limassol to take his place.

Cameroon squad

Goalkeepers: Simon Omossola (AS Vita Club, DR Congo), Devis Epassy (OFI Crete, Greece), Andre Onana (Ajax, Netherlands).

Defenders: Collins Fai (Standard Liege, Belgium), Olivier Mbaizo (Philadelphia Union, USA), Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui (Gent, Belgium), JC Castelletto (Nantes, France), Harold Moukoudi (St Etienne, France), Tchamba Duplexe (Sonderjyske)

Midfielders: Jean Onana Junior (Bordeaux, France), Malong Kunde (Olympiakos, Greece), Arnaud Djoum (Apollon Limassol), Samuel Gouet Oum (Mechelen, Belgium), Martin Hongla (Hellas Verona, Italy), Ntcham Olivier (Swansea), Fuchs Jeando (Peterborough), Ondoa Gael (Hannover 96).

Forwards: Ignatius Ganago (Lens, France), Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich, Germany), Karl Toko-Ekambi (Lyon, France), Moumi Ngamaleu (Young Boys, Switzerland), Vincent Aboubakar (Al Nasr, Saudi Arabia), Wassu Patient (Coton Sport), Soni Kevin (Asteras Tripoli), Tawamba Leandre (Al-Taawoun FC)

The Borussia Dortmund and Reims midfielders have been voted the best players in world football, born on or after January 1, 2003

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham and Reims star Melchie Dumornay have been crowned the winners of NXGN 2022 after being voted as the best teenage footballers on the planet.

Journalists from across GOAL’s worldwide network voted on the brightest wonderkids in the game, born on or after January 1, 2003.

Bellingham beat off strong competition to become the seventh winner of the men’s award, following in the footsteps of the likes of Jadon Sancho, Gianluigi Donnarumma and 2021 winner Ansu Fati.

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The England international has become a star of the Dortmund team since arriving at Signal Iduna Park in the summer of 2020, and has contributed some crucial goals and assists this season while emerging as a leader in the dressing room.

Bellingham, 18, is also a regular in Gareth Southgate’s squad at international level and, in 2021, became the youngest player to ever appear in a knockout match at a European Championship finals.

GOAL

He beat Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz into second place, with Barcelona’s Gavi completing the podium.

Wirtz has enjoyed a stellar campaign in the Bundesliga, recording double figure totals for both goals and assists in 2021-22 before suffering a serious knee injury in early March.

GOAL

Gavi, meanwhile, has gone from playing for Barcelona’s Under-19s to being a regular starter for club and country in the space of nine months, and is expected to play a leading role as Xavi Hernandez oversees a rebuild at Camp Nou.

The top five in the men’s list is rounded out by Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Liverpool starlet Harvey Elliott, both of whom have established themselves in two of Europe’s most talented squads.

GOAL

The full men’s NXGN list, which also includes the likes of Youssoufa Moukoko, Ricardo Pepi, Hannibal Mejbri and Charlie Patino, .

Dumornay, meanwhile, becomes the third winner of the women’s prize, succeeding Hanna Bennison and Lena Oberdorf in earning the honour.

GOAL

The midfielder has been starring in her native Haiti for a number of years, before making the switch to France in 2021 as she looked to begin her professional career.

Dumornay has shone thus far for Reims, and is fully expected to establish herself at the highest level sooner rather than later.

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She beat Australia international Mary Fowler, who plays her club football for Montpellier, into second place, while Maltese sensation Haley Bugeja finished third as she continues to impress for Sassuolo.

GOAL

United States Under-20s star Alexis Missimo claimed fourth, while Bayer Leverkusen can boast a player in the top five of both lists after Lisanne Grawe took fifth.

The full women’s.

A man acquired for big money by the Blancos in 2019 has fallen out of favour under Carlo Ancelotti despite believing that he is ready to contribute

By Jorge C. Picon – When Eden Hazard arrived at Real Madrid in the summer of 2019, nobody could have imagined that three years later he would have working under the tutelage of Carlo Ancelotti.

The Belgium international was, however, left on the bench for a 4-0 humbling by Barcelona on Sunday and has now spent five successive games stuck on the sidelines – with his last outing coming against Alaves on February 19, when he saw just six minutes of action.

He has now failed to figure in all seven of the Clasico contests that have been played out during his time in Spain – due to injuries and questions of his form – and appears to have lost all faith from the coaching staff at Santiago Bernabeu.

Why is Hazard not playing for Real Madrid?

by his omission from Ancelotti’s plans as he believes fitness struggles of the past are behind him.

Those close to the 31-year-old forward have said of his failure to take the field against Barcelona: “He really wanted to play the game. He’s sad. He has never been as fit as he is today in his entire career.”

Hazard feels he is doing all he can to convince the Italian manager of his worth, but Vinicius Junior on the left flank while Rodrygo and Marco Asensio compete for game time on the right of central frontman Karim Benzema.

With others becoming go-to options in attacking berths, Hazard and are left kicking their heels in the shadows.

Will Hazard leave Real Madrid?

With a man acquired from Chelsea for €100 million (£83m/$110m) making little impression on the first-team fold at present, it is understood that Real’s intention remains to move Hazard on in the summer of 2022.

A loan deal may become the only feasible option for all parties, with Real still having to cover some salary costs there, as finding a buyer for a player whose value has plummeted while working on a lucrative contract will not be easy.

The Premier League is considered to represent the best market for Hazard, with his stock still high there following a memorable seven-year stint at Stamford Bridge.

A return to Chelsea was ready to be explored, due to obvious emotional ties, but sanctions imposed on Roman Abramovich and an ongoing takeover saga in west London have complicated matters considerably.

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For his part, Hazard has not been rocking the boat in Madrid and will wait patiently for a solution to be found that brings a testing period in his career to a close.

He does not want to make a move for the sake of it, potentially doing even more harm to his career, but bosses behind the scenes at the Bernabeu will continue to monitor his situation closely ahead of another window of opportunity swinging open in June.

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The former Blancos midfielder has questioned the Italian's decision making after the humiliating loss at Santiago Bernabeu

Real Madrid legend Guti has furiously slammed Carlo Ancelotti for his substitution choices in his old club’s Clasico defeat to Barcelona, while also taking aim at Vinicius Junior for his underwhelming performance.

Barca snapped their five-game losing streak against Madrid by earning a , with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang grabbing a brace and Ronald Araujo and Ferran Torres also on target.

Guti feels Ancelotti’s decision making played a key role in the Blancos’ downfall with Eden Hazard finishing the game as an unused substitute and Gareth Bale left out of the squad entirely.

What’s been said?

“I’m Ancelotti and I look at the bench and I have Hazard, [Luka] Jovic, Isco… And you’re telling me that I can’t sub any of them in?” the former Madrid midfielder said when analysing the game on .

“What’s going on? I am getting lost. I watch the game against Barcelona and I see the Real Madrid bench and I find that in the second half the first change from Madrid is Mariano… How can this be?

“Aren’t Bale and Hazard there? Madrid’s first offensive change Mariano [Diaz], who hasn’t played this year?”

Guti on Vinicius

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Guti also singled out Brazilian forward Vinicius for criticism as he endured a night to forget against Madrid’s arch-rivals.

He had the chance to change the momentum of the game after being played through on goal with the scoreline at 1-0, but lost control of the ball while trying to round Marc-Andre ter Stegen before tumbling to the floor and appealing for a penalty.

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That moment capped an all-round ineffective display from the 21-year-old, with Guti of the opinion that he should concentrate harder on his game.

“Vinicius cares more about the referee and rivals than about playing football,” he said.

Further reading

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