THEY SAID IT . . .
“I don’t know how much longer I wilI have to answer this one. It has to be about the supporters. As for me, I don’t want to lie, I don’t know how I’m wired. It’s not about me as long as these people can get a trophy. I promise if it happens that Chiefs go through (in the final) and I get the medal, I’ll throw it to one of the supporters in the crowd. Not that I don’t want it but because they deserve it more. For me, I’m a man at work, I may be at Chiefs for now but I’m in football.” – Kaizer Chiefs coach Steve Komphela responds after being asked again if the Nedbank Cup is the last chance for AmaKhosi to win silverware this season. "I heard the crowd saying, 'We want Zlatan, we want Zlatan’. So I gave them Zlatan. They were pushing me, and I was giving back. My history when I come to a new team, I always score in the first game – I didn't want to let it down this time." – Zlatan Ibrahimovic marked his LA Galaxy debut with a matchwinning cameo as his side came from 3-0 down to beat new boys Los Angeles FC. "The supporters were great – they have been great here bar a few. The players gave them something to shout about today. The players were great. Their prep over the last few weeks, their attitude has been great – they wanted to put past events behind them. We think we're good enough to be clear of the bottom three. Recent results haven't been good but we played well." – West Ham manager David Moyes said their fans' support "inspired" his players as they thrashed relegation rivals Southampton to move clear of the drop zone.
"If the Moroccan players have taken confidence and tell themselves that they can write the history of African football [in Russia], they can do it. They're a technical team, tactical, and they have a manager who they listen to. That's the thing that's really good. Frankly, I take my hat off to this team, that they never give anything up." – Former Senegal forward El Hadji Diouf says Morocco can be a success at the World Cup in Russia.
"It doesn't just make a difference to your body, but I strongly believe that what we do to the earth, we get it paid back. I was waking up in the morning with so much energy, whereas before I used to be that person that would snooze the alarm five times before I got out of bed. As a professional athlete you have to be very, almost technical with what you eat and make sure your intakes are on point every day."
– Arsenal rightback Hector Bellerin discusses his move to a vegan diet.