THEY SAID IT . . .

"This is the right moment for everyone, it might seem a bit strange, but it had to be done for the good of everyone, the players, the club, and myself. This team must keep winning, and it needs a change after three years, another voice, another method of working. I think it would be difficult to keep winning if I stayed.”

Zinedine Zidane announces his departure as head coach of Real Madrid.

“It’s been a phenomenal season, but we have to also zoom out and look at the bigger picture and what we’ve experienced this season. We lost two players, you shouldn’t forget … we lost a huge talent in Mondli Dlamini, and he was the missing link in the number 10 role when we went through our eight-match winless period. And it was hard for the players to still emotionally get onto the pitch, still perform and still go through everyday life - some went through a very bad depression, but they had to carry on, and that shows the resilience of the squad.”

Maritzburg United coach Fadlu Davids looks back on a season in which his club finished fourth and were runners-up in the Nedbank Cup, despite the heartache of losing Mondli Dlamini in a car accident and Luyanda Ntshangase, who was struck by lightning.

"I think we will get on well in the World Cup. It's hard to pinpoint favourites. There are four or five teams, including Brazil, that can reach the same level. The World Cup is a tournament that practically does not allow errors, especially in the final. From the last World Cup, we've learned the good and the bad sides of the tournament, which was the moment we were eliminated. This time my expectation is that we can experience only the good side."

Brazil midfielder Willian on the mood in the team's camp ahead of the World Cup

“This game shows we still have a lot of work to do to be ready for the World Cup. We have to make the best use of the two weeks left before our first game in Russia. It’s time to focus. No distractions.”

Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr after his side lost 2-1 to England at Wembley in a World Cup warm-up match on Saturday.