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Simba SC management has for the third time offered cash incentives to the team, this time if they beat Al Merrikh in their Caf Champions League fixture on Saturday.

Ahead of their first Group A  match against AS Vita Club of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Simba players were promised Tsh200m - which they received after beating the hosts 1-0 away in Kinshasa.

The Msimbazi giants were also offered Tsh200m if they beat Egyptian champions Al Ahly in Dar es Salaam for their second match - which they pocketed after they won the game 1-0.

Goal can exclusively reveal Simba management through chairman Mohamed Dewji have promised each player another Tsh200m as an incentive if they beat the Sudanese outfit away.

“The team management led by Dewji met players on Monday for a closed-door meeting and they openly told them each one of them will pocket Tsh200m if they return home with victory from Sudan,” a source in Simba, who attended the meeting and did not want to be named, told Goal on Wednesday.

The management feels the players deserve more [from them], they deserve to be boosted and such incentives will give them the result they want, and the players have promised they will deliver by beating Al Merrikh.”

On Tuesday, Simba coach Didier Gomez Da Rosa warned his players to prepare for a real fight against the Sudanese side.

“They have already lost twice and the last time it was at home but I know these players and the team very well, they are very dangerous at home and they have a squad of proud players who cannot allow losing three matches in a row in the competition,” Da Rosa told Goal on Monday.

“Al Merrikh is one of the biggest clubs in Africa and so we must be very serious, ready, and convinced that we have the quality, the ability, and the discipline to get a very good result there.

“But to be honest, it will be a very big fight because like I said Al Merrikh cannot accept to lose three times consecutively so we must be ready but you know what we have already done against Al Ahly and if we are able to play like we did [against Al Ahly] in Sudan, we have some clear hopes to win.”

Ahead of the match, Simba have received a major boost with doctors clearing goalkeeper Aishi Manula to travel with the team after he picked an injury during their Mainland Premier League match against JKT Tanzania on Monday.

Kaizer Chiefs have responded to reports indicating they have identified their targets ahead of the July-August 2021 transfer window.

Stellenbosch FC duo of Leletu Skelem and Phathutshedzo Nange, Swallows FC trio of Kgaogelo Sekgota, Sifiso Hlanti and Njabulo Ngcobo, SuperSport United pair of Bradley Grobler and Sipho Mbule are reportedly on the radar of Amakhosi.

The Glamour Boys have been unable to register new players for two consecutive transfer windows due to the illegal signing of Andriamirado “Dax” Andrianarimanana in 2018 and the club's transfer ban set to come to an end on July 1.

When speaking to TimesLIVE, Chiefs media officer Vina Maphosa explained the rumours linking the club with certain players are pure speculation and that their transfer plans will be revealed at the end of the season. 

“The chairman [Kaizer Motaung] prefers to outline plans when the season has ended," Maphosa said. 

"I can confirm there is work happening in the background and this is part of the normal process anyhow because we always start preps for the next season in advance.

"Details of which we will reveal at the end of the season‚ the rest of what is in circulation is speculation." 

A TimesLIVE source at Chiefs revealed that the Soweto giants will be beefing up the squad at the end of the current season.

“I think we all know that Hlanti and Nange are almost done deals and they are set to join Chiefs next season. But they are working hard behind the scenes on other targets‚” the source said.

“Nange‚ Hlanti‚ Sekgota and Grobler have worked with coach Gavin [Hunt] in the past and he knows them very well.

"Skelem and Ngcobo have been stand-out performers this season and Hunt rates them very highly. The challenge with Ngcobo is that Swallows will try to hold onto him but the player may be tempted by the opportunity of playing for a bigger team.”

Former Bidvest Wits goalkeeper Brandon Peterson, who trained with Chiefs at the beginning of the current season, remains a free agent.

Peterson stopped training with the Naturena-based giants after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) announced that it has upheld the transfer ban imposed by Fifa on Chiefs in October 2020.

It remains to be seen whether Peterson will return to Chiefs once the transfer ban ends. 

Gor Mahia coach Carlos Manuel Vaz Pinto has come out to deny reports his team is currently struggling in the FKF Premier League because of fatigue.

The Kenyan champions have had a bad run of results in the top-flight with their recent 2-1 defeat against Nzoia Sugar being the fourth loss they have suffered in the current campaign.

But despite the run, the Portuguese tactician has downplayed fatigue as the cause of their recent poor form, saying they have a big squad with good players who can deliver anytime when called upon.

“Even though we have played many away games in the past three weeks, the players are fit and always ready to play,” Vaz Pinto said as quoted by Standard Sports. “Win or lose, it is part of the game and I could not be happier to manage such a wonderful hardworking team.

“It was disappointing to lose against Nzoia, especially after leading through the first half, we conceded very easy goals that should not be a problem to defend against, but we took that as a lesson.”

On how prepared they are to face Kakamega Homeboyz at Bukhungu Stadium on Wednesday, Van Pinto said: “Today [Wednesday] we are going to be clinical, we have to defend well until the last minute even if we are leading by more than three goals.

“We need to score more goals too because the league is unpredictable and every team can win any game.”

K’Ogalo have posted a run of four matches without registering a win – drawing 1-1 against AFC Leopards in the derby, losing 1-0 against Napsa Stars in the Caf Confederation Cup before drawing away 2-2 and losing 2-1 against Nzoia Sugar.

Homeboyz are also in a bad run of results, with their recent match ending 2-1 in favour of AFC Leopards in the Western Derby.

Homeboyz coach Nicholas Muyoti has blamed a poor first-half display for the team’s defeat in the derby but promised to bounce back against Gor Mahia.

“We allowed AFC Leopards to dominate us in the first half and worse still we allowed them to score the two goals, so when we tried to come back into the game in the second period, they managed to defend very well,” Muyoti told Goal on Wednesday.

The match between Homeboyz and Gor Mahia will kick-off at 1500hrs.

Vipers SC head coach Fred Kajoba has stated he is confident in his strikers as they have worked on their effectiveness ahead of their Ugandan Premier League tie against Bright Stars on Wednesday.

Kajoba is hopeful the team will do better than how they did and outsmarted their previous opponents Onduparaka FC on February 27 where they emerged 3-1 winners.

“We have worked on our finishing, we saw a couple of chances created against Onduparaka and we converted three into goals. We pray the boys can do better because all the teams are also doing well," Kajoba said as quoted by the club's website.

The Wednesday encounter is expected to be an emotional one for Kajoba since he led Bright Stars to a maiden Uganda Cup final in 2019 where they ended up losing to Proline FC in post-match penalties.

“We closed that chapter though the memories remained. We have since moved on and Wednesday is purely going to be another affair. It would be business and real business," he added. "We will enjoy fighting for three points as well.”

On injuries, late assessments will be carried out on Halid Lwaliwa and Siraje Sentamu after they were unavailable for the Onduparaka game due to minor knocks.

Milton Karisa is expected to miss the Bright Stars tie but could be available for the upcoming matches against URA FC and KCCA FC. Kajoba will also miss Abraham Ndugwa who is suffering from a metatarsal issue and Ahmed Amayo who was down with fever but has so far started training.

On the other hand, Simon Ssemayange, Sam Sekitto, Ronald Sempala, Methodius Jungu, Andrew Kyambadde and Alfred Onek will not be available for Bright Stars due to injuries.

Emmanuel Loki is expected to be given more minutes after making his debut against Police FC in the previous game.

The visitors, who have managed to get goals in each of their last 10 matches, have been on a good run as they have won three of their last seven games and four have ended in draws.

But Vipers will be buoyed by history as they have never lost a game against Bright Stars. In the 15 games the two sides have met, the Venoms have won on six occasions while nine have ended in draws.

Vipers, however, have had a far better recent record against Bright Stars given that they have won three of their five games including two matches that were held at St Mary's Stadium. The last time they clashed, the Premier League champions emerged winners with a 3-1 scoreline before the season was cancelled.

Paul Scholes has urged Jack Grealish to consider joining Manchester United, Manchester City or Liverpool, insisting the Aston Villa star "needs to get out now".

Grealish has solidified his standing as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League this season, inspiring Villa's push for a European spot in the process.

The 25-year-old is now being tipped to move on in the summer, which Scholes thinks is a necessity if he harbours ambitions to win trophies and reach an elite level.

What's been said?

Asked if Grealish is a contender to win the PFA Player of the Year award for 2020-21, the former United midfielder told Optus Sport: "Don’t get me wrong, I love the player, but if he was doing this at Man United, Liverpool, City, one of the top clubs, then he’d be up there, he’d possibly be top three.

"There is no pressure on Villa. If he is at a top club then he needs to win every week. He needs to leave Villa to prove that [he is a top player].

"Jack Grealish is probably the same [as Paolo Di Canio]. It is all about him at Aston Villa. He needs to get out now to a club that need to win every week, there is pressure to deliver trophies.

"He is capable of doing it, but there will always be a doubt until you do it."

How much is Grealish worth & who has he been linked with?

It has been reported that Villa will only listen to offers in the region of £80 million ($112m) for Grealish when the transfer window reopens.

The Midlands club are reluctant to lose a prized asset, particularly after handing him a bumper new five-year contract back in September.

However, a number of top clubs are reportedly ready to test Villa's resolve, including the likes of United, City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham.

The bigger picture

Grealish has seen his progress halted by a leg injury, which kept him out of Villa's 2-1 loss to Leicester City, as well as the 1-0 win at Leeds United.

He also looks set to miss their clash with Sheffield United on Wednesday, but Dean Smith is hopeful he can return to full training by the end of the week.

If Grealish gets back to full fitness and continues his excellent form he will surely earn a place in Gareth Southgate's England squad for the European Championship, which kicks off in June.

Should he perform well at that tournament, the playmaker's stock could potentially go through the roof and spark a bidding war among the Premier League's top six.

Further reading

Bloemfontein Celtic central defender Justice Chabalala was one of the standout players on the pitch in Phunya Sele Sele’s 1-0 defeat to Orlando Pirates on Tuesday night.

After former Bucs striker Ndumiso Mabena was sent off just before half time for a reckless challenge on Linda Mntambo, Celtic’s task was made all the harder.

But with Chabalala in fine form, Pirates rarely threatened the visitors' goal.

In the end, it was a moment of individual brilliance from Fortune Makaringe, rather than a mistake from Celtic, which led to the only goal of the match being scored in the 62nd minute.

Phunya Sele Sele coach John Maduka could certainly not fault Chabalala’s impressive display.

“On another level. On another level, he worked very hard and they could not beat him in one-vs-one situations. He used the ball so well,” Maduka told SuperSport TV after the game.

“So its good to have a player of his calibre in your defence and he did so well. The whole defence, apart from the goal, we defended well.”

The 29-year-old Chabalala signed for Pirates from Free State Stars in 2016. He remains a Bucs player, but has spent most of the last five years out on loan – first with Chippa United and then with Celtic.

He has made 13 appearances in all competitions for Celtic this season, ahead of his contract with Bucs expiring in June.

While disappointed not to have taken anything from the fixture, Maduka was pleased with the way his 10-men side fought in the second half.

“It was difficult playing a quality team like Orlando Pirates with one man down. Second half with our plan, it worked because we managed to get into the final third. Before they scored we had a couple of chances, one of them was one-vs-one with the goalkeeper. Score that one and it's a different game.

“But it didn’t happen and a lack of concentration and we got punished. We have to score goals. You can only win games if you score goals,” he added.

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations has asked the head coach of the national team, Johnathan McKinstry, to step aside.

McKinstry's tenure as the Cranes' head coach came under furious scrutiny when Uganda failed to make a great impact at the African Nations Championship competition in Cameroon.

The Cranes were eliminated at the group stage after losses to Morocco and Togo and a draw against Rwanda. Since then, the Northern Irish coach has received criticism for the poor outing.

"The Fufa executive committee has asked the head coach of the national senior side the Uganda Cranes Mr Johnathan McKinstry to step aside from managing and coaching the team for the period from March 2nd- 31st, 2021," a statement of the federation read.

"In the meantime assistant coaches Mr Mubiru Abdallah, Mr Mbabazi Livingstone and goalkeeping coach Mr Kajoba Fred will take charge of the team during this period. The rest of the technical team remains unchanged. Fufa will use the period to assess and monitor the performance of the team."

Just after the Chan elimination, Fufa president Moses Magogo revealed that McKinstry's future would be determined by a final report that would be prepared by a technical team that had been charged to evaluate his reign.

“There is an evaluation which is going on, and I always listen to my technical people, even during the appointments, my job is to say yes or no,” Magogo said then.

“I am not saying we are going to fire him or not, but the fact is that there is an evaluation ongoing.

“At the moment, we are taking stock of what he has done since he arrived here and whatever the technical report that will come to us in the next few days, we will come out with a final decision.

“And as Fufa, we are not shy with our decision, we will come out and say that we have discontinued our engagement or we are giving him approval. I have my personal view as a Uganda fan but I believe that the technical people are better at analysing.”

McKinstry, who was set to name his Africa Cup of Nations qualifying squad, made a recent public appearance during a Premier League encounter at Kavumba when Express FC beat Kitara FC 1-0 on March 2.

Recently, Tanzania sacked Etienne Ndayiragije after their Chan group stage elimination.

Shabab Al-Ahli booked a spot in the final of the UAE Arabian Gulf Cup along with Al-Nasr after defeating Al-Wasl 3-1 at Rashid Stadium on Tuesday. They won by an aggregate score of 5-1 over the two legs. 

Al-Ahli took just 11 minutes to break the deadlock with Federico Cartabia scoring from a header after latching on to a cross from Jaloliddin Masharipov. The visitors could have cut short the deficit when Abdulrahman Ali rifled a shot at goal, but Al-Ahli keeper Majed Naser was equal to the task. 

Just seven minutes into the second half, Cartabia doubled the lead for his team after he was set up by Carlos Eduardo. 

Al-Wasl looked rattled after going down 2-0 and while they were still recovering from the shock, Igor Jesus scored the third goal of the match with a towering header to seal the tie in his team's favour. Striker Fabio Lima converted from the spot to pull one back but that was too little to change his team's fortunes. 

In the other match, Al-Nasr beat Al-Ittihad 7-6 on penalties after the two teams were locked in an aggregate score of 3-3 after two legs. 

Ryan Mendes scored for Al-Nasr in the 39th minute to inspire a comeback. The forward made the most of a rebound of Dia Saba's free-kick to head home the opening goal. Saba once again came close to double the lead for his team but was denied by the woodwork three minutes before the break. However, just at the stroke of halftime, his piledriver nestled into the net which put Al-Nasr ahead on aggregate with 45 minutes to play. 

In the second half, The Tigers played with more attacking intent and purpose. They were creating goal-scoring opportunities through Ahmed Amer and Abdul Salam Mohamed but were unable to convert on both occasions. 

VAR came to their rescue as the hosts were awarded a penalty for a foul by Mohamed Ayed inside the box. Peniel Mlapa made no mistake from the spot and the game went to a penalty shootout. 

Al Nasr held their nerves till the very end and won the tie-breakers 7-6 to register their spot in the finals against Shabab Al-Ahli on March 6. 

FC Goa played out their 10th draw against Hyderabad FC on Sunday to make it to the semi-finals of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL).

Credit must be given to the coach of the Goan side, Juan Ferrando, for managing his squad efficiently this season. To an extent, there's always been someone who has stepped up when it mattered the most.

In what initially started with Igor Angulo dominating the goalscoring department, others such as Jorge Ortiz slotted in with six strikes as did Ishan Pandita who scored four late equalisers, building a reputation as a super sub. Devendra Murgaonkar, Alexander Romario, Alberto Noguera, Redeem Tlang, Ivan Gonzalez (2) all contributed as well. 

What will Goa be missing on Friday?

However, the pair of Noguera and Gonzalez, who have been pivotal figures in the Guars' race to the play-offs, are set to miss their side's semi-final first leg clash against Mumbai City on Friday.

Noguera initially had to battle for his place in the first 11 but started in Goa's last 10 straight games as the duo or Ortiz and Brandon Fernandes faced injury concerns. But Noguera saw red in the goalless draw against Hyderabad. While Gonzalez accumulated four yellow cards after making one of the most crucial goalmouth interceptions in injury time in the same game.

Involved in nine goals this season, Noguera currently leads the assists chart (8) - some of which contributed towards late equalisers and winners such as in the 2-1 win over Hyderabad in the reverse fixture and in the 2-2 draw against Chennaiyin FC earlier in February. He is also the top 10 with 91 tackles and is one of the 15 midfielders with over a thousand (1,143) touches that signifies the impact he has had so far.

At the back, Ivan has been a key figure, leading the Goa backline efficiently. He also doubled up on the flanks in the last couple of games, in the absence of Seriton Fernandes who is also a doubt for the next game.

Seriton has also been instrumental whenever Ferrando's men have looked to counter from the flanks. Missing the likes of Noguera, Ivan and Seriton will be a handicap for the Goan outfit against a potent Mumbai City team.

Further reading:

No other team had made as many as five appearances in the Indian Super League (ISL) play-offs than FC Goa until the start of the current edition of the competition.

The Goans have gone on to beat their own record under their third coach in Juan Ferrando this season. Previously, Zico led the side to two successive play-offs before failing to achieve the feat in 2016, and Sergio Lobera is the only coach to have led a team to three play-offs in a row when he was at FC Goa.

Barring the ISL season 3 when Goa finished the league at the bottom among eight teams, they have reached the play-off every single time. They have finished first in the league stage in 2015 and last season when they bagged the first ISL League Shield award. However, they have not won the tournament yet, finishing as runners-up twice.

Enter Ferrando, who has also managed to lead the team to the play-offs. Goa happens to be the only team in the ISL that has had only three coaches in the club history so far. Their success this season has been wrought upon a desire to extract results even when they've been outplayed. 

It also has to be noted that the Goans rallied back from a losing position as many as 11 times in 20 games this season from where they accumulated 19 of their 31 points, something that shows the side's level of resolve.

FC Goa also lost just thrice, as did NorthEast United and Mumbai City, but the thing that hurt in not finishing higher than fourth was the 10 draws - seven of which were in the second half of the league phase.They also struggled to register clean sheets this season, it was their first clean sheet in nine games that landed them in this season's semi-finals after a 0-0 draw against Hyderabad in their last league game.

"In the end, in this case, I am happy about the point. But in the attack, I am very disappointed. We lost a lot of easy passes. In defence, I am happy," Ferrando said after the game as defence has been an area of concern for his side.

"The records are not important to me. I am happy that Goa are in the playoffs. I am happy about this point. We controlled the space in a lot of games. A new record should be us winning the trophy (for the first time)."

With regard to a particular feat the Spanish coach referring to, it more or less went unnoticed that Goa broke the record for the longest unbeaten streak that Mumbai City recently set under Lobera this term. Ferrando's men are on a 13-game unbeaten run. But they face none other than League Shield champions Mumbai City which should be a tough prospect. 

Further reading:

Ashutosh Mehta has been a trusted lieutenant to Khalid Jamil for almost a decade now. The right-back started his professional career at Mumbai FC along with Jamil who started his coaching career (as a youth coach) in 2010 and ever since, he has spent most of his career with the Indian coach. 

In the 2016-17 season when Jamil ended his association with Mumbai FC and joined Aizawl FC for a new challenge, the first player he wanted to sign at his new club from his former employers was Mehta. 

Joining Aizawl FC, a club that were relegated just a season back, at the peak of his career was a big gamble for Mehta but he did not think twice before following his coach to the new club. The decision eventually proved to be a blessing for the player as Khalid and his team went to script history by winning the I-League title as an underdog. 

After a gap of three seasons, the right-back once again reunited with his coach at NorthEast United in the Indian Super League (ISL). Initially, as an assistant coach of the club, Jamil was in charge of putting together the Highlanders’ Indian squad this season and he once again chose to sign his old pupil. 

Since last season Mehta has been a player on the rise. He was an integral part of Kibu Vicuna’s Mohun Bagan side which lifted their fifth I-League title. The Mumbai-based defender carried his form to NorthEast United this season and has been a mainstay in their starting lineup for the majority of the league stage. 

In the 16 matches he has played this season so far, the former Aizawl FC defender has managed to score a goal and provide two assists. Defensively, he made 51 tackles, 20 interceptions, 47 clearances and 23 blocks. He also gave 17 crosses and took seven shots on goal. 

The statistics clearly show how influential the player has been to this NorthEast United side. The only goal he scored was against Jamshedpur FC where he broke the deadlock with a quality header from a Federico Gallego corner. It was only fitting the Mehta scored the first goal in Khalid Jamil’s maiden match as the club’s head coach after he replaced Gerard Nus at the helm in the middle of the season. 

Along with Ashutosh Mehta, another former pupil of Khalid Jamil who reunited with him at NorthEast United this season is VP Suhair. The Kerala-born striker turned winger had earlier played under Jamil at East Bengal in the 2017-18 season. 

Suhair enjoyed brief success under Jamil at East Bengal at the beginning of that season at East Bengal but his stint was shortlived with the Kolkata giants due to an injury before the I-League campaign began. 

After a gap of two seasons, Jamil once again decided to sign his former protégé who also was an integral part of Mohun Bagan’s I-League winning season last year. 

The winger-cum-striker has played in 17 matches this season in the ISL and has scored two goals and provided one assist. Be in under Nus or Jamil, the former Mohun Bagan player has been a vital cog in the Highlanders’ attack. Suhair’s work-rate and mobility on the pitch has helped him to keep his place in the team’s starting lineup throughout the season. He has completed 16 crosses, 332 passes and made 59 tackles and 19 interceptions. This reflects the player's all-round contribution to his team. 

Amidst stars like Deshorn Brown, Federico Gallego, Luis Machado and Benjamin Lambot, the two Indian players on the right side Ashutosh Mehta and VP Suhair are without a doubt the silent heroes of Khalid Jamil’s NorthEast United. 

Manchester City's 21-game winning run has seen them run rampant throughout the Premier League and, throughout that run, they've done so in style.

The most recent win in that winning run came on Tuesday, as Manchester City took down Wolves 4-1 to continue their reign of dominance.

Making their recent streak even more impressive is the fact that they haven’t trailed for a single minute in any of their last 19 Premier League games, tying Arsenal’s competition record established in the late-90s.

Depth on display

Even as defending champion Liverpool have crumbled under the weight of injuries and others have endured major setbacks, Manchester City continue to lead the Premier League in squad rotation.

Pep Guardiola has made a league-high 79 changes to his starting XI this campaign to take advantage of the quality depth at his disposal.

The massive transfer backing Guardiola has received, as well as improved production from youth graduates such as Phil Foden, allows the manager to make up for key absences. Kevin De Bruyne, for example, has only just returned from a lengthy spell sidelined with a hamstring problem.

Other stats on City's depth

The Citizens have had 19 different scorers in all competitions this year - by comparison, Tottenham have had 17, Chelsea have had 16, Arsenal have had 16, Liverpool have had 15 and Manchester United have had 13.

Additionally, Guardiola has trotted out 29 different players across all competitions.

Further reading

It ultimately would have counted for very little, but it is easy to understand Kelechi Iheanacho’s anguished reaction when he thrashed over from close range in stoppage time against Arsenal.

The Gunners had the game sewn up by that point, having gone into a 3-1 lead inside the opening 10 minutes of the second half. However, despite the swift turnaround in fortunes for both sides during proceedings, Iheanacho had arguably produced one of his stronger league performances for the Foxes since joining the club in 2017.

Playing off Jamie Vardy, the Nigeria international was inventive and involved – or at least as involved as Leicester’s counter-attacking game plan allowed. It was not a day on which many in blue shone, but Iheanacho was as likely to make something happen as any of his team mates.

Which is perhaps why he was so distraught when, even with the benefit of a fortuitous bounce from a corner, he was unable to bury that gilt-edged chance at the death.

It felt like a missed opportunity, not just because that is literally what it was, but because his was the sort of performance that will now probably be lost in the post-mortem. Getting a goal, albeit only a consolation, would have served to contrast his efforts even more against the backdrop of general ordinariness.

If there is any consolation for the 24-year-old, it comes in the form of the crippling injury crisis that now threatens to derail Leicester top four aspirations entirely. Harvey Barnes was the latest to join the ranks of the wounded, carted off the pitch six minutes into the second period with a knee injury that will keep him out for at least six weeks.

He joins James Maddison and Ayoze Perez on the treatment table; of their original front four, only Vardy remains available for selection.

What this means is that, invariably, there will be more opportunities for Iheanacho to impress. The misfortune of his teammates will no doubt be a concern for him, but if he is honest, the former Manchester City man will have been waiting for just such an opening for a while now.

His time at Leicester has seen him typecast somewhat as a Vardy facsimile, and manager Brendan Rodgers has just about kept him happy by dangling the prospect of replacing the 34-year-old former England international someday.

It is his goalscoring return at the Etihad Stadium that put him on the Foxes’ radar, but there is so much more to Iheanacho’s game than just that. In fact, more than his efficiency in front of goal, it is his ability to slide the ball through defensive gaps that put him on the footballing map at under-17 level to begin with. He is an altogether more contemplative player, who excels with a striker ahead of him to supply.

As such, filling in when Vardy is unavailable has proven challenging, as Iheanacho lacks the true explosiveness or agility of a proper centre-forward.

He has had to play the role in a slightly modified way, coming deep to link play where Vardy would go in behind: sometimes, as in the Europa League on occasion, it has worked; sometimes, as against Crystal Palace on New Year’s Day, it has gone horribly wrong.

With injuries decimating their attacking ranks, Iheanacho enters a critical period in his Leicester career. Rodgers is a considerably more practical manager these days, and will almost certainly seek to re-format his side in order to avoid losing ground in the top four hunt. It is not inconceivable that the Nigeria international finally gets to play in the no.10 role that everyone seems convinced is his favoured brief, and if that happens, there will be no hiding place.

Being pegged as Vardy’s deputy had the unique perk of low expectations, at least in the short-term. He could continue to refine his game, while getting minutes away from the spotlight in cup competitions and cameos, and underperformance would be handily excused due to the Englishman’s sheer irreplaceability.

Now, however, he will be expected to deliver on the merits of his own game.

On paper, a partnership with Vardy has potential. Iheanacho’s through balls made Taiwo Awoniyi, a limited centre-forward for all intents and purposes, look like a world beater at the Under-17 World Cup.

Imagine what he could do with Vardy’s runs to pick out; with greater understanding between the pair, the link-up could be quite outstanding.

There was a glimpse of that, albeit momentarily, against Arsenal when Iheanacho picked up the ball inside the right channel, shaped to shoot and then dinked a delicate ball over David Luiz toward Vardy. The pass was just a tad over-hit, but his strike partner applauded the invention and vision.

It was the beginnings of something, and the latent possibilities will not have been lost on Rodgers.

If Iheanacho can rise to the challenge, it could very well be the making of him at Leicester City. It would also provide the Premier League with its first complete portrait of a player who is very well-known, but is rarely understood.

Riyad Mahrez’s notable Etihad influence continued as Manchester City silenced Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-1 in Tuesday’s Premier League encounter.

Thanks to his strike, the former Leicester City man has now been directly involved in 30 goals in 38 starts in all competitions at the Etihad Stadium since joining from Leicester City (15 goals and 15 assists).

The Algerian superstar lined up in attack alongside Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling to help his team survive the visitors’ scare.

With Conor Coady’s 61st minute effort levelling matters for Nuno Espirito Santos’ side after the hosts took the lead courtesy of a first-half own goal by Leander Dendoncker, Jesus restored City’s lead in the 80th minute.

Mahrez sealed victory for Pep Guardiola’s team in the 90th minute – slotting coolly home into the bottom left corner of Rui Patricio’s goalpost – while Jesus completed his brace before the final whistle.

That effort was his sixth so far in the 2020-21 English topflight campaign where he has featured in 21 games.

While the 30-year-old Algerian is delighted with his team’s outstanding form, he disclosed that there are no chances of him or his teammates resting on their laurels.

“It was a good performance and the three points was the most important. I'm in good form and I'm happy to help the team win,” Mahrez told club website after the game.

“To be fair, 21 games is unbelievable but we have to keep going,” Mahrez told club website after the hard-earned triumph.

 “It’s very good, we’ve worked very hard to arrive at this point, but it’s not finished.

"We have to keep going and show the same passion and focus every game.

“We played well in the second-half and maybe they pressed more and caused us problems, but we were very good.”

The result places Manchester City 15 points clear at the summit of the Premier League ahead of Manchester United’s game against Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening at Selhurst Park.

They also matched the club record of 28 games unbeaten run under Spanish manager Guardiola achieved between May to December in 2017.

Next up for them is their encounter versus Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Red Devils on Sunday.

Paul Gascoigne has had quite a life both on and off the pitch, and he is about to add being a contestant on 'I'm a Celebrity' Italy to his portfolio.

Here's what you need to know about Gascoigne's upcoming appearance on the television series and more.

What is happening?

Former England international and sports personality Gascoigne is now set to head into the Italian version of 'I'm a Celebrity' - titled 'Isola dei Famosi' (Island of the Famous) - as part of his next career move.

The show is not related or affiliated to the UK version, which has overseen its fair share of football industry contestants such as Harry Redknapp and Rebekah Vardy, but the format is basically the same - celebrities will take part in a survival game show in the jungle.

Gascoigne will now add 'I'm a Celebrity Italy' as part of his very vibrant resume, as he eyes the ultimate prize.

Gascoigne said about his participation: "I think I will either be out in 24 hours or win it.

"What is really going to scare me is the snakes. Anything else I can put up with - lack of food, the trials, but what I’m really scared of is the snakes.

The ex-midfielder, who has struggled with alcoholism throughout his career, has admitted that the two-month experience "won't be easy".

The former footballer has a dedicated following in Italy due, in large part, to his career at Lazio and his legacy at Italia 90 with the England team. 

When will the series air?

The series is slated to be aired later in the year, with filming beginning on March 11. The show will run for two months.

The competition will be filmed in Honduras, and Gascoigne will be joined by the likes of Miss Italy Carolina Stramare, Daniela Martani, Angela Melillo and Elettra Lamborghini as contents.

Gascoigne has been admitted permission to leave the UK because his trip is related to work and will be required to quarantine upon arrival on the island.

How can I watch I'm a Celebrity Italy?

I'm a Celebrity Italy will be available to watch on Italian channel Canale 5.

Manchester City responded well to Pep Guardiola's recent warning that complacent players would be benched, scoring three times in the final 13 minutes of their 4-1 home win over Wolves on Tuesday.

After conceding a 61st-minute equalizer to Conor Coady, Gabriel Jesus struck twice and Riyad Mahrez calmly slotted in a low shot in stoppage time. It was all good enough for their perfectionist, rarely satisfied manager to claim afterward that the team could proudly "enjoy tonight".

The Citizens have now won 21 straight matches across all competitions to build on their record tally in the English top-flight.

How did Guardiola react to the result?

"I felt this morning that we were together and we were ready to try again," Guardiola told Match of the Day. "It’s a short calendar this season. We didn’t have one long week - there are so many games and playing Wolves with their physicality and mentality; I’m more than pleased with what we’ve done so far and we can enjoy tonight, rest and prepare for the next one.

"It was well deserved - we played really good. The games are tight and, in the last minutes, we won the game comfortably.

"The record we will talk about in the future. In wintertime in England, it’s hell and, in that time, we did something incredible. It’s more than remarkable.

"The players have all my compliments but Liverpool have the crown. To win the Premier League we need those points."

The manager told BT Sport that he thought his side was "fantastic" but would keep their focus on Manchester United - their opponent scheduled for Sunday.

"There are 33 points to play [for]," Guardiola said. "Tomorrow our opponents will play, we have one or two days off and prepare for Manchester United at home."

The streak within the streak

Manchester City's 21-game winning run has received more attention, but their stretch without trailing might be even more impressive.

They haven’t trailed for a single minute in any of their last 19 Premier League games, tying Arsenal’s competition record established in the late-90s.

Further reading