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Kakamega Homeboyz head coach Nicholas Muyoti has conceded his charges were punished by AFC Leopards owing to their slow start.

The two teams met at Bukhungu Stadium on Sunday in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League Western Derby, and Ingwe managed to seal the 2-1 win. The former Kenya international has now explained why his charges went on to lose the game.

"It was quite unfortunate that we ended up conceding two goals and lost the game we expected to win," Muyoti told Goal on Monday.

"We were punished because we did not start the game well, it was a low start on our side and it affected our game plan especially in the first half. We did not manage to recover and the two goals conceded ended up costing us the game we anticipated to win."

Senaji, who is in talks with the club as he seeks to terminate his contract with Ingwe, scored the opener for Ingwe in the 10th minute. The former Tusker star launched a fierce strike in the 18-yard area that David Juma in Kakamega Homeboyz's goal could not stop.

In the 28th minute, Elvis Rupia scored to extend AFC Leopards' lead in a match that was fairly attended by their supporters. Marvin Nabwire did well to collect the ball in midfield, put it on Rupia's path and the striker launched his trademark shot that Juma stood little chance to stop.

Allan Wanga scored for the hosts in the 57th minute as he ended up denying his former side a clean sheet. 

"The goal we scored in the second half and gave us renewed energy and we outplayed them, but getting the second was a tall order," Muyoti continued.

"We will have to work on it next time and ensure things change in our forthcoming league games." 

Ingwe have now collected 25 points from the 12 matches played and they are placed fourth on the table. The 13-time champions have won eight games, drawn one and lost three. They have scored 17 goals and conceded nine.

On the other hand, Homeboyz are 13th on the table with 15 points from the 13 games they have played. They have won three matches, drawn three and lost six.

Vipers SC defender Rashid Toha has stated he will never regret his decision to quit Onduparaka FC for Vipers SC after his former fans aimed abusive words towards him during their Ugandan Premier League match on Saturday.

The 23-year-old returned to face his former club at Aba Bet Green Light Stadium in Arua City and helped the Venoms win the tie 3-1, their first-ever win over Onduparaka in Arua since the Caterpillars were promoted to the top-flight.

However, during the match, Onduparaka fans aimed abusive words at the player and in a statement published on Vipers' social media pages, Toha has condemned the move by the fans saying it was uncalled for.

“Great spirit yesterday [Saturday] and amazing to have gotten the three points against Onduparaka in the scorching sun heat in Arua City,” read the statement from Toha.

“But again, it’s disappointing to see your people turning their backs on you, abusing and insulting, not just me but my innocent family.

“Onduparaka is a team that has contributed a lot in my football career and will always carry that with me.

“Out here, I am identified with that and will always be proud of that. I also want the fans to know, no player is bigger than a club. Players come and go but the club remains and life goes on and that’s exactly what happened to me.”

The statement continued: “I needed to take the next step in my football career and am proud to say this, I have never regretted my decision and will always wish the best for Onduparaka but I want to condemn what happened and I believe it was uncalled for but in the end, it is what it is and life goes on.

“I want the fans to understand that we are human beings and have emotions too.”

Ibrahim Orit, Ceaser Manzoki, and second-half substitute Paul Mucurezi scored the goals for Vipers while Living Kabon converted from the penalty spot for Onduparaka’s lone goal.

The win enabled the Venoms to regain their lead at the top of the 16-team table with 24 points from 10 matches while Onduparaka dropped to eighth position with 15 points from 10 outings.

Yanga SC coach Cedric Kaze has stated winger Carlos Carlinhos did not deserve to be sent off against Kengold FC in their FA Cup fixture on Saturday.

The Angolan star was shown a straight red card for punching a Kengold defender but Yanga held on to win the match 1-0 and qualify for the fifth round.

The Burundian tactician has faulted the player saying his conduct was not good but insisted he did not deserve the red card from the incident.

“I don’t think he was hurt from the punching but it was a poor reaction from him [Carlinhos]. I think the incident did not deserve a red card,” Kaze said as quoted by Daily News after the game at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

“He [Carlinhos] is a good player and was regaining his fitness levels as such to miss him in the upcoming matches, to me he is not healthy because he has a big impact in the team.”

Kaze also confirmed he had talked to Carlinhos after the incident and he regretted his conduct.

After the game, Carlinhos, who came on as a second-half substitute for Deus Kaseke before being sent off, took to his social media pages to apologise to fans for the incident and promised to come back a better player after serving his suspension.

“I apologise to all Yanga fans, especially colleagues, coaches, and team leaders for the red card I got today [Saturday]. now I will raise my head so that after the suspension I will come back stronger and help the team achieve the main goal of the season,” Carlinhos wrote on his Instagram page.

Carlinhos has struggled to nail down a starting place in the Yanga team since he signed for them at the start of the 2020-21 campaign, with injuries putting him out of action.

In the first round of the Mainland Premier League, Carlinhos missed a number of matches including the derby against Simba SC which ended 1-1 at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

His efforts to return to the team suffered another blow during the Mapinduzi Cup held in Zanzibar, as he aggravated the injury while in training, forcing the club to release him from camp.

Yanga went on to lift the trophy after beating Simba 4-3 on penalties after the final had ended 0-0 in regular time.

Against Kengold, Burundian import Fiston Razack scored the solitary goal to send his side to the next round courtesy of a 40th-minute spot-kick against a team that defended well to avoid conceding more goals.

Kenya international Ayub Timbe has finally completed a move to Japan's top club, Vissel Kobe.

The winger has been without a club since mid-October 2020 but, as Goal had reported earlier, he has officially joined the J1 League side that is captained by Andres Iniesta.

The Harambee Star expressed his happiness upon making the move official; "New beginning. New Mindset. New Focus. New Start. New intentions. New results," Timbe said on a Facebook post.

"First of all, I want to thank the club for the trust to allow me to join them. It is a great feeling to be part of the Kobe family and I cannot wait to get started. See you soon," the forward said in a video posted by the club.

The two parties are yet to give details around the new deal for the Kenyan star.

Vissel Kobe have won various honours including being in the top-tier for 16, 11 seasons in the second-tier, two seasons in the third and eight seasons in the Regional Leagues. Timbe will now play alongside former Barcelona stars Iniesta and defender Thomas Vermaelen.

Timbe is now the second high-profile Harambee Star to join a Japanese club after Michael Olunga. The latter star won the Golden Boot in the 2020 J1 League season after netting 28 goals in 32 games and went ahead to lift the Most Valuable Player award becoming the first African to do so in Japan.

The former Thika United and Tusker forward has since left for Al-Duhail of Qatar and his performances in the Far East are expected to place considerable pressure on Timbe.

Timbe, who has served a number of clubs across continents, is set to face huge expectations at Vissel Kobe especially given how his international teammate Olunga performed.

At Beijing Renhe, a club he joined in February 2017, he scored eight goals in the maiden season with them and helped the club earn promotion to the Chinese Super League.

In the subsequent season, he was loaned to Heilongjiang Lava Spring, a second-their club, even after he had scored seven goals in 14 games in the top-flight for Beijing Renhe.

He was to complete a deadline day loan transfer move to English Championship club Reading on January 30, 2020.

Reading did not extend his loan move beyond the six months that was initially agreed on, and Timbe moved back to Beijing Renhe.

In Europe, Timbe was also at Genk but was loaned out to Lierse between 2014 and 2016 where he went ahead to make 42 appearances and scored eight goals for the Belgian side.

The performance saw Lierse make his move permanent and the player stayed with them for one year between 2016 and 2017.

From Belgium, the Harambee Star joined Renhe where he enjoyed a good outing in 2017 as he scored 17 goals in 49 matches.

The winger was involved in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Comoros in 2020 where Kenya ended up dropping points that would have taken them close to securing back-to-back qualification slots.

In the first match, Comoros held Kenya to a 1-1 draw in Nairobi before they went on to pick up a 2-1 win in Moroni. Timbe came under severe criticism for how he performed against the Islanders especially in the second match.

It remains to be seen whether Kenya head coach Jacob 'Ghost' Mulee - who has already selected local players to prepare for the qualifiers - would consider him for the final ties against Egypt and Togo. 

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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says that he believes that Alisson, Fabinho and Diogo Jota will be available for the Reds' clash with Chelsea on Thursday.

Klopp's side ended their recent losing run on Sunday, taking down Sheffield United by a 2-0 scoreline.

And Klopp can now hope to see the Reds build on that victory with a trio of key players set to return to the squad.

Klopp's injury update

"Alisson and Fabinho, I am pretty sure [they can play]," Klopp said after the win over Sheffield United.

"With Diogo, he was with us last night in the hotel, but he got sick overnight and we had to send him home.

"So it will depend how quickly he recovers, obviously.

"He wasn't in the squad, but he's trained with the team before [this week] and looked really good, like I said before.

"I think he will be available but I don't know."

Klopp added: "I would think that Diogo is ready for Thursday, but I don't know at the moment.

"Fabinho trained twice with the team and should be pretty close for the squad, I am sure. That is it pretty much."

How long have the trio been out?

Alisson missed out on Thursday after the death of his father, who drowned in a lake in a tragic accident on Wednesday.

He was left out of the Reds' squad to grieve with Adrian stepping in to start for Liverpool.

Fabinho, meanwhile, was knocked out of an FA Cup fourth-round defeat to Manchester United on January 24, furthering Liverpool's crisis in defence.

Jota's potential return comes after the summer signing has been out of action since December, when he injured his knee in a Champions League draw with Midtjylland

Further reading

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says that not fielding Eric Garcia this season broke his heart.

The 20-year-old defender featured 20 times last season and won broad praise for the manner in which he equipped himself when called upon.

However, he has only played on nine occasions this time around, including only three appearances in the Premier League.

What did Pep say?

Asked about the centre-back’s situation, Guardiola said: "Eric Garcia is like a son. He was a guy last season that after lockdown was our best central defender. He never made a mistake and played in the quarter-final of the Champions League.

"He's going to play in Barcelona and that is not an average player - he is a top player. He was not selected in the last two games and it broke my heart.

"That is why it is difficult for all the managers when you have a squad. You cannot imagine what it means."

The bigger picture

It is thought that Garcia has not played for City this season because he is out of contract in the summer and set to move to Barcelona.

Ronald Koeman’s side were pushing to sign him in January but ultimately failed to reach an agreement with City over a suitable fee.

The Catalans, however, will finally get their man on a free transfer in the summer.

Further reading

Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that Richarlison would jump at the chance to permanently lead Everton's forward line - but that the Brazilian should not get his hopes up. 

Richarlison has been one of the stars of a fine season for the Toffees to date thanks to his incursions off the left wing. 

He is keen to take on a more central role in the team, a desire that has not convinced his manager. 

What was said? 

 “He likes to play centre-forward, honestly," Ancelotti told reporters ahead of Monday's Premier League clash against Everton. 

"But for the fact that he is young, he plays where I tell him to play!

“I think he cannot play centre-forward because he is really good at attacking the line and to play centre-forward, most of the time you have your shoulder at the goal.

“I think for him, better is centre-left. He has more difficulty to find solutions as a winger but centre-left, for me, is the best position.”

Who is Everton's centre-forward? 

The No. 9 position has been in Dominic Calvert-Lewin's possession through 2020-21, with Richarlison starting on the left and James Rodriguez on the right in Ancelotti's first-choice trident. 

Calvert-Lewin boasts 18 goals in all competitions this term, including 13 in 21 Premier League outings. 

Recently, though, an injury to the forward has allowed Richarlison to move inside and impress - but Ancelotti will only shift his preferred choice if he asks for it. 

“If he asks to play centre-forward, and Dominic asks me to play left-winger then, no problem!" he added.

“Maybe when he is older, he is going to ask to play centre-forward but, until now, he didn't ask.

"But I think we have to be able to play with them together because they are really strong.”

Further reading

Karl Toko Ekambi found the back of the net as Lyon hold Marseille in Sunday’s Ligue 1 game at Stade Orange Velodrome.

The Cameroon international made his 23rd league start in the encounter, pairing Memphis Depay and Zimbabwe forward Tino Kadewere in the attack.

The 28-year-old delivered an impressive performance to help his side continue with their unbeaten run after securing victory over Brest last time out.

Lyon started the encounter impressively and came close to opening the scoring in the 16th minute when Toko Ekambi fired a fine strike but the effort missed the target.

The Cameroon attacker eventually put Lyon in the 21st minute with a well-taken effort after he was set up by Lucas Paqueta.

Moments before the end of the first-half, Arkadiusz Milik scored a crucial goal which was all Marseille needed to avoid defeat.

Toko Ekambi featured for 66 minutes before making way for Rayan Cherki while Kadewere played for 87 minutes before he was replaced by Algeria international Islam Slimani.

The 28-year-old has now scored 12 goals in 24 league appearances this season and will hope to help third-placed Lyon return to winning ways when they take on Rennes on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, Nigeria international Moses Simon featured prominently as Nantes played out a 1-1 draw against Nimes on Sunday.

The forward was handed his 22nd league appearance in the encounter and gave a good account of himself to help the Canaries avoid defeat.

Ludovic Blas put Antoine Kombouare’s men in front in the 27th minute after benefitting from Randal Kolo Muani’s assist.

Senegal forward Moussa Kone then levelled matters for Nimes in the 76th minute after he was set up by Haris Duljevic.

Simon featured for the duration of the game, had 40 touches on the ball, struck one shot and also helped in the defence by making four tackles and winning one aerial contest.

The 25-year-old forward has three goals and one assist to his credit this season in 21 league appearances.

Simon will be expected to continue his impactful showings when 19th-placed Nantes take on Reims on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Cameroon international, Harold Moukoudi, scored in Saint-Etienne’s 2-1 defeat to Lorient at Stade du Moustoir.

The forward opened the scoring in the encounter in the 14th minute after receiving a timely assist from Arnaud Nordin.

Lorient then came back from behind to snatch all three points in the encounter with a brace from Armand Lauriente.

Moukoudi lasted for the entirety of the game along with his teammate and Gabon international Denis Bouanga while Nigeria’s Terem Moffi was on parade for 83 minutes and made a significant contribution to his side’s victory.

 The Cameroon forward will be expected to feature in Saint-Etienne’s next league game against Lens on Wednesday.

Pep Guardiola has insisted that Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero will have to earn his place in the starting XI.

Though a legendary figure at the club he has served since 2011, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss will not invite Aguero back into the team purely based on past glories.

Indeed, with a winning run now stretching to an astonishing 20 games, Guardiola can afford to be picky.

What did he say?

Asked if Aguero will need to be back at his best to play for City, Guardiola replied: “He knows it. He knows it from day one, the guys who play deserve to play.

“From day one all my message is: 'What we did two hours ago is over.'

“It’s not just for Sergio - it's for everyone. I try to make fair decisions. Fair for one player is unfair for another one.

“Today was a real tough game for the three players upfront. It’s good news he played 60 minutes and then the next game we need him, let’s go.

“Sergio is so important for us. He scored the most important goal in this club's history.

“We want to help him - he will do it.”

How long was Aguero out for?

Aguero’s appearance against West Ham on Saturday was the first team he had played competitively since a 3-1 win over Chelsea on January 3.

He had missed the intervening 14 games after contracting Covid-19.

He has had a stop-start campaign which has restricted him to only 11 appearances in what could be his farewell season with the club.

As well as illness, he has had two spells out with knee injury and another out with a hamstring problem.

Further reading

Paolo Maldini, the Milan technical director, has sung the praises of Fikayo Tomori, who is on loan from Chelsea.

The centre-back was signed in January, with Maldini, himself a legendary defender in his playing days, apparently a big fan.

Indeed, Tomori was selected for Sunday’s big match against Roma ahead of Alessio Romagnoli, a far more established defender at San Siro. It was the 23-year-old’s fourth outing for the storied club.

Milan went on to win 2-1.

What was said?

“Fortunately, I work for a club that has an effect on players. When AC Milan call, they players always listen,” Maldini told Sky Sport Italia.

“Fikayo is a player with particular characteristics, pace and intensity, so we thought he could be a good reinforcement for this second half of the season.

“Naturally, Romagnoli isn’t happy, no player is when he doesn’t play. However, Milan are 17 points better off than last season, we’re second despite having more commitments and many injuries, so squad rotation is necessary and Alessio has played pretty much every game.”

Will Tomori sign permanently for Milan?

Maldini was asked if the Rossoneri might take advantage of the €25 million (£21.5m/$30m) purchase clause they have in the defender’s contract.

He replied: “We have an option to buy for Tomori, it’s up to us to evaluate whether we activate it or not. As for the players whose contracts are running down, we include Zlatan as well, and we have weekly discussions about that too. All I can say is there isn’t much news to tell you.”

Further reading

Franck Kessie scored another penalty to help AC Milan secure a 2-1 hard-fought victory over AS Roma in Sunday’s Serie A game.

The Ivory Coast international has been delivering eye-catching performances for Stefano Pioli’s men since the start of the campaign.

The forward was afforded his 22nd league start at Stadio Olimpico and utilized the opportunity to increase his tally in the encounter. 

The 24-year-old scored a penalty for Milan against Crvena Zvezda in their last outing in the Europa League and scored another spot-kick against the Yellow and Reds.

Kessie’s effort helped the San Siro outfit return to winning ways after a four-game winless run, including a defeat to arch-rivals Inter Milan.

AC Milan started the game brightly, dominating the opening first half and thought they have opened the scoring in the fourth minute when Simon Kjaer hit the back of the net but after Video Assistant Referee’s check, his effort was ruled out for offside.

The San Siro outfit eventually opened the scoring in the 43rd minute when Kessie converted his spot-kick after Federico Fazio tripped Davide Calabria in the area.

Jordan Veretout then levelled proceedings for Roma in the 50th minute after receiving a fine assist from Leonardo Spinazzola.

Ante Rebic scored what turned out to be the winning goal eight minutes later when he dribbled past his markers before firing his effort into the back of the net.

Kessie featured for the duration of the game, had 54 touches on the ball, completed two dribbles and made 32 passes.

For Roma, Guinea international Amadou Diawara played for 11 minutes in his 15th appearance this season after replacing Jordan Veretout and made 13 touches on the ball.  

Despite the victory, AC Milan remain second on the league table after accruing 52 points from 24 games, behind Inter Milan.   

Kessie has now scored eight goals and provided three assists in 33 appearances across all competitions this season.

The Ivory Coast international will hope to continue his impressive performances when Milan square off against Udinese in their next league game on March 3.

Jurgen Klopp has no problem with critics downplaying Liverpool's prospects and believes the Reds can still turn heads this season. 

Sunday's 2-0 defeat of Sheffield United at Bramall Lane moves Liverpool to within touching distance of the Champions League spots. 

And while their form has been a shadow of that seen during their towering 2019-20 campaign, Klopp insists that they can finish this term on a high. 

What was said?

“This was about us showing we’re still there. We play Chelsea on Thursday, we have to show it again," Klopp explained to Sky Sports after the final whistle.

"We have to win football games, we know that. There’s no way into the Champions League without results. Tonight we got it, we keep going.

"Plenty of people have written us off. That's fine. With all the problems we have had we're still around the exciting places."

Liverpool's first goal came through 20-year-old Curtis Jones, who won warm praise from his manager after the game. 

“He is a top player, that’s why he’s playing. He has to be involved more in goalscoring situations, like everywhere there is space for improvement," Klopp added.

"The plan was to keep going and do the same stuff again. When we could play like we wanted to play, they couldn’t deal with us.

“Sheffield United have lost a lot but all by the smallest margin. It’s clear these games stay exciting until the very end. We could have scored three in the first half. What we created was very good. The finishing was good enough for today, but we can improve."

The bigger picture 

Aside from their win, Liverpool's Champions League hopes were also boosted by a string of results that went their way on the weekend. 

Top-four rivals Leicester City and West Ham both went down to defeats, while second-placed Manchester United and fifth-placed Chelsea cancelled each other out in a 0-0 draw. 

That means that Klopp's charges remain in sixth but now trail West Ham in the last qualification spot by just two points. 

Victory over Chelsea on Thursday would guarantee Liverpool a spot in the top four, albeit having played one game more than the Hammers.

Further reading 

Liverpool secured a 2-0 win over Sheffield United on Sunday and Curtis Jones, who opened the scoring, said that his goal was dedicated to their goalkeeper.

After a scoreless first half, the midfielder struck after 48 minutes, with a Joe Bryan own goal after the hour mark securing the win.

Victory means that Liverpool remain sixth in the Premier League, two points behind West Ham for a Champions League spot.

What was said?

Curtis Jones explained to Sky Sports: "It’s been a difficult time for me and the rest of the team.

"This goal is for Ally’s dad. If he sees this, this is for you bro.

"He’s a strong lad and a big part of the team. We miss him for sure. I’m dedicating my goal to him and his dad, and his family.

"It was a good team performance. I’m happy that we get the points and we can go again.

"Today was a good example of putting it all together. I am happy I score and I’m happy for the rest of the team."

What happened to Alisson’s dad?

Alisson’s dad sadly passed away recently after drowning while swimming in a lake near the family’s ranch in southern Brazil.

The Liverpool goalkeeper was unable to attend the private funeral service, which took place earlier this week, due to coronavirus travel restrictions.

He was not part of the Liverpool squad that travelled to Bramall Lane for the Premier League clash on Sunday.

Further Reading