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Bertrand Traore is fast closing in on a notable Jack Grealish Premier League mark for Aston Villa in the 2020-21 campaign.

The 25-year-old Burkina Faso international found the net as the Claret and Blue Army bowed 2-1 at home to Leicester City in Sunday’s English top-flight showdown.

With James Maddison and Harvey Barnes handing the Foxes a two-goal lead in the first 23 minutes of the encounter, the 25-year-old Burkina Faso star pulled one back for the hosts three minutes into the second half.

Anwar El Ghazi’s delivery was tapped to John McGinn who tried to find the net by himself. However, the African managed to hack a finish home past Kasper Schmeichel.

Since Traore’s first English top-flight start having joined Dean Smith’s squad from Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyon, he has now been directly involved in eight goals in the English top-flight this term - five goals and three assists.

Only Grealish has been directly involved in more goals for the Villa Park giants in the Premier League than him - six goals and four assists.

Despite a late rally from the hosts, they were unable to avoid a ninth loss in the ongoing campaign.

Manager Dean Smith lamented the absence of inspirational Grealish against Brendan Rodgers’ team.

“I have been made aware that on social media there have been rumours he wasn't going to play,” he told the media.

“If it has been coming out of our training ground then I will find out where that is coming from and reprimand it.

"You are always going to miss a top-class player, take Jack Grealish out of any team and you'd miss him but the XI that was out there was good enough to win.

“Jack is going to be a loss because he is an exceptional player with a great personality, but we still had enough there to beat Leicester.”

Alongside Egyptian defender Ahmed Elmohamady, Traore was in action from start to finish while Mahmoud 'Trezeguet’ Hassan replaced El-Ghazi in the 67th minute.

Whereas Zimbabwe international Marvelous Nakamba and English teenager of Nigerian descent Carney Chukwuemeka were unused substitutes.

Wilfred Ndidi’s Leicester City have a date with Slavia Prague in the Europa League on Thursday, and Villa must defeat Leeds United in their next outing to revive their European hopes.

Romelu Lukaku became the first Inter player in 71 years to score in four successive Milan derbies as the Nerazzurri beat their city rivals 3-0 on Sunday to extend their lead at the top of Serie A.

Lukaku netted Inter’s third goal after Lautaro Martinez’s double to seal a comfortable victory for Antonio Conte’s side at San Siro.

The win moves Inter four points clear of Milan at the top of the table as they seek a first Serie A title for 11 years.

Lukaku writes name in Inter’s history books

Lukaku's fine solo strike not only put Inter in control against Milan, it also earned him yet another spot in the club's history books.

The Belgium forward is the first player since Benito Lorenzi in 1950 to score in four Milan derbies in a row. The last player from either side to do so was former Milan striker Romeo Bonetti in 1972-73.

Three of those matches have come this season, with Lukaku's goal in last month’s Coppa Italia win also notable for his fiery clash with Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The 27-year-old striker has excelled in an Inter shirt since joining the club from Manchester United in the summer of 2019 and shows no signs of slowing down.

He has now scored  57 goals in 81 appearances and, fresh from scoring his 300th career goal against Lazio last weekend, this latest strike means he now tops the Serie A scoring charts with 17 goals in 22 games.

The bigger picture

A derby win is always important, but this victory carries greater significance for Inter as they seek to break Juventus’ stranglehold on the Serie A title.

The Nerazzurri have won their last four league games to open up a four-point gap between themselves and Milan with 15 games to play.

Sunday’s game also took their goal tally for the season to 57. Only twice have they scored so many goals after 23 games of a league season, back in 1949-50 and 1950-51.

What’s next?

Inter return to Serie A action at home to 11th-placed Genoa on Sunday February 28, with Milan travelling to Roma the same day.

The Rossoneri also host Red Star in the Europa League on Thursday with the tie delicately poised at 2-2 after last week’s first leg.

Further reading

Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman has lamented his side’s 1-1 draw with Cadiz on Sunday, saying he is more disappointed than he was after the midweek defeat to Paris Saint-Germain after his side missed the chance to close the gap on league leaders Atletico Madrid.

The Blaugrana were downed 4-1 on Tuesday against the Ligue 1 champions, effectively ending their Champions League hopes at the last-16 stage, albeit with the second leg to come next month.

It seemed that they were on course to seal a return to winning ways however in La Liga, after a first-half penalty from Lionel Messi, only for Alex Fernandez to seal a point with an 89th-minute spot-kick of his own for the visitors at Camp Nou.

In the wake of Atletico's earlier loss to Levante this weekend, such dropped points made for a major missed opportunity and Barca boss Koeman admitted he was left frustrated by the result.

Koeman on Cadiz draw

“It's disappointing," the Dutchman told his post-match press briefing. "These kind of games have to be won and we didn't do it.

“It's a big opportunity lost after the Atletico Madrid defeat. It's a big disappointment. I'm very disappointed, more so than last Tuesday. We couldn't let the two points slip away. We are disappointed.

“I don't like to blame the players individually. We weren't up to the task in attack, and we have to defend differently. In terms of quality, we should have won.

"The problem is that the scoreline was very close and they could equalise at any moment, as happened.

“You leave them the chance to equalise in the last few minutes. If you don't kill the game and you don't score the second, they can always score.

“We struggled to create chances because they were deep and there was no space. We lacked freshness up front. We have to analyse what happened in the penalty [Cadiz won late on], the whole play, to see how it happened.”

Barcelona in La Liga

Barcelona are now third in La Liga and trail Atletico Madrid by eight points. Furthermore, they are five behind Real Madrid, although the capital side have played a game more.

Koeman's side could yet find themselves fourth by the end of the matchday too, with Sevilla poised to overtake them if they defeat Osasuna on Monday.

Further reading

Namungo FC have made a huge stride towards the Caf Confederation Cup group stage after winning the first leg of their final preliminary round against Primeiro de Agosto 6-2 at Azam Complex in Chamazi, Dar es Salaam.

The visitors scored their goals through Hashim Manyanya, Sixtus Sabilo, Leriant Lusajo, Steven Sey, and Erick Kwizera while their hosts scored their two goals courtesy of Brayan Moyo and Mongo Bokamba.

Prior to the game, the authorities had indicated five D'Agosto players had tested Covid-19 positive and as a result, they had to be omitted from the match-day squad. 

Despite the changes, it was the hosts who managed to score first. Namungo conceded a penalty in the 11th minute that was taken by Herenilson Carmo. However, goalkeeper Jonathan Namungo saved it only for Brayan Moyo to score from the rebound.

However, the East Africans replied in the 32nd minute when Manyanya headed in a cross from the right to make it one-all.

The visitors managed to get their second game in the 38th minute courtesy of Sabilo, who did not miss from close range after a concentration lapse by the defenders.

The Angolans needed five minutes after the break to level the scores through Mongo Bokamba, who outpaced his opponents before beating the goalkeeper from a close range.

Namungo upped their tempo and were rewarded in the 55th minute when Lusajo received the ball in a good area and composed himself before shooting the ball past the custodian to score the team's third.

Sabilo was on target four minutes later as the opponents looked lost and confused. The forward was unmarked in the danger zone and he had no problem getting his brace.

The Tanzanians continued pushing for more goals to be in a good position to make their maiden appearance in the group stage, and they were rewarded when Kwizera hit the back of the net in the 64th minute. 

Namungo were not done and they scored their sixth with 20 minutes to go. Ghanaian Sey was left unmarked as a corner was played in, and he connected well with his shot to ensure he gets his name on the score sheet.

Agosto had a chance to make the scoreline respectable after winning a penalty moments later, but once again, Nahimana denied them, this time around ensuring Yazid Atouba's effort was safe in his hands.  

Namungo will now host their opponents at the same venue on Thursday hoping to advance.

Jose Mourinho has rubbished suggestions that he needs to change his coaching philosophy after Tottenham's latest Premier League loss, insisting that his methods are "second to nobody in the world".

The Portuguese saw his side slip to a fifth defeat in their last six top-flight games after they were downed by West Ham, leaving them nine points adrift of David Moyes' side in fourth place.

The result looks to have put Spurs' hopes of Champions League qualification to bed, but their manager has pushed back against the idea that he is doubting his approach and that his side are in crisis.

What has Mourinho said?

"Not at all, zero," the veteran manager sait at his post-match press conference. "Sometimes results are a consequence of multiple suggestions. Mine, and my coaching staff's methods, are second to nobody in the world.

"I don't know what you mean by crisis. If crisis is frustration and sadness in the dressing room, I would say so, because nobody is happy.

"We all showed that in this game, when a team fights the way we did until the last second trying to get a different result, it is never a group in crisis. Groups are in crisis when you are not together in the search for better results than you have.

"So I wouldn't say crisis, I would say a really bad run of results. That is obvious, we are losing too many matches."

Further pressed on a top-four finish, Mourinho noted that it remained feasible if unlikely, adding: "It is still mathematically possible. When it is mathematically possible it is realistic. It's very hard, but mathematically it's possible."

The bigger picture

Though a midweek Europa League rout of Wolfsberg looked to have put the spring back in Tottenham's step, this weekend's result against their London rivals was just the latest of what has been a particularly disheartening run of results for the club.

Though they offered a much-improved performance in the second half, denied by the woodwork on multiple occasions, it has become an all-too-familiar sight to see Spurs - early pacesetters at the start of the campaign - coming away empty-handed.

Mourinho will be adamant that his side will not shirk focus from their top-flight pursuits, but fans could be forgiven for feeling that their easiest way into European competition next season now is to win the Carabao Cup against Manchester City in April, and earn themselves a spot in the newly-created third tier of continental football, the Europa Conference League.

This week's reverse fixture against Wolfsberg will present another attempt to reset their form and potentially build a route back to the Champions League through Europe itself - but with every loss, Tottenham's hopes for what began as a promising season fade into the rearview mirror once more.

Further reading

Orlando Pirates edged out Jwaneng Galaxy 1-0 in the Caf Confederation Cup playoff round second-leg game at Orlando Stadium on Sunday evening.

Linda Mntambo's second-half goal inspired the Buccaneers to a well-deserved victory over Galaxy, who suffered a 4-0 aggregate defeat. 

The Buccaneers were carrying a comprehensive 3-0 aggregate lead from the first-leg encounter at Botswana's National Stadium last weekend. 

Coach Josef Zinnbauer made nine changes to the starting line-up which faced Galaxy in Gaborone with Mntambo and Thulani Hlatshwayo being the two players who retained their places in the team.

On the other hand, Galaxy were hoping to cause an upset by overturning the 3-0 deficit against a much-fancied Pirates side and advance to the group stage.

Thabang Sesinyi, Gape Mohutsiwa and Yahi Sangare were the new faces in the Botswana champions' starting line-up with coach Oris Radipotsane having made three changes.

Galaxy were the better side in the opening stages as they pressed Pirates and they were awarded three set-pieces near the hosts' box. 

However, the Buccaneers were able to defend very well against the set-pieces with Hlatshwayo and Linda Mntambo making well-timed clearances.

The hosts grew into the match as it progressed and they had a chance to break the deadlock through Kabelo Dlamini, who was looking lively for the Soweto giants.

Dlamini tried to beat Ezekiel Morake with a curling shot, but the Galaxy goalkeeper produced a fine diving save to deny the Pirates attacking midfielder.

Bucs continued to give away set-pieces near their box and they were nearly punished by Sesinyi, whose effort hit the woodwork with goalkeeper Siyabonga Mpontshane rooted to the ground.

Pirates should have taken the lead on the stroke of half-time, but Jean-Marc Makusu Mundele was superbly denied by Morake from close range, and the score was 0-0 at the interval.

It took 10 minutes for the home side to break the deadlock in the second-half with Muwowo setting up Mntambo, who netted with a composed finish to make it 1-0 to Pirates.

Muwowo was a constant thorn in the side of Galaxy's defence and he came close to grabbing his maiden goal for Bucs when Morake fantastically parried away the Zambian winger's goalbound shot.

With side leading 4-0 on aggregate, Zinnbauer pulled out Hlatshwayo and Thabang Monare and he introduced Nkanyiso Zungu and Thabiso Sesane.

Zungu tried to make an immediate impact after Bucs were awarded a free-kick in a promising area, but the left-footed playmaker's attempt from the set-piece was comfortably gathered by Morake. 

The momentum was with the hosts in the dying minutes of the match and Morake produced two brilliant saves to deny Bongani Sam to ensure that the game ended in a 1-0 win in favour of Pirates.

The victory saw Pirates advance to the group stage after winning the tie 4-0 on aggregate - eliminating Galaxy in the process and Bucs will now face SuperSport United in a PSL game on February 24.

Strasbourg defender Alexander Djiku is happy to have earned comparisons with Netherlands captain and Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk owing to a run of fine performance in Ligue 1.

The Ghana centre-back is enjoying a purple patch of form this season, having so far made 22 league appearances, starting in all but one of the matches.

"I saw this [Van Dijk comparison] on social networks, it made me laugh a lot," Djiku, who saw 90 minutes of action as Strasbourg and Angers played out a 0-0 draw on Sunday, told Goal.

"Now you have to know if I am called like that in relation to my last name or my performance? At the moment, it can be my performances, it's okay.

"I also learned that a commentator had used it during a match, which is positive. Van Dijk is the best among central defenders, he has exploded in three to four seasons at the international level, so being compared to him is necessarily rewarding."

The 26-year-old also revealed a likeness for Real Madrid ace Raphael Varane, who won the World Cup with France in 2018 and a number of trophies with the La Liga giants.

"I like his serenity, his reminders. He always tries to be clean and that's why I like to watch him very often," Djiku said of the Frenchman.

"Today he has become a mainstay of Real Madrid along with Sergio Ramos. He is also a pillar of the French team and he is truly an example."

Born in France, Djiku pledged his international future to Ghana last year, making his debut in a 3-0 friendly defeat to Mali in October. He has gone on to make three further outings for the Black Stars.

"It was a source of great pride for me [to play for Ghana]. The international experience is not nothing, it brings me a lot of things," he said.

"We still have two matches in March to qualify for the [Afcon]. I can't wait to go back and win these two matches to qualify.

"I was called four-five years ago, but I had not yet found stability in a club. I first wanted to become an executive somewhere before joining the selection.

"We had to wait for the right moment, I was reaching maturity and it was time to go. Playing an [Afcon] would be really nice, but first you have to qualify.

"Then we will think about qualifying for the World Cup. It would be a dream to play in a World Cup too, I hope we will do what is necessary to go there."

The 26-year-old is expected to be named in coach CK Akonnor's Ghana squad for next month's 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe.

10-man Chennaiyin finished the ISL 2020-21 season with a 1-1 draw against Kerala Blasters at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim on Sunday.

Even though the Marina Machans dominated parts of the game especially in the first half,  their head coach Csaba Laszlo felt that the draw was a fair result. Fatkhulo Fatkhuloev broke the deadlock in the 10th minute before Gary Hooper equalised from the spot as first-half goals decided the fate of the game. 

"It was a fair result because the first penalty was not a penalty but the second was and it must be given. I think it was compensation. In the last 20 minutes we played with 10 men and the team defended very well," Laszlo said after the game.

Laszlo showed faith in his key midfielder Anirudh Thapa and made him the captain of the side for the final encounter. On being asked if he can lead the country and club from next season, he said, "Yes. It's a very simple answer, yes".

Laszlo pointed out plenty of takeaways from the ISL 2020-21 season. He believes the league can grow if there are more Indian goal scorers and the scouting system for every club can develop. He, however, is happy that his side has at least three Indian players who are handy in front of the goal. 

"I can talk for maybe two hours about it. I want to see more Indian players on the pitch also more Indian goal scorers. Also, we need a better scouting system for every team because I'm sure that we have a lot of talented players. We have to talk about it," Laszlo explained. 

"The players need more games, more training sessions and a lot of work should be done in this direction. I don't see a lot of Indian goal scorers because most of the teams build their squad with foreign players in key positions. Most foreigners decide the games by scoring goals. For this reason, I was happy that we have 2-3 Indian players in the squad who can score goals," he added. 

Lazlo also thanked the fans for their constant support but admitted that he failed to produce the desired result. 

"I miss them (fans) very much. I know they are disappointed. Last season we made the final, this season, we didn't make the top four. I think we played enjoyable football but were unlucky a lot of times. Most of the draws we played, it was our mistake, our game management or had better chances to win the game. The fans can give us more support and positive energy. If you're real fans, even in bad times you stayed with us, we will show fighting spirit next season," he said.

On his future with the club, he said, "We have to talk about it. Today I talked with my wife and said I don't want to go back as I already miss India. Lovely people, many friends, even in the bubble we grow together. I respect the club's decision and I want to stay in India. I am 57 now, I had in my career big clubs, I have played Champions League, Europa League qualification, European Championship. I want to give something to Indian football from my experience".

Black coaches have fewer opportunities to manage in Europe compared to elsewhere in the world, according to former Netherlands midfielder Clarence Seedorf.

Seedorf enjoyed a glittering playing career representing some of Europe’s biggest sides, but hasn’t coached on the continent since he was sacked by Deportivo La Coruna three years ago.

The 44-year-old believes that is not necessarily a reflection of his coaching ability, but rather a symptom of an unequal society.

What did Seedorf say?

Seedorf claims to not even have been approached over potential roles since leaving Cameroon in 2019, which he believes is unusual given his status as one of the greatest players of his generation.

He also cited the experience of former Arsenal duo Theirry Henry and Patrick Vieira, who have both pursued their coaching careers in North America.

“I played 12 years in Italy: after [coaching] Milan, despite having done a great job, I received no calls,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Holland is my country, yet again, zero calls. What are the selection criteria? Why do great champions have no chance in Europe where they wrote pages of football history?

“Why does Vieira have to go to New York and Henry to Canada? For coaches there are no equal opportunities: if we look at the figures, there are no black people in the positions of greatest power in football.

“It’s something that concerns the whole of society. Everyone, especially those who can change things, must feel the responsibility to create a meritocratic world and keep all the doors open if they aspire to excellence.

"The best results can come from diversity.”

Where has Seedorf managed?

AC Milan were languishing in 11th place when Seedorf ended his playing career at Botafogo to take charge of the club in January 2014.

He led them to 11 wins from 19 Serie A games in charge and an eventual eighth-place finish.

Despite that improvement, Seedorf was sacked just four months into a two-and-a-half-year contract and replaced by youth-team coach Filippo Inzaghi.

Since then he has had short spells in charge of Chinese Super League side Shenzhen and Spanish club Deportivo La Coruna, before taking charge of the Cameroon national team.

However, he was sacked by the Indomitable Lions following a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaign and has not managed since.

The bigger picture

The rise of the Black Lives Matter movement last year shone a light on the issue of racial inequality in society, and football is no different.

Football has shown a willingness to confront those issues in the game, with players taking a knee before games serving as a symbolic gesture of the ongoing fight for a fairer society.

However, Seedorf’s comments highlight the need to take practical steps to redress the balance rather than just gestures, including having greater diversity in club boardrooms as well as in the dugout.

Further reading

Yanga SC head coach Cedric Kaze is convinced the team's 1-0 win over Mtibwa Sugar in the Tanzania Mainland League tie will go a long way in boosting player confidence. 

The Jangwani giants were yet to win a league fixture since the second round of the 2020-21 campaign resumed and they had seen their last three matches end in draws – 1-1 against Tanzania Prisons, 1-1 against Mbeya City, and 3-3 against Kagera Sugar.

However, it all changed in the 73rd minute when substitute Carlos Carlinhos scored what turned out to be the lone goal of the game. The Burundian has lauded his players for the vital win.

"We expected a tough game because of many on and off-pitch matters," Kaze told reporters.

"It was important that we get a win because we had come from consecutive draws and our confidence levels had gone down as well. So the best we would have done is to get maximum points."

The tactician has further lauded the opponents for their good display which made it harder for the 27-time champions to get a goal, especially in the first half.

"Also the opponents were well prepared and they gave their best which made it harder for us to score in the first half," Kaze continued.

"They were organised and had discipline; however, we managed to get the winning goal in the second half.

"The win was important because it will increase the players' confidence ahead of our forthcoming assignments. It will help the players since they will have something to build on in the next game."

The win has seen Yanga stretch their lead at the top of the 18-team table. They have 49 points from 21 matches while Simba, who are not in action, have a Caf Champions League match against Egyptian giants Al Ahly on Tuesday. Simba are second with 42 points from 18 matches.

Wananchi have managed to win 14 games and drawn seven. They are currently the only unbeaten team in the Tanzanian top-tier. They have scored 34 goals in the process and conceded 11.

Their next assignment will be away to Coastal Union who are currently in 12th position with 23 points.

Joey Barton backed Jadon Sancho in cheeky fashion after the Borussia Dortmund star's accent change in a post-match interview.

Sancho recorded a goal and an assist as Dortmund beat Schalke 4-0 in a Bundesliga derby clash at Veltins-Arena on Saturday.

The 20-year-old was understandably delighted after the final whistle, but he opened the door to a wave of jokes on social media after attempting a German tone when talking to reporters.

What was said?

“I know for this club that this game is everything," he said. “So I knew today that was a big one for the fans.

“Especially because they can’t celebrate it with us, I had to show to the camera that it was very important to us.

“I’m just very happy and delighted for the win. We just have to carry on this form for the next game.”

Ex-Fleetwood Town manager and England international Barton, who made a similar gaffe by speaking in a French accent while on loan at Marseille back in 2012, quoted the interview clip on Twitter with the caption: "Don’t worry Sancho. Happens to the best of us..."

Other infamous accents 

Sancho and Barton are not the only football figures to have publicly experimented with different pronunciations in the modern era.

Steve McClaren started the trend when he was in charge of Eredivisie outfit Twente - adopting a Dutch accent in a television interview that saw him ridiculed by football fans across the United Kingdom.

Former Manchester United and West Ham boss David Moyes fell into the same trap during his spell in the Real Sociedad dugout.

The current West Ham boss had trouble pronouncing the name of ex-Real Madrid star Asier Illarramendi during a press conference, and his attempts to add a Spanish twang to his voice came across as unintentionally hilarious.

How is Sancho performing this season?

Sancho has not quite managed to reach the heights of his 2019-20 this term, but he has slowly started to rediscover his best form since the turn of the year.

The England winger, who was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United last summer, has contributed ten goals and 15 assists to BVB's cause across 29 outings, solidifying his reputation as one of the best young players in Europe.

He will be back in contention for a place in Edin Terzic's starting XI when Dortmund take on Arminia in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Further reading

Azam FC have confirmed the absence of four key players as they prepare to take on Tanzania Prisons in a Mainland Premier League match on Monday.

The league match was supposed to be played on Sunday but was shifted to Monday because domestic Cup winners Namungo FC will use the venue – Chamazi Complex – for their Caf Confederation Cup fixture against 1 de Agosto of Angola.

Azam Media Officer Zakaria Thabit has confirmed four players – Obrey Chirwa, Salum 'Sure Boy' Abubakar, Yahya Zayd, and Frank Domayo – will miss the clash owing to injuries.

“We will miss the services of four players when we take on Tanzania Prisons and most of them are suffering from injuries that are yet to heal,” Zakaria told reporters in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.

“For example, Obrey [Chirwa], who got injured during the 2-2 draw against Simba SC, has resumed light training sessions but I don’t think he is fit enough to start or play in a competitive match.

“I think it is now upon the technical bench to decide if they can use him or not but if you ask me, I don’t think he will be ready for the Monday clash.”

On how prepared they are to face Prisons, Zakaria said: “We have prepared well, and it is good we are coming up against them after winning our last league match [2-1 against Mbeya City],” Zakaria continued.

“All we want now is to start winning our matches and the win against Mbeya was good for us as it gives us the push to do well in the upcoming matches, the players are ready and all we want now is the support of our fans.”

Azam are lying third on the 18-team table with 36 points from 20 matches while Yanga SC are sitting at the top with 49 points from 21 matches and champions Simba are second on 42 points from 18 matches.

The game will give the ‘Ice-cream Makers’ a chance to close in on the reigning champions, who don’t have a league match this weekend, as they are lined up to face Egyptian giants Al Ahly in a Caf Champions League Group A match on Tuesday.

Wakiso Giants head coach Douglas Bamweyana is content with a draw away in the Ugandan Premier League game against Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) at the Arena of Visions.

The Purple Sharks had hoped to disappoint the Tax Collectors by collecting maximum points, but it was not the case. They ended up recording their seventh draw of the on-going campaign.

"It was a very tough game and I think the boys did well," Bamweyana conceded after the game.

"They are tough opponents and it was a tough game away from home. They contained most of the things they threw at us, their direct approach and long balls, I felt we dealt with them well."

The tactician has further explained where he felt the Purple Sharks struggled and ended up sharing the spoils with their hosts.

"I felt we let ourselves down in a few areas where we could have probably had more control and covered some of the gaps," Bwameyana continued.

"Overall, I felt we deserved to win but there were some very important calls that went against us but there is nothing we can do about that. We take the draw but I don’t think it is the result we would have wanted or deserved but given the situation, I think we can say we take the point." 

The team is placed in the 10th position with as many points from eight games.

In another game played on Saturday, Struggling Kampala Capital City Authority picked their second-biggest win of the season when they downed Malaba Youth Sports Association 5-0 in Lugogo.

Moses Aliro scored the opener in the fifth minute when he was provided with an assist from Charles Lwanga. The debutants kept the former champions at bay for the rest of the first half before they capitulated in the second half. Bright Anukani scored his first goal for KCCA when he doubled their lead in the 52nd minute. 

Lwanga, who was the best player for KCCA on the pitch, added the third goal in the 83rd minute. That was also Lwanga's third goal in three games as he continues to enjoy a good season with Kasasiro Boys. 

He added the fourth for the Kampala team when he found the back of the net with a clinical shot in the 88th minute. Bright Anukani scored the fifth goal in the 90th minute when MYDA conceded a penalty.

Borussia Dortmund have issued a statement after seeing their fans breach coronavirus rules to celebrate their derby win over Schalke.

Dortmund thrashed Schalke 4-0 at the Veltins-Arena on Saturday, moving to within six points of fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga standings in the process.

A large number of supporters flouted social distancing protocols while gathering outside of BVB's training facility to revel in the final result, while the players also joined in the celebrations from the safety of the team bus, with the club now promising to take swift action in order to avoid any repeat incidents.

What was said?

An official statement on Dortmund's website reads: "With all the understandable joy of winning the derby, there were public violations of the coronavirus rules during the team's return to the training ground last night, which will not be tolerated.

"Around 150-200 fans cheered the team outside the training ground, some of whom were not wearing masks and observing social distancing guidelines. Players celebrated with the fans – without leaving the bus – and in the exuberance some even filmed it.

"We can only apologise and promise to talk to the police and all those involved very soon about how such scenes can be completely ruled out in public in future."

How did Dortmund beat Schalke?

Dortmund halted a two-match winless run by putting the Bundesliga's bottom club to the sword, with Jadon Sancho firing home an unstoppable strike to open the scoring in the 42nd minute after the home side were caught in possession while trying to play out from the back.

Erling Haaland doubled the visitors' account just before the interval, producing an outstanding bicycle kick after meeting a pinpoint Sancho cross that flew past the helpless Ralf Fahrmann in the Schalke net.

Raphael Guerreiro put BVB 3-0 up on the hour as he steered the ball into the far corner after racing onto a neat Marco Reus cut-back, and Haaland rounded off a comfortable win for Edin Terzic's side when he tapped in after great work from Jude Bellingham 11 minutes from time.

What's next?

Dortmund will now look ahead to a home fixture against Arminia Bielefeld next Saturday, which comes three days before they take on Borussia Monchengladbach in the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal.

Schalke, meanwhile, are due back in Bundesliga action away at Stuttgart next weekend as they continue to try and avoid relegation amid a nightmare campaign that has garnered just one win from 22 games so far.

Further reading

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku have a "responsibility" to football, according to Clarence Seedorf, who doesn't want two "giants" of the game to come to blows again when Inter and AC Milan face off this weekend.

Serie A leaders Inter are due to come up against local rivals Milan at San Siro on Sunday afternoon, with only a point separating the two teams in the Serie A standings.

Ibrahimovic and Lukaku were involved in a heated confrontation in the last Derby della Madonnina, which Inter won to progress to the Coppa Italia semi-final, and Seedorf has urged the two men to conduct themselves more professionally when they lock horns again this weekend.

What was said?

The former Milan midfielder told Gazzetta Dello Sport: "I hope they have reflected: they are two giants of football, they have a responsibility to promote it in the best way."

What happened between Ibrahimovic vs Lukaku?

Inter beat Milan 2-1 in their last-eight Coppa Italia encounter on January 26 thanks to a stoppage-time free-kick from Christian Eriksen, but Ibrahimovic and Lukaku stole all the headlines after a heated first-half exchange which saw the contest stopped for several minutes.

Lukaku reacted angrily after a foul from Milan defender Alessio Romagnoli, and Ibrahimovic squared up to the Belgian as he attempted to remonstrate with the referee.

Both players were given a yellow card each, but tensions threatened to boil over after the half-time whistle was blown as Lukaku was heard accusing Ibrahimovic of insulting his mother.

The Swedish frontman, who opened the scoring with a trademark finish, was sent off for a second bookable offence early in the second period, while Lukaku grabbed Inter's equaliser from the penalty spot before Eriksen's moment of magic.

The bigger picture

Ibrahimovic and Lukaku would both be wise to heed Seedorf's warning as they bid to help their respective teams secure a victory that could have a huge bearing on who wins the Scudetto in 2020-21.

Inter and Milan both have the chance to end Juventus' stranglehold on the Serie A crown come May, with the Bianconeri currently sitting eight points off the pace in fifth place - albeit having played a game less.

Milan can return to the summit if they win the derby, but Inter can open up a four-point lead in first place if they come out on top, and Seedorf is expecting the title race to go right down to the wire.

"Being first is always better: you're wrong and you're still there, if you're second you can't make mistakes," he said. "But they both have such confidence that today it doesn't change much: they are still very close.

"Milan must always feel like winning the Scudetto: it must be normality. The other leagues say so too: Atletico are in command in La Liga, Leicester is still having a great season this year.

"How can Milan not be ambitious?"

Further reading