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The Federation of Uganda Football Associations' Disciplinary and Ethics Committee Adjudicatory Chamber has fined Express FC head coach Wasswa Bbosa Ush2,000,000 for comments made after their Vipers Sports Club game.

The federation stated Bbosa's claims on February 9, when Express and the Premier League champions drew 1-1, were unwarranted and therefore attracted the fine imposed.

“We have drawn with a 12-man Vipers, we had won the match but they used their 12th player, the referee to get a free-kick and they scored," Fufa pointed out to this quote as the one that forced the fine to be imposed.

In his response, the tactician expressed an apology for the said comments but that did not prevent the local FA from reaching the decision of fining the coach.

"Wasswa Bbosa in his written response apologised for the comments made stating that it was a lapse in judgement," Fufa continued.

"In the present case, the adjudicatory chamber has decided to impose the following by way of sanction in order to reflect the seriousness of the offence identified above;

"Wasswa Bbosa, the head coach of Express FC is hereby fined Ush2,000,000 [Two million Uganda shillings only] for his unsporting comments made after the match between Express FC and Vipers SC in accordance with Article 8(10)(c) of the Fufa Communications Code."

The Ugandan tactician has to settle the fine within a month in order to avoid further punishment from the federation.

"The fine is to be paid within 30 days from the date of this decision, failure of which, a three (3) match ban shall be applied," the FA concluded.

In his latest address after the 1-0 win over URA FC, Bbosa said the main target is to establish Express as one of the greatest sides.

"We managed to win the URA game because we prepared well as we rectified our mistakes because we were always conceding from set-pieces which was not the issue on Sunday," he said as per Sports Nation.

“We expect to react quickly regarding the mistakes we made on Sunday so that we are well prepared for KCCA FC on Wednesday.

“Our target is to take Express to the top and it is our ultimate goal. Yes, we are playing KCCA on Wednesday, they have good players and technical staff. All we expect is a better tactical approach so that we beat them.”

The Red Eagles are fourth with 12 points after three wins and three draws.

Paul Scholes has refuted accusations of Manchester United being over-reliant on Bruno Fernandes, with the Portuguese playmaker considered to be doing his job as others are urged to “step up”.

The Red Devils have seen the 26-year-old midfielder, who was snapped up during the winter transfer window of 2020, become a talismanic presence at Old Trafford.

Fernandes has registered 31 goals and 20 assists through 57 appearances, but Scholes is eager to point out that he was acquired to deliver on those fronts and merely needs greater assistance from those around him in order for the Red Devils to unlock their full potential.

What has been said?

“He is different to me,” Scholes told the club’s official website on a current star that has been compared with him.

“I played in that [number 10] position for a while but I was never as creative or scored as many goals as he has in that position.

“Obviously I played in a deeper role than he is, but you have to look at his numbers and what he is doing is sensational. We just need to get a team around him that can push on to win the league.

“Are we too reliant on him? No I don't think so. That is his role in the team. You have to remember United paid a lot of money for this type of player.

“He is a player whose job it is to create goals and score goals. Now he is doing that better than we ever imagined. Other players need to step up now.”

Is anyone getting close to matching Fernandes?

While United are keen to avoid admissions of relying solely on Fernandes for moments of inspiration, few are getting close to matching the numbers he continues to post.

The Portugal international is the Red Devils’ top scorer this season on 19 efforts in all competitions, with Marcus Rashford next on that list with 16.

Fernandes also edges out Rashford when it comes to assists, 12 to 11, to further underline his value to the cause.

No other player in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad has reached double figures in either department in 2020-21, with Anthony Martial managing seven goals of his own while teeing up eight more for his team-mates.

Edinson Cavani and Scott McTominay have each found the target on seven occasions apiece, while rejuvenated left-back Luke Shaw sits fourth on the creativity chart with six assists to his name.

Further reading

A section of AFC Leopards players skipped their Monday training session at Cambridge owing to unpaid dues.

The 13-time Football Kenya Federation Premier League champions have been performing well in the league, but the current situation might negatively impact them if it is not addressed fast.

"We have several senior players who did not attend Monday's session," a senior source at the club told Goal on Monday.

"Honestly, we have a percentage of December salaries yet to be cleared, as well as January salary and of course allowances. But I am sure they will be paid soon, the management is working around the clock to ensure they settle the players' dues soon."

A senior player from the club who spoke with a demand of anonymity told Goal how the situation has been.

"There have been unkept promises day in, day out from management which demoralizes us.

"We give our best to ensure the club is at the top, but it hurts when we are not getting what is rightfully ours."

Efforts to reach club chairman Dan Shikanda to shed light on the issue were unsuccessful as our calls went unanswered. 

Recently, Ingwe confirmed the signing of Tedian Esilaba from Nairobi City Stars. Esilaba has arrived at the club that is rebuilding in order to re-establish themselves as heavyweights in a league that has been dominated by their Mashemeji rivals Gor Mahia over the last decade.

Eyes will now be on Esilaba to see whether he will negotiate his way into the starting team where Robinson Kamura and Clyde Senaji have been regularly used at the back.

Previous injuries to Robert Ayala and Kamura saw defensive midfielder Collins Shichenje deployed at centre-back especially during last season. The former Green Commandos star had to partner with Soter Kayumba, who left Ingwe at the end of 2019 when the club was under severe financial turmoil.

At AFC Leopards, Esilaba will work with a new coach, Patrick Aussems, who was appointed to take over from then-interim tactician Anthony Kimani. The former Harambee Star - who left after the 0-0 Mashemeji derby draw against K'Ogalo - had inherited the first team responsibilities from Tomas Trucha.

The next game for Ingwe - which could be the first one for Esilaba - will be against Bandari at Mbaraki Stadium on February 19.

Odisha are bottom-placed with just nine points from 17 games and on Wednesday, they will face Goa who are vying for a spot in the playoffs. 

The Juggernauts have not won a game since their 4-2 victory over Kerala Blasters on January 7 and faced a 3-1 defeat at the hands of NorthEast United in their last outing. 

Ahead for their game against Goa, interim coach Gerald Peyton stated, "I'm going to stay with the facts - when you look at the second half against NorthEast, we had a higher percentage of passing and 81% passing accuracy, and Goa is a good passing team. I know their tactics, how they will play against us and we will play a certain way.

"Since the start of the season, after 15 minutes [in every game], we seem to settle down and then start to get our game together. So it's going to be important that we start straight from the off. If it's on to pass, we pass. If it's on to go behind, we go behind. It's important that we play football," he added.

He is encouraged by Odisha's second-half display against the Highlanders and felt that they could have been in the game if not for the disallowed goal of Jerry Mawihmingthanga in the 84th minute.

"I looked through it (replay) three or four times now, [and] I can't see why they disallowed Jerry's goal. Jacob (Tratt)'s gone for the ball (after Brad Inman's attempt ricocheted from the woodwork), Jerry chested it down and put it in the corner. So at 3-2, with 10 minutes to go, we're (could have been) still in the game. So that sort of thing for me is very frustrating.

"I don't want to blame anybody. I'm just saying, as a coach, at a crucial time in a match when we get the second goal and we put them in a situation where they start to panic, it goes to us to assert and put them under pressure. [But] it's disappeared by a decision I can't see why it has been given," Peyton lamented.

The 64-year-old also said that his decision to rest Diego Mauricio against NorthEast United was to keep him fresh for the game against Goa.

"Last game, I rested Diego, thinking Diego can come on [in the] second half and I wanted him fresh for Goa. I want Diego to score us two or three goals against Goa. I know I'm asking for too much - I always ask for too much. And I want Brad and certain players fresh so that we have legs to do well against Goa.

"We are now preparing Odisha for next season. So what I said to the players is, 'This is your challenge. If you want to be successful for the next season, you have to prepare now for next season. So everything you do now is in preparation to get off to a winning start next season. If you don't prepare now and let this season go, you'll be in that state of mind when you start next season. So it's very important that you prepare now and these three games are very important'," Peyton said.

Naby Keita has been backed to come good at Liverpool by former RB Leipzig team-mate Peter Gulacsi, who says the struggling Anfield star boasts "unbelievable quality".

Keita completed a move to Liverpool from Leipzig in July 2018, with the Merseyside outfit having triggered the £48 million ($67m) release clause in his contract the previous summer.

However, the 28-year-old has been unable to live up to that hefty price tag in his first two-and-a-half years with the Reds due to a combination of form and fitness issues, but Gulacsi still has no doubts about his ability to perform at the highest level.

What was said?

"At [Red Bull] Salzburg I spent one season with Naby and then also one season in Leipzig. He is a fantastic talent," Gulacsi told the Reds' official website.

"He has unbelievable quality and when he came to the Bundesliga he changed the whole game here and he was one of the most important players for us.

"In our first season in the Bundesliga we went to finish second in the league, which was of course down to the team effort, but Naby was one of the key players, and it's no surprise that after such a successful season Liverpool signed him.

"Since then, he's been hit by quite a few injuries, so I think he's had a tough time to really hit his top form and just keep playing all the time, but his qualities are not to question.

"I'm sure that if he can stay fit and healthy then he will show again that kind of consistency on the highest level."

What has Jurgen Klopp said about Keita?

Keita has been hampered by several injury setbacks since his arrival at Anfield, the latest of which has kept him out of action since a 7-0 win over Crystal Palace in December.

When asked for an update on Keita's recovery, Klopp told a press conference: “He has had some very great spells but obviously you have to say he has had too many injuries as well, which hasn’t helped a lot.

"But he has played some really great games for us and scored important goals, has contributed to our success last year; he was always involved despite the injuries.

“These were unfortunate moments when you look at his injuries, it was just minor things that [ruled] him out from the team. But he has got an excellent perspective and is a great player.

“In terms of injuries, we all have to go through these difficulties and once that’s behind you, we’ll have another absolutely great player.”

What is Keita's record at Liverpool?

Despite his consistent injury woes, Keita has still managed to appear in 71 matches across all competitions for Liverpool to date, scoring seven goals.

The former Leipzig talisman has also picked up Champions League and Premier League winners' medals during his time at Anfield, while endearing himself to supporters with his all-action style of play and commitment to the club's cause.

Keita will be unavailable for the Reds' Champions League last-16 first-leg tie against Leipzig in Budapest on Tuesday, but could return in time for the reverse fixture on March 10.

Further reading

Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof are a “problem” for one another at Manchester United, says Gary Neville, with the Red Devils legend reiterating his call for defensive additions to be made in upcoming transfer windows.

Positive progress has been made at Old Trafford this season, with major silverware still up for grabs, but inconsistency remains an issue – particularly at the back.

Neville cannot see a Premier League title challenge being sustained by United’s current squad, with there obvious flaws to be found in an important unit that remains far from watertight and lacks the right combination of individual qualities.

What has been said?

“The key thing is that only one of the last 20 Premier League champions have conceded at least one goal per game,” Neville has told Sky Sports.

“That tells you about these three of [David] de Gea, Lindelof and Maguire. To win titles, that triangle of goalkeeper and two centre-backs need to be as solid as a rock.

“They're not going to turf Maguire out. They've invested £80m, he's the cornerstone of the defence and the one they will build the defence around. So they need to find a partner for him.

“It's got to be someone of the physicality and profile of Eric Bailly. Someone who is quick, good in the air, strong and can cover Maguire one-on-one. But also someone who's going to get them up the pitch to allow them to play a bit higher.

“Lindelof's problem is Maguire and Maguire's problem is Lindelof. I think if you put Lindelof alongside [Virgil] van Dijk at Liverpool, I think he's a really good player. He understands the game, he reads the game, he's a good defender.

“If he was alongside a [Rio] Ferdinand or a Van Dijk, I think he'd make a great pair. The problem is he is alongside somebody who's not the most mobile in Harry Maguire.

“The problem Lindelof has got is they've invested £80m on Maguire so they're going to have to put someone alongside him. They both seem to drop back a little bit and you need someone who can get them up the pitch.”

Who have Man Utd been linked with?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appears to be aware that reinforcements at centre-half could make a major impact at Old Trafford.

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, who is approaching the end of his contract at Santiago Bernabeu, is said to be a short-term option that the Red Devils could consider.

Jules Kounde of Sevilla is another potential target currently plying his trade in La Liga, with the highly-rated 22-year-old marked out by many as a shrewd addition for the present and future.

Ibrahima Konate has also seen a move to Manchester mooted, although RB Leipzig will be reluctant to part with the 21-year-old after already seeing Dayot Upamecano agree a summer switch to Bayern Munich.

Further reading

Gor Mahia coach Carlos Manuel Vaz Pinto has put up a brave face by insisting they can still beat Napsa Stars away and reach the group stage of the Caf Confederation Cup.

The Kenyan champions failed to utilise home ground advantage as they suffered a 1-0 defeat against the pensioners at Nyayo Stadium to complicate their chances of reaching the lucrative stage of the competition.

It was Daniel Aboko who powered home the lone goal with four minutes left to the final whistle after his thunderbolt effort from outside the box sizzled past Gor Mahia's defenders to beat keeper Boniface Oluoch all the way to the net.

Despite losing the game, the Portuguese tactician, who was handling Gor Mahia for the first time in a continental assignment, has now said the record Kenyan champions are still capable of turning around the first-leg deficit and return home with a qualification berth.

“Anything can still happen in Zambia,” Vaz Pinto said as quoted by Standard Sport. “We have one game to go; they beat us at home but we can also beat them in Zambia.

“If they won here, we also have chances of winning there. I think everything is possible, we know they will sit back because they are leading but if we score there we will go to the group stages.”

On whether Gor Mahia deserved to lose the first leg battle, Vaz Pinto explained: “We played better than our opponents and created more chances to score but gave away an opportunity to Napsa.

“I don’t remember Napsa creating a single chance in that game. We just conceded the goal after our defender gave away the ball to a Napsa player. But sometimes such things happen in football. Of course, we won more balls in the game, but I think we can still do better.”

In a separate interview with Goal, Napsa Stars coach Mohamed Fathi said he had cautioned his players to stop celebrating after the 1-0 victory.

“The game is not over yet,” Fathi told Goal after the match played at Nyayo Stadium. “We are celebrating here now and I have told my players that immediately we land in Lusaka; we must shift focus to the return leg.

“Gor Mahia is a very difficult team, they proved they are tough to beat until we were forced to change our tact, so we cannot be able to underrate them now we won, we have to stay focused and work on mistakes we committed ahead of the return leg.”

Napsa will likely be boosted with the return of former Southampton striker Emannuel Mayuka, who missed the first leg due to injury.

Jordan Henderson maintains that Thiago Alcantara has been a “fantastic addition” to the Liverpool squad, with the Reds captain defending a “phenomenal player” from his critics.

Questions have been asked, in what has become a testing campaign for the Premier League champions, as to whether the Spain international midfielder has done more harm than good at Anfield.

Thiago, who took in a treble triumph at Bayern Munich last season, has been accused of slowing Jurgen Klopp’s side down and blunting their once razor-sharp attacking threat.

What has been said?

Ahead of a Champions League last-16 encounter with RB Leipzig on Tuesday, Henderson told reporters: “Thiago has been brilliant since he came to the club.

“I think everybody knows how good a player he is. He's a world-class player and he's been great to have around.

“Even off the field, he's a really good person, leads by example, gives everything and you can learn a lot from him. I think he's been a fantastic addition to the squad.

“He'll probably know Leipzig better than anyone, so I'm sure he'll be telling us one or two things to help with that. But he's settled in very well, like I knew he would.

“He's a phenomenal player and hopefully he can just keep improving each time he plays for us and getting used to the way we play as a team.”

What have doubters been saying?

Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has told Premier League Productions: “I think Liverpool are better when they have width. They get clustering. They have a lot of samey players in midfield in Thiago, Wijnaldum and Milner.

“I would like to see them stretching play a lot more, upping the tempo, winning the ball high again, committing players forward to win the ball high, they have to do it, they have to stem it themselves because they don’t have the Anfield crowd.”

Ex-Reds midfielder Dietmar Hamann has said on Stadium Astro: “The dynamics of the team will change and I’m not sure whether that change will be for the better with him [Thiago] in the team. He’s a brilliant player, there is no doubt about it, but whether he is a player that Liverpool need, I’m not too sure.”

The bigger picture

There is no doubting Thiago’s ability, with his ball-playing qualities embraced by Klopp and a Liverpool side that often dominates possession.

The 29-year-old, who has endured his own fitness issues, has been slotted into a team, though, that has struggled with injuries this season and started to slip from the loftiest of perches.

Three successive top-flight defeats appear to have ended the defence of a domestic crown and the Champions League provides the Reds with their only alternative route to silverware in 2021.

Further reading

Posta Rangers have bolstered their squad by confirming the arrival of three players in the current transfer window.

The Football Kenya Federation Premier League charges have struggled to win in the top-tier and it is something they are aiming at solving. It is for that reason the club has confirmed the arrival of new players.

"Signing news: Evans Makari Maliachi from [National Super League] side Talanta FC, Joshua Otieno Nyatini from Wazito FC, and Ambrose Awio [Ayoyi] from [Tanzania Mainland League side] Biashara Mara United," Posta confirmed on their official social media outlets.

The first two players are Kenyans, but the last one is from Uganda and has initially played for former Kenyan top-tier side Sony Sugar.

Posta are also contemplating who to drop to create space for new players. The management is strict on the number of players in the team owing to tough economic times.

The Mailmen have collected just one win from the 11 matches they have played in the FKF-Premier League, drawn seven and lost three. They have also scored seven goals and conceded 11 which puts them at negative four in goal difference.

The management felt Sammy Omollo, who is commonly referred to as Pamzo, had not done enough and decided to part ways with him. 

Omollo returned to Posta Rangers when he took over from John Kamau, on August 23, who was shown the door after struggles in the 2018/19 season, where the team finished in the relegation zone but managed to stay in the top-tier after overcoming Nairobi Stima in the play-offs.  

Former Harambee Stars head coach Stanley Okumbi was appointed to replace him. The youthful coach came alongside Collins 'Korea' Omondi and they went on to sign a three-year contract.

Okumbi's first game in charge was against Rware FC at Ruringu Stadium in the FKF Shield Cup round of 64. 

Dennis Oalo scored in favour of the Mailmen in the 17th minute. It happened to be the only goal in the first half.  

Ezekiel Okare and Jackson Dwang scored in the 69th and 82nd minutes, respectively, to ensure new coach Stanley Okumbi starts his reign at the club on a high.  

Namungo FC have openly claimed they went through tough times during their three-day detention in Angola after their Caf Confederation Cup fixture against Primeiro de Agosto was cancelled.

The Tanzanian domestic Cup winners had travelled to Angola to play their first leg of the Caf Confederation Cup against Primeiro de Agosto but the game which was set for Sunday was called off by Caf after the Angolan authorities ordered all Namungo players to self-quarantine owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the game being cancelled, Namungo’s efforts to return home were also thwarted by Angolan authorities forcing the team to spend the whole of Sunday at the airport in Angola and they were later ordered to return to the hotel with reports emerging three of their players and one official had tested positive for Covid-19.

Angolan authorities finally allowed the team to travel on Monday night and they have already landed in Tanzania but without three players and one official, who were detained to undergo mandatory self-quarantine.

Namungo chairman Hassan Zidadu has explained to Goal what they went through in Angola and also confirmed three of their players and one official did not travel with them to Tanzania.

“We are not happy because we simply suffered in Angola without committing any crime,” Zidadu told Goal on touching down at Julius Nyerere International Airport.

“We have suffered without any reason, we did not deserve what we went through in Luanda, we suffered and they [Angolan authorities] never gave us a good reason as to why we had to go through all those problems.

“Inside our hearts, we suffered a lot but we could do nothing, but I want to thank everyone in Tanzania for the prayers you accorded the team, we have arrived safely but three of our players and one official have remained behind to complete the mandatory Covid-19 regulations.”

Goal understands the players left in Angola are Lucas Kikoti, Fred Tangalu, and Khamis Faki, and one official, Omary Kaaya.

On Tuesday, a top official at Tanzania Football Federation, who did not want to be named, confirmed to Goal the detention of Namungo in Angola by stating: “Namungo players have been ordered to return to the hotel from the airport, where they were planning to board the plane back home after their match was called off.”

“The players wasted a whole day at the international airport in Luanda as they waited for a plane to return home but now they are not able to use the private jet because three of their players and one official have reportedly returned positive Covid-19 tests, and now Angolan authorities have asked them to serve the mandatory quarantine before coming back home.”

The East Africans were paired against Primeiro de Agosto of Angola in a draw conducted on January 8. The Tanzanian Premier League side, who are making a first appearance at this stage, were scheduled to play away, before a home match against the Angolan outfit, on February 14 and 21, respectively.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits that he is yet to enter into talks regarding a contract extension at Manchester United, with his current deal set to expire in the summer of 2022.

The Norwegian was tied to a three-year agreement after initially impressing in an interim role on the back of Jose Mourinho’s departure in December 2018.

Questions have been asked of his suitability to the most demanding of roles throughout an eventful Old Trafford tenure, but he does have his side in contention for major silverware this season.

What has been said?

Solskjaer has told VG when asked about his future: “I have not thought about that, and we have not discussed it at all.

“I am just focusing on doing my job and part of the job is to stabilise things.

“We have a job to do in order to find consistency on the pitch. Outside the pitch it is still a crisis if you lose a game.

“If you concede a goal in stoppage time against Everton, it still creates big headlines. That can happen in football.

“But on the inside it is more stable. We feel like we are on our way towards what we sat down and discussed, what we planned.

“I know that there has been a lot of criticism and discussions about one thing or another, but if you first set a course, then I at least have so much faith in myself that I do not waver too much.” 

Solskjaer’s record as Man Utd manager

The 1999 Treble winner, who knows all about the pressure of working for United from his playing days, has taken in 127 games at the helm.

From those outings, 71 victories have been secured alongside 27 draws and 29 defeats – giving him a win ratio of 55.91 per cent.

Inconsistency has proved to be a problem at times, with the Red Devils winning only one of their last five Premier League matches in the present, but Solskjaer has always pointed out that he is overseeing a long-term rebuilding project.

The bigger picture

United’s title dreams are fading in 2020-21, as they now sit seven points behind arch-rivals Manchester City, but FA Cup and Europa League glory remains up for grabs.

They have reached the quarter-finals and last-32 of those competitions, with everyone at Old Trafford determined to bring a four-year wait for tangible success to a close.

It has been suggested that Solskjaer needs silverware in order to earn an extended stay, with talk of possible replacements – such as Massimiliano Allegri and Julian Nagelsmann – seemingly never far away.

Further reading

FC Goa's Edu Bedia is given until February 17 to reply to a show cause notice issued by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Disciplinary Committee for an alleged biting incident which occurred during an Indian Super League (ISL) match between FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC.

The Gaurs skipper was involved in an incident during Saturday's ISL encounter and it emerged that he had bit opposition defender Deepak Tangri around his waist after the defender had charged Bedia from behind. The player, though, has denied the charge as he claimed it was just a gesture of anger due to the challenge and not a bite.

Clarifying his stance after the game in an Instagram post from his official handle, the Goa skipper wrote, "I want to clarify that on TV it looks like I bite an opponent player when there is only a small struggle and a gesture of anger, but never a bite. Maybe the images make things the way they are but Deepak Tangri knows what really happened."

"Bedia was reported of 'unsporting behaviour towards CFC player Deepak Tangri.' The Committee has given the Spaniard time till 17th February to submit a reply," read the statement issued by the league.

The Spaniard is for now confirmed to miss Goa's game against Odisha on Wednesday on account of picking his fourth yellow card of the season following the above incident.

FC Goa are currently at the fourth position in the league table tied on points (24) with Hyderabad after 17 matches. At a time when the team is fighting fiercely for a play-offs at the business end of the season, their skipper's suspension comes as a huge blow. Bedia has been a part of 15 ISL matches this season out of Goa's 17 and has provided three assists so far. 

Uganda U20 head coach Morley Byekwaso has conceded his charges were nervous against Mozambique and ended up making poor decisions despite their 2-0 win.

The teams met on Monday in Group A of the Africa U20 Cup of Nations at Olympic Stadium in Nouakchott, Mauritania. The East Africans scored their goals courtesy of Derrick Kakooza and Steven Sserwadda.

All the goals came after the break and the tactician has explained how it happened. 

"It was a very tough match and I appreciate the hard work that Mozambique have done in the match," Byekwaso said as quoted by Caf Online.

"They played well and were very organized. The first match is always very difficult and that is why we had a slow start.  

"We were a bit nervous and we ended up making poor decisions at times. We came back into the second half and told the players to play with intensity and that was what was key for us and helped us to come back into the game and win."

Uganda's Isma Mugulusi won the Man of the Match Award owing to his positive influence on the 2020 U20 Cecafa champions. He has revealed what the coach told them at half-time and went on to express his feelings after being recognized for his output.

"I feel very happy to win this prize on such a huge occasion," the youngster said after being crowned.

"It was great for us to start the tournament with a win. We had a dull first half but when we went back to the dressing room, the coach told us what to do and where we were doing wrong. 

"We came back and corrected the mistakes and we got the win for the country."

The Hippos are top of Group A with three points, same as Cameroon who have an inferior goal difference.

Mauritania are third in the group while Mozambique are at the bottom.  

Uganda will now play Cameroon on Wednesday, February 17 before playing hosts Mauritania on February 20 in their final group game.  

The East Africans are aiming at making a mark in the continental scene after conquering their region. 

Experienced Premier Soccer League pair Pogiso Sanoka and Keagan Buchanan have been released by Maritzburg United.

The news was confirmed by the Team of Choice when they announced the loan signing of Kaizer Chiefs youngster Keletso Sifama.

"We would like to thanks Pogiso and Keagan for their services to the club over the past couple of seasons," Team of Choice chairman Farook Kadodia was quoted saying on the club's website.

"They both made valuable contributions for which we are grateful. We wish both players all the best for their future careers."

It is understood neither player has signed a deal with a new club, although as free agents, they will be able to join a team outside of the transfer window, which closed on Monday night.

Midfielder Buchanan arrived at Maritzburg midway through the 2018/2019 season, having endured an injury-affected time at Kaizer Chiefs. The 29-year-old Cape Town-born playmaker has used his time in Pietermaritzburg to recapture his full fitness and he played in 23 league matches last term and 14 this season.

Sanoka, 28, has been with Maritzburg since the 2015/16 season after being uncovered at Orbit FC, a third-tier side from the North West.

The lanky right-back had been linked with a move to Orlando Pirates, but to date there has been no official interest shown by the Sea Robbers.

The KwaZulu-Natal side has also bolstered their ranks with two European players - German goalkeeper Marcel Marcel Engelhardt and Dusan Stevic, a Serbian defender who operates at right-back.
 
They also promoted three young players from their reserve team: Asanda Buthelezi, Muzomuhle Ngwane and Phiwayinkosi Zuma. Ngwane is a central defender while Buthelezi and Zuma are midfielders.

Two weeks ago the club parted ways with defender Rushine De Reuck, who joined Mamelodi Sundowns on a five-year deal.

Ernst Middensdorp’s side is currently second from bottom on the standings, above Black Leopards on goal difference. They are next in action against Pirates in a Nedbank Cup last 16 encounter on February 27.

Express FC striker George Senkaaba is relishing the prospect of stepping up in the big moments and help the team achieve their targets in the Ugandan Premier League.

Senkaaba who has now scored twice in six league games, getting match-winners against archrivals SC Villa on December 19 and on February 14 away to URA FC.

Against the Taxmen on Sunday, Senkaaba stepped up after earning his first start, in the 1-0 victory at the Arena of Visions in Ndejje.

URA, under veteran coach Sam Ssimbwa had failed to deal with Mathias Muwanga’s long ball which Senkaaba calmly controlled and shielded left-back Arafat Galiwango before slotting home.

Senkaaba has now said his intention is to continue to help the team reach their targets and also praised his teammates for their contributions.

“I am extremely proud of my hard work because it’s paying off,” Senkaaba said as quoted by the club’s official website. “I, however, credit my teammates for the cohesion we have because it’s really helped us to win as a team.

“As for the big moments, any player and forward, at that, would want to step up on big occasions and I am glad I am doing so and going forward, I hope to continue the streak because forwards are only considered when scoring goals.”

In an earlier interview, Senkaaba lauded his teammates for their efforts to pick an away win.

I would like to thank my fellow players, fans and the technical team for the away win,” Senkaaba told the club’s official website after the game. “As we promised you our fans, this is just the beginning.

“We shall win game by game, as a player, I am happy for this goal, it has been a team effort and it helped me have confidence, I now urge the fans to buy season tickets so that they can support us in our next game against [KCCA].”

The win against URA has left Express coach Wasswa Bbosa believing their target of moving top of the table is still in sight and also promised to rectify a few mistakes he spotted against URA before their next league match.

“We prepared well, the boys knew we had to avoid conceding in set pieces like was the norm in other matches,” Bbosa told the club’s official website after the match.

“We had a few mistakes but we’re going back to correct them, the target remains going top of the table, we have KCCA next but we respect them and we shall prepare to get maximum points.”

The win pushed Express to position four on the 16-team league table with 12 points from six matches.

Rachid Ghezzal has expressed his happiness to have opened his Besiktas goal account as the Black Eagles saw off Genclerbirligi 3-0 in Monday’s Super Lig outing.

The Algeria international joined the Turkish Super Lig outfit on a season-loan from Premier League side Leicester City having failed to impress at the King Power Stadium.

Ghezzal had featured in 16 league games for Sergen Yalcin’s men without finding the net, however, he broke the duck with a first-half stunner at the Eryaman Stadium.

Profiting from a Valentin Rosier pass outside the Wind of Ankara goal area, the 28-year-old beat his marker before unleashing a beauty past goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt in the fourth minute.

Speaking after the game, the former AS Monaco and Lyon man is pleased to have ended his wait while disclosing that it would be anomalous to see Yalcin’s team drop any points in the ‘tight’ title race.

“We played well as a team today. I’m delighted to score my first goal for Besiktas. But winning was more important for us today because our rivals had also won,” Ghezzal told club website.

“In this tight race, we cannot afford to give away any points at this stage. In order not to fall behind, we must all remain focused.”

A minute from full time, new arrival Cent Tosun doubled the lead for the Black Eagles before completing his brace in the closing stages of the encounter.

Thanks to this result, Besiktas are second in the Super Lig table with 51 points from 24 outings in the 2020-21 campaign.

Unbeaten in their last four games in all competitions, they welcome Denizlispor to Istanbul's Vodafone Park on February 26.

Ghezzal joined the Foxes in the summer of 2018 as a direct replacement for his compatriot Riyad Mahrez, who left for Manchester City.

However, he failed to live up to expectations and was sent on loan to Serie A outfit Fiorentina, with the Violets having an option to make the deal permanent.

In the 2019-20 season, he played in 19 Italian top-flight games and scored once in the 3-1 defeat of Lecce on July 15, 2020.

Despite featuring for France at U20 level, Ghezzal pledged his international allegiance to Algeria. He was axed from Djamel Belmadi’s squad to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations staged in Egypt.

Mumbai City were the clear favourites going into Monday's Indian Super League (ISL) fixture against a struggling Bengaluru. 

The Blues had lost their last four matches against the Islanders. Lobera's team is the highest scorers and has the second-best defence in the league so beating them was a monumental task. But the Blues managed to do it and pick up a vital victory in their quest for a spot in the playoffs. 

Bengaluru struck early in the game and that was the key to unsettling a Mumbai City team who usually take time to settle into their rhythm and exert their dominance over the opponents in games. The Islanders had failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four matches so it was not about if Bengaluru can score, it was more about how soon they can do it. 

And they did within seconds. Sunil Chhetri started the move with a pass to release Udanta Singh into space down the right flank. The winger crossed into the box for Cleiton Silva who slotted home the opening goal. Mumbai City were shell-shocked and by scoring early and first, the Blues successfully forced their opponents to play the game according to the tempo set by the team in the lead.

The game soon became entertaining for the neutrals with both keepers being called into action one by one. But it was Bengaluru again who turned out to be more efficient in front of goal. The Blues scored their 11th set-piece goal of the season as Cleiton Silva converted a Xisco Hernandez free-kick sent into the box from the right flank. 

Mumbai City were allowed to have the ball and Blues were unconcerned with their dominance. They were in no mood to press high up the field for the entire game and instead, chose to sit back and use the pace of their frontline to hit the Islanders on counter-attacks. 

The Islanders, without Hugo Boumous to dictate proceedings, ended up being defensive with the ball at their feet and Sergio Lobera brought on Jackichand Singh in place midfielder Rowllin Borges to infuse more width into their game. 

Mumbai came out after the break with a point to prove after a lacklustre start to the game and they scored within five minutes. Cy Goddard, who impressed with his runs throughout the game, found Adam Le Fondre with a pass into the box and the striker got in front of his marker Harmanjot Khabra and found the net. 

However, Bengaluru were playing with a sort of intent that has been missing in their displays this season and it took them seven minutes to restore their two-goal advantage. Sunil Chhetri, even in his 200th appearance, ran like he would have done on his debut, to beat Hernan Santana to a long goal kick from Gurpreet Sandhu and beat Amrinder Singh who had come off his line inexplicably.

There was end-to-end football for the neutrals' eyes to feast in the second half as Amrinder and Gurpreet were kept busy in between the sticks by the attackers on the field. Goddard, arguably Mumbai's best player on the pitch, assisted Le Fondre again with a lovely ball into the box with the striker heading in to bring his team back into the game. 

Gurpreet was Bengaluru's hero at the back as he pulled off a terrific fingertip save to deny Le Fondre from close range after Goddard had once again picked out the striker with a good through ball. 

The Blues defended as a unit and every single Bengaluru player wanted to secure a win and that made all the difference. Chhetri scored his second from a counter-attack late in the game to seal three crucial points in his team's race for the top four. 

Sergio Lobera will be concerned by how the team is performing towards the business end of the season. A bit of complacency seem to have crept in and it has affected their performances. In the last five games, Mumbai have managed to win just one game and kept a cleansheet in none of them. Their play-off rival, ATK Mohun Bagan, have won four of their last five games, to put things in perspective. 

When Manuel Marquez took over Hyderabad as their head coach there was uncertainty. The club had managed to build a squad with promise but they were a ship without a captain. 

Former Bengaluru FC coach Albert Roca was initially appointed as the head coach of the club at the beginning of the season but in August the Spaniard had to leave the project after he got a more lucrative offer to join Ronaldo Koeman’s coaching staff as a fitness coach at FC Barcelona. 

Hyderabad were recovering from a nightmare of a debut season were they finished at the rock bottom position on the league table and with Roca at the helm, they were looking to turn things around. But with the Spaniard’s departure, the club was in haywire. 

In came Manuel Marquez Roca, a coach with a vast experience of working in various divisions in Spain and most notable experience being managing Las Palmas in La Liga. Thus, Marquez had the pedigree but there was always an air of doubt considering he had come in at short notice.

The 52-year-old coach inherited a squad full of young Indian players and some promising foreign signings. The job was always tough for the new coach considering he was handling a bunch of youngsters and also that he would hardly get time for proper pre-season in a pandemic-affected campaign. 

However, after 17 games, Hyderabad find themselves on the brink of making it to the play-offs. 

Marquez has done a fantastic job of building and improving confidence among his young Indian players. 18-year-old left-back Akash Mishra, who had joined the club in the summer after playing just a season for Indian Arrows in the I-League 2019-20 season, was entrusted with the responsibility of a left-back since day one. Marquez’s trust has so far paid off as Mishra has been one of the best performing Indian defenders in this Indian Super League (ISL). 

Along with Mishra, another player who improved leaps and bounds is right-back, Asish Rai. Rai had played in 14 ISL matches last season but it was only under Marquez that he has blossomed. 

Youngsters like Mohammed Yasir and Liston Colaco have been real revelations. Marquez has to be credited for the way he handled Colaco this season. The Goan winger is a fantastic talent, one for the future but the Spanish coach used him cleverly to good effect.

Also, due to injury and fitness concerns, the Spanish coach hardly got to avail the services of his full foreign contingent in the season. Except for Odei Onaindia (17 matches), skipper Aridane Santana (16 matches) and Joao Victor (14 matches) none of the foreign players played more than 10 matches. The club also didn't fill their full foreigner players quota until the January window they finally managed to sign their seventh foreigner, Dutch midfielder Roland Alberg.

Experienced Spanish forward Fran Sandaza could only start playing for the club after the sixth round due to injury problems and Lluis Sastre and Joel Chianese had injury scares for nearly the entirety of the season. Despite all the tough challenges in his debut season in India, the Spaniard has managed to get results playing good football and have kept the team in the hunt for a play-offs spot. 

The biggest achievement of the Spaniard has been unearthing raw Indian talents and giving game time to relatively new names. Also, players like Halicharan Narzary and Hitesh Sharma found form under the Spaniard's tutelage.

Manuel Marquez seemingly has a clear vision for Hyderabad FC and the management will be happy that the manager signed a two-year extension. From the look of things, it might prove to be extremely beneficial for the future of the club as well as Indian football.

Matti Steinmann's signing at the beginning of the season created quite a hype among East Bengal fans as a 26-year-old player, who had the experience of playing in the Bundesliga, joined the club in their maiden season in the Indian Super League (ISL).

As the season is coming to an end and the Red and Golds have played 17 out of their 20 league stage matches, it is safe to say that the hype around Steinmann was not misplaced. 

The German midfielder has been one of the club's best players this season. He is their top scorer with four goals in 15 matches and has three assists, the most in the squad. He has also played the third-highest number of passes in the team, 646.

The statistics speaks for itself and gives a clear picture of how the German midfielder has been an influential figure in the East Bengal team this season.

The 26-year-old player said that he has enjoyed his stay in the ISL and but he would have been happier if his team were in a better position on the league table. East Bengal are currently ninth on the table.

"It has been exciting," Steinmann told Goal. "We have played 17 games now and obviously, I would have hoped for a better outcome. I think the points we have got are not good enough. But otherwise, it has been exciting. It is a new league, new fans and I have learned so many new things."

The former German youth international spoke about how he has enjoyed playing under a name like Robbie Fowler, who has had an illustrious career in football.

"The first couple of weeks were tough after having a short pre-season. It was a new team and new coaching staff, and it was the first year of the club in the ISL, so it was difficult initially. But I think we have improved a lot since the start.

"(Robbie Fowler) He has a lot of experience and he was a great player back in the days. So, it is a great experience for me to train under his coaching. He knows how football works and has a lot of experience in football. It is exciting to play under him."

Being a central midfielder, the German is not used to scoring too many goals. In fact, he could not recollect the last time he had scored four goals in a season but at East Bengal, he is enjoying the role of a goal scorer. In fact, he also thanked Robbie Fowler for giving leeway to express himself in attack as well.

"The last time I scored four goals was back when I was playing in the youth teams or maybe for the second team at Hamburg. I don't remember exactly. But I am playing higher on the pitch here. Robbie (Fowler) gives me more freedom to play offensive football. It suits me well, and I am enjoying it so far, and I am very happy to score some goals," expressed the German.

East Bengal's chances of making it to the play-offs this season are extremely thin and the German player admitted that their job is difficult but he is in no mood to give up until the equation becomes mathematically impossible.

"It is going to be very tough. After a very tough start, it is difficult to reach the play-offs but we still believe in it. We have to make the most out of it, we have improved a lot throughout the season. The chances are still there but it is going to be very tough. We are dependent on the other results which makes it even more difficult but we will try and make the most out of the remaining games," said the East Bengal midfield maestro.