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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said Thomas Partey is ‘very frustrated’ by his struggles with injuries which have restricted him from being an 'important' player for the Gunners.

The Black Stars midfielder is expected to miss Sunday's Premier League fixture against Leeds United after he limped off with a hamstring complaint in Arsenal's 1-0 loss to Aston Villa last Saturday.

A few weeks after he joined the North London club on a permanent deal from Atletico Madrid, the 27-year-old was ruled out of action for almost a month in November and on his return to action against Tottenham Hotspur on December 6, he suffered another thigh injury which kept him out of the team until January.

He made his long-awaited return against Crystal Palace on January 14, however, Arteta is not certain about how long it will take Partey to recover from his latest set-back.

The Spanish coach stated that the club and Partey are both devastated by his injury problems as they await his best since his arrival from Madrid.

“He was devastated, we were all devastated because we know the importance of Thomas and we haven’t had him since we signed him, we haven’t had him in three games consecutively,” Arteta told the club website.

“I think he has only played 90 minutes once since he has come back from injury, so it is a big blow for us but he is adapting to the league, he has been very unlucky as well.

“He is very frustrated because he is a very competitive guy who wants to feel important and be important for the team and at the moment the injuries are restricting a lot of game time for him.

“He felt something during the game [at Villa Park] and we didn’t think it was too bad but after the scan looked a little bit worse. He won’t be available to play against Leeds and we will see how it evolves in the next two days but it is a muscular issue.”

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has commended Ghanaian defender Mohammed Salisu for a "very good" debut outing for the club in Thursday's FA Cup victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Six months after his acquisition from Spanish outfit Real Valladolid, the centre-back took to the pitch for the first time for the Saints for 90 minutes of action in what ended in a 2-0 triumph.

His debut was delayed by injury setbacks and a lack of match fitness.

"Yeah, it was a very long wait for a debut. It is not so easy but he stepped up immediately and played a very good game," Hasenhuttl said after Thursday's fifth round victory in the Cup competition, reports HampshireLive.

"He is definitely a player who can help us and this is why we signed him.

"It took a long time. We said it was a long-term project and we have waited very long now. Hopefully, there are more positives to come.

"No [he was not nervous], he has the quality and was convinced about what he is doing. He was not nervous. He knew what we were doing and felt comfortable. The more we work with him the easier it will be.

"He is quick, he is strong, he has a good body so he is a player for the future."

Goals from Danny Ings and Stuart Armstrong sent Southampton through to the next round of the cup championship.

"Yes, important," Hasenhuttl replied when asked if he was happy with the clean sheet.

"We had a few players back and Salisu did a good job today, Fraser [Forster] too, our keeper for the cup.

"In general, our reverse gear was much better today. Nathan Tella was immediately fighting with Traore.

"We deserved it today."

With his debut now behind him and a clean sheet to boast of, Salisu will be eyeing a second straight outing when Southampton face Wolves again, this time in the Premier League, on Sunday.

He joined the Saints in a four-year deal in August last year, making his first matchday squad for a league tie with Brighton and Hove Albion in December. He went on to make six more bench appearances in the month before suffering a new injury just before the New Year.

Now back in action, Salisu is likely to be called up for Ghana's 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe next month.

In 2019, the 21-year-old turned down his only previous international invitation due to injury. 

Gor Mahia coach Carlos Manuel Vaz Pinto has set the target of reaching the group stage of the Caf Confederation Cup at the expense of Napsa Stars of Zambia.

The Kenyan champions will host the pensioners in their first-ever meeting at Nyayo Stadium on Sunday after they dropped to the lower-tier competition following their dismal run in the Champions League.

Gor Mahia were unable to progress into the group stage after losing 6-1 to CR Belouizdad in the first leg before a 2-1 home defeat in the second round of Champions League qualification.

The new Portuguese tactician, who replaced Roberto Oliveira at K’Ogalo, has said their main focus is to make sure they reach the competition’s group stage.

“Our focus is our process and always I said we keep the focus in our work to grow as a team, I don’t keep focusing in our results, I put the focus in our training, in our process because of that I don’t think we have any type pressure,” Vaz Pinto told Goal on Friday.

“I know it is important to win because it not only for Gor Mahia but for the football of Kenya, we play to represent the country not to represent Gor Mahia and because of that it is important to win the match but my main focus is always in my work.”

On whether he will help the team reach the group stage, Vaz Pinto said: “We have one goal in this competition and our main goal is get to the group stage, we will work to this and of course I believe we can do that because the players have given good signs in training sessions and like I said before we continue to work and get to the group stage and after that, we will see.

“We want to win the league, we want to win titles and like I said before our main target is to reach the group stage, it is very important we do that, these are the three big goals we have for this season.”

On his part, captain Kenneth Muguna dismissed reports doing round in social media that some of the players in the team had opted to skip training pressing for their unpaid salaries.

 “I was in the national team training camp and we were given a day off before joining Gor Mahia, so I don’t think we have skipped training, every player is around and we are ready,” Muguna told Goal.

“We know Napsa is a good team, though we don’t know them the same way we know teams that will play against them in Kenya but we always go into matches with confidence and aiming to win and I know we have a good squad to give us the good result.

Gor Mahia are currently placed sixth on the 18-team league table with 16 points from nine matches.

Bayern Munich are set to be without Serge Gnabry “for the foreseeable future” after the Germany international picking up a thigh injury at the FIFA Club World Cup.

Hansi Flick’s side added another major trophy to their collection with a 1-0 win over Tigres on Thursday, but that success has come at a price.

No timescale has been put on Gnabry’s absence, but he will be stuck on the sidelines for quite some time.

What has been said?

“FC Bayern will have to do without Serge Gnabry for the foreseeable future,” read a statement released on the club’s official website. “The forward tore a muscle in his left thigh in yesterday's 1-0 triumph in the FIFA Club World Cup final against Tigres UANL.

“The injury was confirmed following an examination by the FC Bayern medical unit.

“Gnabry has played in 28 of 32 competitive matches so far this season and scored six goals.”

How has Gnabry fared this season?

Along with the six goals that Gnabry has recorded in the 2020-21 campaign, he has also provided four assists.

He has become a key part of Flick’s plans, with the former Arsenal academy graduate seeing his stock soar on the back of his 2017 switch to Allianz Arena.

The 25-year-old has played in 18 of Bayern’s 20 Bundesliga fixtures this term, making the starting XI in 16 of those outings.

What does Bayern’s fixture list look like?

With Gnabry ruled out, it could be that he misses important games in domestic and continental competition.

Bayern, who now have six titles to their name, have already slipped out of the DFB-Pokal this season. They are, however, looking to defend their Bundesliga crown and will be back in action on Monday against Arminia Bielefeld.

Flick’s men will then travel to Eintracht Frankfurt before facing Lazio in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 encounter on February 23.

By the time of the return date of that contest, Bayern will have played host to old adversaries Borussia Dortmund – with it yet to be determined when Gnabry will come back into contention.

Further reading

PSL clubs and those in the Caf Champions League have been warned - Mamelodi Sundowns' Ugandan international goalkeeper Denis Onyango wants to add to his 10 clean sheets.

Onyango has played 14 league matches for Masandawana this term and has conceded only four goals while keeping 10 clean sheets.

Overall, Sundowns have conceded only seven goals in the league in 15 matches - Kennedy Mweene conceded three in a 4-3 win over AmaZulu.

The Brazilians are topping the local league standings, they're into the Nedbank Cup last 16, and they begin their Caf Champions League Group B campaign with a home match against Sudan side Al-Hilal on Saturday.

Onyango believes keeping watertight defence will be key to his side's hopes of success, and he has also credited his team-mates for the work done so far.

“We have a lot of clean sheets in the first half and that is the hard work from the guys." he told the club website.

"It is not only about saving the ball that comes to the goals but it’s the defence that has been good from the team.

"We have our target as you know if you keep many clean sheets you stand a chance to win the league. We look forward to the second round of the league, the Champions League and the Nedbank Cup."

Onyango is very much the established number one with Downs, although there is loads of quality backup if needed, including Mweene, Ricardo Goss, Jody February and Reyaad Pieterse.
 
“My personal target is to get as many clean sheets as I can, help the team with the fourth league title in a row and become the first team to do that as there is no team that has done that," Onyango revealed.

"It is possible to do that but I can’t do it alone, we must do it as a team, sometimes I might not play, but there are other goalkeepers that can also help.

"I must also make sure that I support them when they play as it is a team effort. The support I get from the keepers is incredible and it pushes me to do better.

"The season is long, we have Champions League and it won’t be easy but it is the path we chose for ourselves and if we fight we will do well and defend our [domestic] titles.”

National Pension Scheme Authority Stars (Napsa) Stars head coach Mohamed Fathi believes Gor Mahia will be under pressure to perform when they meet on Sunday.

The two teams will play each other at Nyayo Stadium in the final preliminary round of the Caf Confederation Cup with the winner of the two-legged affair making it to the group stage of the competition.

The tactician has stated he will be capitalising on the situation hoping his team will get a good result.

"Our target is to have a positive result from Nairobi," Fathi said ahead of the game this weekend.

"Gor Mahia are under pressure starting the first leg at home and we need to take advantage of the situation to get the result we need."

The Pensioners will be without the services of Zambia forward Emmanuel Mayuka who has been out injured for about one month.

"Mayuka was injured in the Red Arrows game [on January 16], and has not recovered yet but he is under the rehabilitation program. Hopefully, he will join us in the second leg," Fathi continued.

"He is an experienced player and was on top form before he got injured and I will miss his experience in the front line [against Gor Mahia]. 

"But we have good tactics, and plan for the game especially on the attack and midfield and we have to try and get our goal."

Prior to the game, the Zambian outfit have kept back-to-back clean sheets in the goalless draw away to Kitwe United which they followed up with a 1-0 win over Nkwazi.

The experienced coach has explained how the result will impact his charges.

"The morale is high in camp, we are taking the positive results from our last two league games where we kept clean sheets and want to continue from there," he concluded.

Napsa Stars travelling squad:

Goalkeepers: Phillip Banda, Shaban Odhoji, Rabson Muchelenganga,

Defenders: David Odhiambo, Luka Banda, Luka Nguni, Aaron Kabwe, Lawrence Chungu, Bornwell Silengo, Amos Simwanza,

Midfielders: Jacob Ngulube, Daniel Adoko, Dickson Chapa, Simon Nhkata, Enock Sabumukama, Austine Banda, Aaron Banda.

Strikers: Chanda Mushili, Laudit Mavugo, Jimmy Mukeya, Doiy Soko, Tapon Kaseba.

Kyle Walker admits he “would hate” to be in Pep Guardiola’s position at Manchester City, with the Blues boss facing a sizeable selection headache each and every time he pieces together a starting XI.

Considerable funds have been invested in a star-studded squad at the Etihad Stadium, with fierce competition for places to be found all over the field.

Guardiola is the man charged with the task of trying to keep everyone happy, while also ensuring that his team remain competitive on multiple fronts, and Walker considers that to be a thankless task.

What has been said?

“Whoever is named on the team sheet needs to put in a good performance and put pressure on those who are starting now and hopefully give the manager something to think about,” Walker told reporters.

“I would hate to be this manager because of the headache we must cause him. Every 11 that he puts out seems to put a good performance in.

“But it is a good problem to have and shows the level of where this football club is moving. We want to achieve great things here and hopefully we can do.”

He added: “Each and every game, we approach it like it is our last. We change nothing and we do nothing different.

“The manager prepares just the same, whether it is Swansea or Liverpool, everything is done in detail to give us as much information as he can before we go out on the field.

“We will just keep on taking every game as it comes and hopefully we will have a few trophies at the end of the season. We will just keep our feet on the floor and keep doing the hard work on the training field.”

Who has used the most players in the Premier League this season?

Despite having an abundance of talent at his disposal, Guardiola has used only 23 players in the Premier League this season.

That places City towards the bottom of a top-flight chart, with only three clubs – Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Leeds United – selecting fewer players in 2020-21.

At the opposite end of the scale, West Brom’s tinkering has seen 30 senior stars called upon, while Arsenal and Southampton have used 28 apiece.

Liverpool – who have endured injury struggles throughout the campaign – and Chelsea complete the top five on 27.

Can Man City win the quadruple?

The Blues remain in the hunt for four pieces of silverware this season and could rewrite the history books once again.

Guardiola’s men are already into a fourth consecutive Carabao Cup final, while also progressing to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup – where they will face Everton.

A standing has been taken up at the top of the Premier League table, with a five-point lead held over the chasing pack, and the Blues are counting down the days to a last-16 meeting with Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League.

Guardiola oversaw a domestic treble in 2018-19, becoming the first side to achieve that feat, but could go one better in 2021 as he seeks to emulate the efforts of Bayern Munich and his former Barcelona side by sweeping aside all before him.

Further reading

Injuries could hit Manchester United their first Women’s Super League title bid, the club's former goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain believes.

Casey Stoney’s side currently sit second behind league leaders Chelsea going into Friday night’s Manchester Derby and the title race remains wide open. United’s title charge has come as a surprise - in just their second season in the top tier - and they find themselves in the hunt with just a couple of months left of the season.

But ex-England international Chamberlain, who joined the United when they were formed in 2018, believes her old club will miss out on top spot due to lack of squad strength.

Tobin Heath, who has been key for Stoney’s side since signing in September, was ruled out for 10-12 weeks in January with an ankle injury and Lauren James has also had spells out on the sidelines.

“I think Heath is key to it [a title challenge] but you also look at Lauren James, Alessia Russo, they’re big players for United," Chamberlain told Goal. "They’re three players there who are key to Manchester United’s success and unfortunately they’re going to be without them for a period of time.

"Hopefully Lauren James won’t be out for too long but it’s definitely a massive blow considering they haven’t got a huge squad.

“That’s probably one of the biggest things for Manchester City this year. You look at the size of their squad, the depth they’ve got is fantastic. It’s up there trying to compete with the depth that Chelsea have got.”

United are coming up against City on Friday night in a crunch match at the Academy Stadium. Stoney’s side are looking to get back to winning ways after a disappointing 2-0 loss to Reading at the weekend, when they conceded twice from set pieces.

“I don’t think you’ll be seeing defending the same. I think if Casey Stoney made any kind of impact by how she feels about that game Manchester United will make sure they’re defending set pieces properly,” Chamberlain explained.

“Casey is so meticulous in her planning and organising and making sure everything is done in a particular way. She will be very disappointed in the way those set pieces were defended and ultimately the way the game was lost. She’s got strong attention to detail so she’ll make sure her team are well drilled in understanding what she wants.”

Chelsea’s win against Arsenal on Wednesday night sent them three points clear of United at the top. With City two points behind Stoney’s side with a game in hand, a win for either side would send a strong message about their title credentials.

“I think the biggest thing for City is their mentality and their ability to come back. Everyone wrote them off, similar to the Premier League.” Chamberlain said. “You look at the players they have brought in.

"Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood they’ve come back from Lyon they’ve got that winning mentality, they’re competitors and the Americans that have come in they are winners, they’re the kind of players that will drive City on in the title challenge.

“For United, I don’t think if they lose it they’re out of the race. But if Manchester United lose two games in a row it’s a question of what it does to their mentality and do they still believe? A draw is not the end of the world, a defeat, how it hurts your mentality and belief more than it actually hurts your league position.”

This season BT Sport is showing more Barclays FA Women’s Super League matches than ever before. Watch Man City v Man Utd on BT Sport 2 from 6.30pm on Friday 12th February.

AS Vita Club coach Florent Ibenge has named the players he feels will give them trouble if they earn a starting role for Simba SC in their first group match of the Caf Champions League.

The Msimbazi giants will face the Democratic Republic of the Congo outfit in Kinshasa on Friday, seeking a winning start in their Group A fixture.

However, ahead of the match, AS Vita coach Ibenge has picked out midfielders Clatous Chama and Jonas Mkude as the players he fears most in the Simba squad, and went further to state if they get a starting role in the fixture, then his team could be in trouble.

“I can remember vividly many good players in the Simba squad, the likes of Clatous [Chama] and Jonas [Mkude], they played very well the last time we played against them, and I remember Chama scored the second goal as we lost 2-1,” Ibenge told reporters in Kinshasa.

“I also remember very well Mkude, the role he played in the fixture, and what I have asked my players is to make sure they give the two players [if they start], tight marking, they should not be let loose.

“I know if they get the slightest of the chances, we will be punished, they deserve tight marking, otherwise they will trouble us.”

During the team’s last meeting, Simba won the Champions League tie 2-1 at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium but they had already lost the first leg away in Kinshasa 5-0.

In an earlier interview, Simba CEO Barbara Gonzalez has explained how they have motivated the players heading into the match.

“From our end, we have planned ourselves very well, you know my work is to make sure the technical bench gets the best so they can give us good results,” Gonzalez told Simba Online from Kinshasa.

“We have started with encouraging the players to get ready for the match, we have given them good bonuses, we have done it already and I don’t want to reveal the amount of money each player received, but we have boosted their confidence with bonuses.

“We have also prepared them psychologically to understand their opponents by giving them all they needed, we have secured videos of our opponents playing in their last five matches and the technical bench has been using the same to analyse them and it means from our side we have done our job.”

Simba will return home to face defending champions Al Ahly from Egypt in their second match on February 23.

Simba SC head coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa is hopeful his charges will get maximum points as they play AS Vita in their first Group A game in the Caf Champions League at Pentecost Martyrs Stadium, Kinshasa on Friday.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi and the Democratic Republic of Congo outfit are in the same group alongside defending champions Al Ahly and El-Merreikh. The Portuguese has further stated the preparations have been good and their target is to start the campaign well.

"We have prepared well and are ready to play the game," Gomes said ahead of the game.

"I have talked with the players and explained to them what I am expecting from them. We are ready and I am confident of getting a positive outcome in our first group game.

However, the 51-year-old is not expecting a walk in the park against their hosts.

"As Vita are a good team so it will not be easy, we are expecting a tough game," Gomes added.

"But I believe we will get enough chances to win the game."

Simba's Congolese forward Chris Mugalu is confident the Tanzania Mainland League champions will get a win if they stick to what they have been instructed.

"It is going to be a tough game but we are up to the task, we will give our best," the Congolese stated.

"If we follow what the coach has told us I am confident we will get a positive outcome. Simba have good players and we have prepared well for the game.

"I am urging Simba supporters to put us in prayers. DR Congo is home and when you are playing at home you have to do something exceptional."

The 21-time league champions will miss their captain John Bocco, who is injured.

Another player missing from the squad is the new signing Perfect Chikwende, who is not eligible to feature having turned out against the Msimbazi giants for FC Platinum in the second round of the competition.

Simba will be taking part in the group stage of the competition for the third time in history. After playing against AS Vita, they will return home for their second group match against Al Ahly at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on February 23. 

Victor Osimhen was understandably frustrated after his 79th-minute substitution, which had more to do with his own dissatisfying showing than Gennaro Gattuso’s decision to send on Andrea Petagna with 11 minutes to play.

The forward could have levelled things up for Napoli minutes before Matteo Pessina’s second of the night for Atalanta, but instead went off with the Azzurri trailing 3-1, rather than level at 2-2. As a consequence, last season’s Coppa Italia winners will not be successfully defending the title they’d won impressively in 2020, with La Dea eliminating Gattuso’s men 3-1 on aggregate.

Frankly, over the course of the tie, the better team progressed. Atalanta dominated the reverse fixture in Naples and missed a torrent of chances to score in the goalless encounter. On Wednesday night, Gian Piero Gasperini’s team were largely comfortable, even if the possession stat (60-40 in favour of the visitors) presents a contradiction.

Gattuso’s men did show some flashes at the Gewiss Stadium, particularly right after half-time which ultimately resulted in Hirving Lozano’s 53rd-minute strike. Be that as it may, they created little clear-cut chances from open play.

One of those opportunities did fall for Osimhen, but he couldn’t flick the ball beyond Pierluigi Gollini. Interestingly, that was the Nigerian’s only effort on a wearisome night in Bergamo, which highlights the lack of service for the big-money summer signing.

Much of the game was spent closing down off the ball and tussling with the opposition to win 50-50s all night. There was a concerted effort to swarm around the striker when he had possession and the unwillingness of the referee to give free-kicks in his favour visibly rankled.

Napoli’s approach play was disrupted by Atalanta’s pressing, especially in the opening half, thus contributing to several long balls downfield for the West African to chase. He got little joy inside the hosts’ penalty area, as did his colleagues who frequently shot from range.

He huffed and puffed but ultimately wasn’t good enough on the night. It wasn’t for the want of trying, however, a detail Gattuso stated after the game.

"It's not easy to be at the top after 94 days off,” the Napoli boss said after the defeat. “He's still missing the sprint, his main skill, but he's progressing gradually. He can do much more.”

In an attempt to draw positives from events in Bergamo, it wasn’t lost on anyone that it was the Nigeria striker’s first start for the club since returning from injury and recovering from coronavirus.

Osimhen had been eased back in after that Covid-19 enforced layoff, with 36 minutes against Genoa last weekend the longest he’d spent on the pitch until Wednesday.

The Azzurri were beaten 2-1 in that match, with Gattuso ruing preventable mistakes in defence and poor finishing in the final third as they fell to their seventh Serie A loss of 2020/21. Napoli’s number nine was culpable in the latter, somehow blazing over from around six yards out when hitting the target at least was the bare minimum.

The recent woes have ramped up the pressure on the club’s head coach, with several reports in Italy claiming defeats against Atalanta and Juventus will seal the 43-year-old’s fate in the job. They face the in-form Old Lady on Saturday and the AC Milan icon was coy on the subject after the cup exit in midweek.

“I don’t know, you have to ask the club,” the 43-year-old boss stated post-match. “The captain of the ship is me, when things go badly, they are at the expense of the captain. “I can’t think of this as the penultimate or last resort, I have to work and I have to be able to trust.

“I’m a coach, it’s like that. I won’t be the first, nor the last, but I have the duty to try until the end.”

That’s, more or less, the standard line from a manager under pressure but there’s a hint of something brewing in Naples, nonetheless. Gattuso’s comments after their 2-0 win over Parma on January 31 were in criticism of club president Aurelio De Laurentiis over the lack of protection he’d received since results turned in December.

Going by the form book, Juventus’ results have been near perfect since their 3-0 December thrashing by Fiorentina in Turin. Andrea Pirlo’s team have won every game in the league bar that 2-0 loss at Inter Milan, with performances on the whole generally impeccable.

The same can’t be said for Napoli, who have battled with absences to key players, Osimhen inclusive, mistakes at the back and profligate finishing as they’ve gone from Serie A contenders to top four hopefuls.

While the Nigerian has returned from his layoff, the sharpness still seems absent, although 79 minutes at Atalanta in midweek was encouraging.

Osimhen hasn’t thrived in front of goal since moving from Lille last summer; still, Gattuso will hope the stars align on Saturday in a clash many believe might have immediate ramifications for the under-fire Napoli boss.

New Express FC signing Muzamiru Mutyaba has expressed his satisfaction after making his debut for the team against Vipers SC in the Ugandan Premier League.

The creative midfielder made his debut for the Red Eagles against the Venoms in a match which ended 1-1 at Wankulukuku as he came on in the 66th minute for Mahad Yaya Kakooza.

His introduction helped step up the tempo for Express as tried to break down the Vipers backline, with forward George Ssenkaba’s missed opportunity from his cross the stand-out chance of the day.

The Ugandan delivered a teasing cross from the right-wing into the box for an incoming Ssenkaba, but he was moments late to tap home what could have been the winner against the reigning champions.

Mutyaba has now expressed his happiness at his start for the Red Eagles and promised more will come from him in subsequent matches.

“I am happy I made my debut, for me I felt I had a good show,” Mutyaba said as quoted by the club’s official website.

“Vipers is a decent side but as a team, we’re better on the day, we’re now working on converting as many chances in training because that is what we lacked.

“Individually, I hope to perform better going forward because I believe we can still win silverware this season.”

During the match, the Red Eagles took the lead courtesy of Godfrey Lwesibawa before the Venoms levelled matters through Karim Watambala.

During the match, Vipers coach Fred Kajoba decided to tinker with the squad which had demolished Myda FC 7-0 in their previous match, with Fabien Mutombora preferred in goal while Watambala made a return in midfield.

Another player who came in was Paula Willa, in place of Joseph Dhata as Ibrahim Orit took Allan Kayiwa's position. On the other hand, the Red Eagles introduced Mahad Yaya in place of Abel Etrude while Sadiq Ssekyembe came in for the injured Arthur Boca.

The draw somehow gutted Express coach Wasswa Bbosa who blamed missed chances for the team’s inability to carry the day.

“I thought it was a good fight, the boys for me ticked all the boxes but our biggest undoing was the failure to convert the chances we got,” Bbosa told the club’s official website after the match.

“Going forward, especially our game against [URA], we shall do our best to win.”

The draw means Express will remain sixth on the league table as they prepare to face URA in their next league assignment the Arena of Visions in Ndejje.

Wakiso Giants head coach Douglas Bamweyana is confident his team will get their first win on Friday when they play away to Mbarara City in the Ugandan Premier League assignment.

The Purple Sharks have not won or lost any games this season but shared the spoils in the five matches played. The only difference between them and their hosts is that the latter have drawn three and lost two games which puts them in the 13th position.

However, the tactician is optimistic about collecting his first win in the Ugandan top-tier this season.

"We are very ready and are looking forward to tomorrow. We want to look for victory," Bamweyana said ahead of the game.

"We know it will be a hard place to go but we are confident that we have the quality to go and get the three points. Every game in this league is tough in its own right. It is up to you on the day to show the right attitude, temperament, and courage deserving to get the result that you want. 

"Our attitude is that we can win any game. It is true that we have played five and drawn all of them, but I feel we deserved to win each of those games but it wasn’t to be."

Bamweyana has further hinted how his charges intend to get a win, further insisting they are not under pressure to perform.

"We want to raise our level and start getting the results but we are not necessarily under pressure, but we are confident that we have the ability to get the result against any opponent," he added. 

"It is just about addressing a couple of issues in terms of the balance and that is why you have seen a couple of ins and outs to try and get the right balance for the team to get the results.  

"We felt in the attacking department we didn’t exactly have the quality to take most of the chances we were getting and defensively we have to try to eliminate some of the errors, hopefully, we have got it right and we want to test it out tomorrow."

Midfielder Tom Masiko is set to make his return to the team after a year out with an ankle injury. He has been training well with the team and is expected to be involved.

"We are happy to have [Masiko's] experience as well, it can come in handy," Bamweyana added.

"But we have a good group here, everyone holds their own set of attributes and that is what makes the team unique. So, it is up to [the technical bench] to find the right balance with our decisions, but it is a good thing that we have him back and fit."

Simba SC official Barbara Gonzalez has explained how they have prepared the team to take on AS Vita Club in their first group stage match of the Caf Champions League season.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi will come up against the Democratic Republic of the Congo opponent at the Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa seeking to open their campaign on a winning note.

The club’s CEO, Gonzalez, has now revealed how they have motivated the players heading into the fixture and asked Tanzanians back home to rally behind the team as a win for the team is a victory for the whole country.

“From our end, we have planned ourselves very well, you know my work is to make sure the technical bench gets the best so they can give us good results,” Gonzalez told Simba Online from Kinshasa.

“We have started with encouraging the players to get ready for the match, we have given them good bonuses, we have done it already and I don’t want to reveal the amount of money each player received, but we have boosted their confidence with bonuses.

“We have also prepared them psychologically to understand their opponents by giving them all they needed, we have secured videos of our opponents playing in their last five matches and the technical bench has been using the same to analyse them and it means from our side we have done our job.

“We have given the technical bench all they needed so they can make Tanzanians proud on Friday.”

On what message she has for Tanzanians back home ahead of the match, Gonzalez said: “I want them to put us in their prayers, our players need good words so as they can gain enough confidence and courage to enter the pitch and we urge them to watch the game live on Azam TV and rally behind the team.

“We are representing Tanzania and I ask even our rivals to support the team, a win for Simba is a win for the whole Tanzania, and I hope they will listen to my word and support us.”

On his part, Simba team manager Abbas Ally assured they had done enough to get a win and also confirmed there were no injury worries from the 27-man squad who travelled to Congo.

“We have been received very well here in Congo, and we have had two great training sessions and as you can see behind me, the players are still working hard,” Ally told Simba Online.

“What is remaining now is for the technical bench to pick the first eleven, we don’t have any injuries as all players are fit and good to play, we are ready to play and we ask Tanzanians to rally behind the team, let them play for us and we know we will come with a win.”

Bengaluru FC have roped in Marco Pezzaiuoli as their new head coach on a three-year performance-based contract that will see the German manager stay at the club till the end of 2023-24 season. 

He will take over the reins after the end of this ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) which means Naushad Moosa will continue to remain at the helm of affairs for the time being. So the first assignment of the new manager will be the AFC Cup Preliminary Stage which is set to take place on April 14. 

Bengaluru FC haven't had the best of Indian Super League (ISL) campaigns as they find themselves in the seventh position after 17 games. In fact, they endured an eight-match winless run - a first in the short history of the club.

They parted ways with Carles Cuadrat as the management believed that he had moved away from the club's 'philosophy'. However, under interim coach, they haven't had a great run either with just a solitary win from eight matches.

Bengaluru FC appointed Ashley Westwood in their maiden season in the I-League and after three seasons under the Englishman where they won the I-League twice and a Federation Cup, they appointed Albert Roca. Under Roca, the club reached the AFC Cup and ISL finals and won the Federation Cup.

Thereafter, Cuadrat, who worked as an assistant under Roca, was named the head coach.  He guided the club to their first-ever ISL title and also helped them make it into the playoffs in his second season.

This is the first time that the club has appointed a German coach with the long term vision to not just improve their style of play but also ensure that their trophy cabinet has new additions every season.

Pezzaiuoli was in charge of various German youth teams during his managerial stint.  He was also a part of Karlsruher SC, a German second division club, where he was the interim head coach on two occasions. Interestingly, he succeeded current German national team coach Joachim Low at Karlsruher in 2000.

He has also been a head coach at Hoffenheim during the 2010-11 season in the Bundesliga. However, he lasted only 3 months in the role. 

Pezzaiuoli also has extensive coaching experience in Asia, having been an assistant coach at South Korea's Suwon Bluewings. He also took up a head coaching role at Japan's Cerezo Osaka where he succeeded former Pune City coach Ranko Popovic.  

Speaking on his appointment, Pezzaiuoli said, “I’m very proud to be a part of Bengaluru FC, and excited about the challenge to bring the team back to the top. I am always keen to gather experiences in life and football and to be able to make a difference wherever I go. I’m also keen to share my experience to help Indian football grow. I’m really looking forward to joining the team as soon as I can.”

While, Director Parth Jindal said, “Marco brings with him tremendous experience of having worked with clubs in the top tier in Europe and Asia, along with a significant stint with the age-group sides of the German National Team. What drew me to appointing him was his intent, organisation and clarity of thought on how he wants to take Bengaluru FC back to where we belong.

"Our ambition has been to play the AFC Champions League and I believe Marco has the vision and style to lead us there. The senior team aside, his expertise with youth will go a long way in helping us further build on the success of our academy. Marco’s appointment is a statement of intent from the club and about how serious we are about bringing Bengaluru FC back to the top.”

Goan midfielder Glan Martins announced himself well and truly in FC Goa's 3-3 draw against Mumbai City by scoring his first goal in the Indian Super League (ISL).

The 26-year-old had moved to FC Goa after starting the season with ATK Mohun Bagan with whom he penned a two-year-deal. He made his ISL debut for the Mariners, coming on as an 84th-minute substitute for Javi Hernandez in the 2-0 win over East Bengal earlier this season.

But after moving to FC Goa on loan till the end of the season, Martins made the country sit up and take note of him by scoring a long-range piledriver that flew past a hapless Amrinder Singh in goal. He spoke to Goal about his move to Goa and what transpired through his mind as he scored in what could be potentially termed as the goal of the season.

"When my agent asked me a couple of days before (the move to Goa) 'do you want to join FC Goa?', I told him that I'm ready to join FC Goa anytime," Martins narrated.

"I didn't know that Lenny (Rodrigues) was joining there (ATK Mohun Bagan) until very late. Lenny is also a good player. There were other players also (at Goa), like Princeton (Rebello) also was doing well. There is competition anywhere you go. It's never a given that you will join somewhere and immediately start playing," he added.

Glan was a regular at Goan I-League outfit Churchill Brothers before stepping into the ISL. And his patience has been rewarded finally.

Having joined Sesa Football Academy in 2010, he was selected for combined trials for a few United Soccer League (USL) teams in Florida, United States, in 2014.

"There was a coach at Sesa, Tasos (Sioulas), and I was in the junior batch. I got promoted in the senior team in the second year under him. I started scoring goals and giving assists in the Goa Pro League and I became a regular as an under 20. That's when he (Sioulas) made some videos of me and recommended me for the trials to Florida. So that's how I got there for about a week. I was just 18 that time but it was a very good experience for me," Martins recalled.

Coming back to Goa, he joined Sporting Goa in 2015.

"I played in the I-League for the first two years. Then they withdrew the team and I played for three years in the Goa League. That was the most difficult time for me when I had to play for three years only in the Goa League before joining Churchill Brothers in the I-League before coming here.

"I did not give up. I just did whatever I did every day despite seeing everyone whom I was playing with at a time already make it in the ISL. I stayed positive and focused to move forward and that's how I got here."

It was during this time that the late Sporting Goa president Peter Vaz played a crucial role in Glan starting to attempt long rangers.

"He (Vaz) always believed in me. When I was at Sporting, he used to always tell me, 'Glan, you have a very good shot. You should just try from far.' So I started scoring very good goals.

Martins further went on to reveal that he was speechless after scoring that goal.

"I don't know what to say but I'm very happy to get this goal. I always kept working hard in training. We were two goals down and I wanted my team to get back in the game. So when I got the ball, I had some time to get behind it and thankfully the shot connected well. I have scored goals like this when I was at Sporting, in the Durand Cup, but this was top class," he said.

The FC Goa stint also gives Glan the opportunity to experience a new level of football as the club will be involved in the AFC Champions League later this season.

"I signed with ATK Mohun Bagan for two years but let's see what happens," he said. "I'll be here for the AFC Champions League as well. I think all the patience that I had for all these years has paid off and now with this opportunity, I have to make the best of it."

The versatile midfielder rather quickly adapted from Antonio Habas' setup at Bagan to Juan Ferrando's philosophy at Goa. And with four games to go ahead of the ISL play-offs, while the Mariners (second, 33 points) are currently in a better position, Martins' allegiance is now with Goa (third, 23 points).

"Every coach has a different playing style. The day I arrived (to the FC Goa camp), the coach (Ferrando) told me, 'I know that you are a good player. Even if you make a small mistake, don't worry about it'. So that confidence helped me gel with the team faster and everyone here has been helping me a lot. 

"We have our chances of qualifying in the play-offs. So I don't want to see who is above us and we are thinking all about us making it to the play-offs," he wound up as Goa stepped up preparations to take on Chennaiyin on Saturday.

Kerala Blasters have conceded 29 goals in 17 matches this season in the Indian Super League (ISL). That is eight more goals than the next worst defence among teams competing for the playoffs.

That's a dismal record for a team competing for top-four and ultimately, defending is what is going to cost Kibu Vicuna and his team a spot in the knockout round if the ISL this season. 

Blasters played out a 2-2 draw against Odisha on Thursday in what was their 17th league game and the stalemate meant that the Yellow Army is now winless in their last five matches. 

There were no real surprises in Vicuna's lineup for the game. Sahal Abdul Samad continued to feature on the left flank and midfielder Jeakson Singh once again partnered Costa Nhamoinesu at centre-back. One of these players playing in an unfamiliar role did well and the other failed to impress.

Malayali midfielder Sahal, after having gotten off to a slow start this season, was influential in Blasters' attacks with his playmaking abilities from the flanks. Most of what Kerala did well went through Sahal and the strike partnership Jordan Murray and Gary Hooper benefitted from the vision of a player like Sahal. 

But Jeakson Singh once again struggled in what is already an out-of-form backline. The young Indian midfielder is yet to get to grips with his new position and the poor displays from the rest of the defenders in the team have only put more pressure on him to perform. 

After 45 minutes of an uninspiring one-way contest which was in favour of Blasters, it was Diego Mauricio who picked up from where he left off the last time he came up against the Blasters defence. He picked up Jerry Mawihmingthanga's ball into the box, evaded Albino Gomes' challenge and slotted home to open the scoring with the defence helplessly looking on. 

Kerala Blasters, who failed to convert multiple chances in the first half, got their equaliser soon after the break. A mistake by Jacob Tratt allowed Hooper to pick out Murray inside the box who beat Arshdeep Singh with a neat strike. 

Blasters looked rejuvenated after the break and it was their turn to mount a comeback and having conceded the first goal, for a change this season. Hooper, who impressed with his movement alongside Murray, made a clever run into the box from the left side, collected a delightful pass from Sahal and found the net with aplomb. 

However, instead of putting the game to bed, the Yellows allowed their opponents, who they had thoroughly outplayed in the first half, to exert pressure on their already vulnerable defence. And Blasters were punished by the same person who put their defence to the sword when these two teams met earlier this season. 

Hooper, who registered a goal and an assist, Murray, who has the most touches by any player in the opposition's box this season and the improving left-winger Sahal showed that they are the players who can get the team to the playoffs. However, their poor defending is costing the team valuable points.

The path to the playoffs is now complicated and the team, although mathematically is still in the race,  is highly dependant on other results. And they are where they are because of their defensive displays. No other team has dropped more points from winning positions than Blasters who have thrown away a total of 18 points - which is more than their points tally after 17 rounds of ISL 2020-21.

Sebastien Haller led Ajax players to support banned goalkeeper Andre Onana before and after their KNVB Cup quarter-final game against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday.

The Cameroon international is serving a one-year suspension after failing a doping test but the shot-stopper has promised to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Before PSV encounter at Johan Cruyff Arena, Ajax players don shirts which bear Onana's name and number.

Haller scored twice in the encounter to help the Sons of the Gods secure all three points and progress to the next round of the competition.

The Ivory Coast international is hopeful the 24-year-old’s sanction will be reduced and expressed his support for the goalkeeper.

"It is something really really difficult to accept as a football player when people stop you playing football for one year," Haller told Ajax's own media channels, as per BBC Sport.

"It is difficult for him, his family, for everyone around the club - so, of course, we will support him during this thing - and hopefully they will [reduce] the sanction."

Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has also expressed his displeasure with the ban handed to Onana and revealed the club will stand by him during this difficult time.

"It's awful what he has to go through. We feel sorry for him, and we sympathise with him, and we want to give him support," Hag told ESPN.

"Even if he makes a mistake you can still support him. Let him who is without sin cast the first stone. We love him and he's still part of the dressing room.

"There must be extra motivation to bring in trophies because he has a big share in taking us this far."

Onana has been a consistent performer for the Sons of the Gods since his promotion to the first team in 2016.

The goalkeeper has made more than 150 appearances across all competitions, helping them to win a number of laurels including the Eredivisie title.

Onana has played 26 games in the current campaign, keeping nine clean sheets, amid other dazzling displays.