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Mohamed Salah could spend “another four, five or six years” at Liverpool, according to Dejan Lovren, with the Egyptian looking to feel the “love” from those around him at Anfield.

Transfer talk has been sparked around a prolific forward, with the 28-year-old keeping the rumour mill ticking over with admissions that his future could lie away from Merseyside.

Lovren, though, claims to have been offered no indication by a close friend that a new challenge is being sought any time soon.

What has been said?

The former Liverpool defender has told talkSPORT: “I'm still in communication with Mo Salah. We are best buddies. We talk about everything.

“Mo is committed, not just for Liverpool but for all the fans and for himself. He is the biggest critic of himself when he doesn't do well.

“I'm not surprised he is doing well individually, when you look at how many goals he has scored, he is amazing at the moment.

“There needs to be love from both ways (both Salah and Liverpool), I see now that they have it, so why not [stay]?

“Mo is in the best age of his football career at 28 - maybe he looks a little bit older - but he is in the peak of his form. Why not stay another four, five or six years?”

Who has been linked with Salah?

Salah has been quizzed in the recent past on the chances of him heading to Spain at some stage in his career.

A door has been left open there, with Barcelona and Real Madrid considered the most logical landing spots if a switch to La Liga were to be made.

Even the biggest of clubs are, however, finding the going tough financially during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and that is forcing recruitment ambition to be reined in.

How long is left on Salah’s contract?

Having enjoyed a stunning debut campaign at Anfield in 2017-18, Salah was quickly tied to fresh terms.

His latest deal is due to run until the summer of 2023, meaning that the Reds have no need to consider a big-money sale.

For Jurgen Klopp, Salah remains a talismanic part of his long-term plans, with the two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner registering 116 goals through 184 appearances for the English champions.

Further reading

Mohamed El Shenawy believes Al Ahly can challenge Palmeiras for the Fifa Club World Cup third place medal.

After scaling Al Duhail's second round hurdle thanks to Hussein El Shahat's first-half strike, they squared up against Bayern Munich in the semi-final.

Despite their brave displays against the reigning European kings, they bowed 2-0 at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan – with Robert Lewandowski’s brace sending the Germans into the final.

Nonetheless, Pitso Mosimane’s side will tackle the Brazilian Serie A outfit who bowed 1-0 to Mexico’s Tigres UANL on Thursday evening in their quest to return home with a bronze medal.

Buoyed by their performance against Hans-Dieter Flick’s side, the 32-year-old Egypt international who made a couple of breath-taking saves against the German elite division outfit is positive that his team can challenge Abel Ferreira’s team to end the Club World Cup on a high.

"Don’t forget we were up against the champions of Europe," El Shenawy told Fifa website.

"We played a good game and gave a performance that dignifies Al Ahly and the African continent. We've learned a lot of things in these games.

"After a great game against the European champions, we’re very confident we can compete for third place.

“We’ll head into that game with real desire and solely focused on Palmeiras. It's going to be harder.

"I'm sure our opponents have analysed our matches and already know our strengths and weaknesses, so we have to be very careful in this fixture.”

Qatar are hosts of the 2022 Fifa World Cup and the El Shenawy who represented the Pharaohs at the 2018 edition staged in Russia - where he played two out of three preliminary matches – is looking forward to taking part in the global football showpiece which will be held for the first time in the Middle East.

"Things are going well. The Qatari stadiums are great. I'm optimistic about being here with the Egyptian national team for Qatar 2022,” he continued.

The Club World Cup was initially scheduled to be held in December 2020, but the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic – which crippled football-related activities – saw it moved to February 2021.

Barcelona have been urged to launch a raid on Sevilla for Bryan Gil, with the scout that helped to discover Andres Iniesta and Ansu Fati at Camp Nou seeing shades of Neymar in the highly-rated winger.

German Vaya Ballabriga 'Mani' has spent several years working with the Liga giants, during which time has helped to bring through some notable talents.

His eye for potential has narrowed on 20-year-old forward Gil this season, with the youngster impressing on loan at Eibar being nudged in the direction of those in Catalunya before his price tag rockets.

What has been said?

Mani, who has spoken with Barca’s sporting director Ramon Planes, has told Cadena Ser of Gil: “Right now he is Spain's best footballer and I compare him with Neymar.

“He can do certain things and has great versatility, as he can play at full-back, in the middle or on the left wing. It's impressive.

“I have spoken with Raman Planes about him and he has Bryan Gil in mind.

“If he is signed now then his release clause is €35 million, but if he signs a new deal with Sevilla then he'll have a release clause worth €150m.”

Why is Gil so highly-rated?

A collection of eye-catching performances have been put in by the youngster for Eibar this season.

Gil has registered three goals and two assists through 16 appearances in all competitions.

The Spain U21 international is enjoying the most productive campaign of his short career to date, having previously been restricted to just 21 competitive appearances for his parent club.

There is considered to still be plenty of potential to unlock in his game, with comparisons to Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar easy to make given their respective positions and penchant for the spectacular.

Gil’s current contract at Sevilla is due to run until 2023, while his loan agreement at Eibar will come to a close in the summer – when interest in his services could be stepped up.

It remains to be seen, though, whether Barca will be in any position to bolster their ranks after the revelation that the Catalan giants are €1.2 billion (£1.1b/$1.5b) in debt and facing up to the threat of seeing talismanic captain Lionel Messi walk away as a free agent.

Further reading

Nobody could have imagined the question would have ever been asked when Mohamed Salah was hastily sold by Chelsea permanently in 2016, but is the Egypt attacker Africa’s finest to play in the Premier League?

After a largely torrid time in West London, followed by a couple of loans at Fiorentina and Roma, the Blues let him leave for the latter. If anyone intimated at the time the forward will be crucial to Liverpool’s ascent to Premier League glory as well as in claiming another Champions League crown, such a prediction may not have been taken seriously.

Be that as it may, Salah has not only been a vital cog in the Reds’ first top flight crown in three decades, he’s shattered several club and PL records to sit among the Merseyside outfit’s greats and arguably thrown his name in contention as the continent’s finest to grace the English game.

This sort of debate, as is usually the case, tends to be subjective with opinions tending to vary. Two names who wouldn’t be in contention are Samuel Eto’o and George Weah, despite their obvious standing as Africa’s all-time greats.

It’s a shame the pair didn’t grace the PL in their respective primes, with the Cameroon legend only moving to Chelsea months after his 32nd birthday in 2013. Liberia’s most-accomplished star did when he was 33, playing fewer than 20 games in total at the Blues and Manchester City at the turn of the millennium.

Both players may be unsurpassed on any list of African greats, but they take a backseat when it’s narrowed down to Premier League football alone…they simply didn’t star in the division long enough or at their very best to be in contention.

It gets a tad more interesting and greatly based on personal perception from here on out.

The average observer could name Didier Drogba, and for good reason. The Ivory Coast powerhouse intimidated defences at his peak with some old-fashioned centre-forward play and clutch goals across two spells in West London.

While the Blues icon wasn’t necessarily a consistent goal scorer, he was a scorer of great goals which proved hugely significant in winning two Golden Boot awards, as many as Salah already has after only three full seasons on Merseyside.

Nigerian pair of Nwankwo Kanu and Jay-Jay Okocha may get a shout for their accomplishments at Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers respectively. Despite barely featuring, the former was part of the Gunners side that went an entire season unbeaten, with his best football coming in the late 90s and early 2000s where Arsene Wenger’s side claimed the Double in 2001/02.

Subsequently, Kanu was prominent in 04/05 as West Bromwich Albion became the first side to survive relegation after being bottom at Christmas, while the importance of winning Portsmouth’s first FA Cup crown in 69 years can’t be overstated.

As for Okocha, there weren’t trophies to distinguish arguably the continent’s greatest natural talent but his impact in making Bolton an established top flight side after their initial struggles made him so popular at the University of Bolton Stadium.

Midfielders who largely revolutionised the role of box-to-box midfielders, Michael Essien and Yaya Toure, made great strides outside the continent to be worthy candidates.

The Ghana icon was a driving force in the early days of Roman Abramovic’s dominant Blues that dominated in England in the mid-to-late 2000s. The Bison was sadly slowed down by injuries, but he made his mark, nonetheless, notably nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or nominations between 2005 and 2007.

Yaya, however, outdid Essien by playing an outstanding role in putting Manchester City on the map. While Sergio Aguero’s last-gasp strike against Queens Park Rangers in 2012 has left an indelible mark on supporters, it was City’s Ivory Coast unstoppable force who netted the important strike a year earlier to end the club’s 35-year wait for a major trophy.

He went from strength to strength at the Etihad Stadium, producing arguably the division’s all-time performance by a midfielder in 2013/14, when he rivalled Luis Suarez’s amazing 31-goal season as the Cityzens claimed their second title in three years.

Notably, Yaya was named African Footballer of the Year a staggering four times during his City spell, emphasising his sheer dominance in the 2010s.

It would be remiss to not mention his brother, Kolo, who overcame initial ropey performances at Arsenal to form half of the centre-back pairing that went an entire campaign unbeaten in 04/05; thereafter growing into one of the continent’s solid central defenders.

The elder Toure had his career besmirched at Man City following a failed drugged test in 2011 but the two-time Premier League winner made his mark, regardless.

Lauren and Lucas Radebe also starred in the English game with Arsenal and Leeds United respectively, and are arguably the most-celebrated African defenders in PL history.

The Cameroon icon claimed the Double on two occasions under Wenger and was equally prominent in that vaunted Invincible campaign. Radebe, on the other hand, attained cult hero status at Leeds for his amazing consistency for the Whites in the 90s. Even Sir Alex Ferguson came calling…what might have been?

Notable mentions go to Yakubu, the Nigerian forward who proved his scoring prowess at lesser sides, Emmanuel Adebayor, the forthright Togo icon who wasn’t Gooners’ cup of tea and Geremi, who did his bit despite the influx of talent after everything changed at Chelsea.

There’s also the strange tendency to forget about Mane’s influence in taking Liverpool back where they feel they’ve always belonged, with observers tending to make him the Robin to Salah’s Batman.

The forwards have pushed each other since they became teammates under Jurgen Klopp, forming part of a forward line that’s terrorised rearguards domestically and on the continent.

Excitingly, the Senegal star sits on 91 PL goals, with the Egyptian only one behind as they look to supplant Yakubu (95), Adebayor (97) and Drogba (104) as the highest-scoring African forwards in the English top flight.

Salah, a two-time African Footballer of the Year and two-time PL Golden Boot winner has come on in leaps and bounds since the late 2010s, losing the supposed shyness at Stamford Bridge to become one of the devastating forwards of his generation.

So, where does he rank in the pantheon of African icons to grace the Premier League?

Tanzania Football Federation has confirmed the termination of national team head coach Etienne Ndayiragije’s contract.

The Burundian was appointed to replace Emanuel Amuneke of Nigeria who was let go after a poor show at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2019 where Taifa Stars finished without a point after losing all three matches against Algeria, Kenya and Senegal.

“Tanzania Football Federation has reached into an agreement to terminate Etienne Ndayiragije’s contract as the head coach of the national team, Taifa Stars,” read the confirmation letter obtained by Goal on Thursday.

“The two parties have agreed to part ways after holding consultation talks together. TFF would like to say thank you to coach Ndayiragije because of what he did and achieved with Taifa Stars. We would like to wish him the best in his future endeavours.

“TFF would announce the new coach once the recruitment process is over.”

Ndayiragije has left his position after Tanzania struggled in the recently concluded African Nations Championship in Cameroon. He helped Taifa Stars qualify for the tournament meant exclusively for players doing trade in their own domestic leagues.

He guided the Cecafa nation past Kenya and Sudan on their way to the Chan 2021 edition.

Ndayiragije is one of the most experienced regional coaches having handled Vital’ O of Burundi, Mbao FC, Kinondoni Municipal Council (KMC FC) and Azam FC.

At Vital’ O, he won the Premier League title as well as the FA Cup before he crossed the border to take over at Mbao of Tanzania in 2016. He did not stay for long at Mbao as he was appointed by KMC whom he helped qualify for the Caf Confederation Cup for the first time in their history when they finished fourth in the Mainland Premier League.

With the good record at KMC, he was approached and later appointed by Chamazi club Azam who he guided in the Confederation Cup campaign.

He was named the Taifa Stars coach – where he acted on an interim basis initially – from Azam. He helped the national side reach the group phase of the Fifa World Cup qualification after he eliminated Burundi in the preliminary stage.

Kim Poulsen is understood to be the clear candidate to replace the Burundian.

Former South Africa and Houston Dash assistant coach Shilene Booysen has been appointed as the head coach of the South Sudan senior women's national team, on a two-year contract.

The former South Africa goalkeeper started as a Bafana Bafana performance analyst before joining Banyana Banyana in 2014 in the same role, assisting Vera Pauw and later Desiree Ellis.

Booysen, who holds a Caf A License is no stranger to international football as she also worked as an assistant coach to Pauw at America's National Women's Soccer League side Houston Dash.

Following her switch, Booysen becomes the latest South African to land a top coaching job outside the country after Pitso Mosimane recently left Mamelodi Sundowns to join Al Ahly in Egypt.

On landing her new role, the South African admitted the ambition and passion of the South Sudan Football Association in women's football development lured her. 

"When I saw what South Sudan was doing in terms of women’s football and the strategy the SSFA has put in place, and what they have done since putting it in place, everything that they have done made me excited and since then I have always wanted to be a part of something like this," Booysen told the SSFA website. 

This is exactly where I want to be, this is exactly what I want to do, and I want to be a part of something bigger and for me, South Sudan football and the Federation plans represent something bigger.’’

Earlier, South Sudan FA President, Francis Amin explained the motive behind his leadership move to appoint the South African coach.

“We are delighted to announce Shilene as the next head coach of the South Sudan Senior Women’s Football Team," he affirmed.

"Our vision is to be number one and having a full-time head coach is part of our strategic plan. We want to give women on the senior women’s national team full-time training that is monitored, and we want to see the team competing at a high level soon.”

Commenting on the development, Jean Sseninde a Ugandan player-administrator, who doubles as SSFA women’s football consultant, lauded the achievements of Booysen, while backing her to excel.

“Shilene has plenty of international experience having worked in the National Women’s Soccer League as an assistant coach to Vera Pauw with Houston Dash and also with the South Africa senior women’s national team as a tactical assistant coach to Desiree Ellis," she recounted. 

"She has worked in high-pressure games in the Fifa Women’s World Cup and we fully believe her experiences, authenticity, commitment and understanding of our vision as SSFA will help us build a team that will challenge for regional and continental titles in the near future.”

With her new role, Booysen is expected to lead the Bright Starlets through some major campaigns, the Cecafa Women's Cup and African Women's Cup of Nations which double as the qualifying event for the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Newcastle have been rocked by the news that leading goalscorer Callum Wilson could be sidelined for up to eight weeks with a hamstring injury.

The 28-year-old striker was forced off after 36 minutes of the Magpies’ last Premier League outing against Southampton.

Fears were quickly raised regarding a long-term absence for the England international, with Bruce confirming that he may be out of action until April.

What has been said?

When offering a fitness update ahead of a trip to Chelsea on Monday, Newcastle boss Bruce told reporters: “Fabian Schar has had an operation on his knee ligaments so it's eight weeks out for him.

“Javier Manquillo did his ankle ligaments so he could be a similar time out and Callum Wilson has got a tear to his hamstring so that could be six to eight weeks as well.”

Why is Wilson such a big miss?

The Magpies invested £20 million ($26m) in a proven frontman when luring him away from Bournemouth in the summer of 2020.

That show of faith has been rewarded with 10 goals through 23 appearances.

Nobody in a Newcastle shirt has got close to matching his output this season, with Miguel Almiron sitting second on their scoring chart with five efforts to his name.

Alongside his clinical finishing in the final third, Wilson has also contributed a club-high five assists to the Newcastle cause.

Which games could Wilson miss?

If Wilson finds himself stuck on the treatment table for six weeks, then he will be absent through to the end of March.

Prior to that, Newcastle have Premier League clashes with Chelsea, Manchester United, Wolves, West Brom, Aston Villa and Brighton to take in.

Sitting out another fortnight beyond that point would make Wilson a major doubt to figure in meetings with Tottenham and Burnley.

Bruce will be desperate to have his most potent attacking weapon before then, with the Magpies currently perched in 16th spot in the Premier League table – 10 points clear of the relegation zone and seven adrift of the top-half.

Further reading

Jose Mourinho admits to being left “surprised” by Gareth Bale’s latest absence from the Tottenham fold, with a “not obvious” injury complaint seeing the Welshman forced back onto the sidelines.

A loan spell back in familiar surroundings for the 31-year-old forward has not played out as planned, with niggling fitness issues following him back to north London from Real Madrid.

Bale was not involved in Spurs’ matchday squad for a thrilling 5-4 FA Cup fifth-round defeat to Everton, with Mourinho revealing that the Wales international had requested a scan and ruled himself out of contention.

What has been said?

“I think it is better for me to say: we played against West Brom on the Sunday and he didn't play, he was on the bench,” Mourinho told reporters regarding Bale.

“Monday I was a bit surprised by him wanting to have a scan because he was not feeling comfortable.

“He didn't train on Monday then on the Tuesday he trained with the team but I was informed his desire would be to work with the sports science for a couple of days to strengthen that area where he was not feeling comfortable.

“That is the reason why he is not here. I don't think it is an obvious injury, I would say he feels uncomfortable and because of that training session he couldn't be 100 per cent.”

How many games has Bale missed this season?

Tottenham have played 38 games across all competitions this season.

Those outings have come in the Premier League, Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Europa League.

Bale, who returned from Madrid nursing a knock, has figured in just 15 of those contests.

He has graced just six matches in the English top-flight, with those outings totalling 230 minutes.

Having once been a prolific presence, only four goals have been recorded in the current campaign – alongside no assists.

Injury struggles have become an all too familiar theme in recent years, with his regular unavailability contributing to a tumble down the pecking order in Spain that saw him frozen out under Zinedine Zidane.

Further reading

Ugandan Premier League side Busoga United have unveiled seven new players ahead of the resumption of the competition on February 12.

The seven have been brought on board to strengthen a side that has struggled in the Premier League since the delayed 2020/21 season began.

“We are glad to announce the arrival of the first batch of seven new signings to strengthen our squad,” Busoga United stated.

“The seven include Ekellot Ibrahim, Wagoina Isaac, Wamusi Bernard, Ssozi Shaka, Benda Byron, Kalyowa George William and Ngonde Elvis and were unveiled by the club’s Chief Executive Officer Andrew Ndyabahika ahead of our game away to Onduparaka FC on Friday.

“To all our new singings welcome to the mighty team.”

Ngonde is an 18-year-old defensive midfielder and has graduated from the junior team to the senior side where he signed a two-year contract for them.

Kalyowa is a 19-year-old left-back who – like Ngonde – has been promoted to the senior side and given a two-and-half-year contract.

Ekellot is the youngest of the new players being 17 and is expected to be used as a utility player both at the centre of the defence as well as a defensive midfielder. He has been signed from Premier League rivals Bright Stars’ junior team although the details of his contract have not been made public.

21-year-old Wagoina has been signed to strengthen the forward department and he arrives from Iganga Young FC on a deal that will see him serve the side for one and a half years. Wamusi – a 26-year-old midfielder-cum-forward – has been signed from Kataka FC on a one-and-a-half year deal.

Wamusi is joined by Brenda who is also 26 and has been signed from Edgars FC on a one-and--a-half year deal too. Shaka – a 27-year-old forward has been signed from Nyamityobora FC on a one and a half year contract too.

The Jinja based side are yet to pick a win and sits 14th with just a point that came from a 1-1 draw against Kyetume FC. They lost to UPDF FC, BUL FC, Police FC and reigning champions Vipers Sports Club.

Crystal Palace favourite Wilfried Zaha has said that he was “set up to fail” under Louis van Gaal during his time on the books of Manchester United, with the Dutch tactician having opted to play the attacker out of position.

Zaha signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with the Red Devils in January 2013, the final year of Sir Alex Ferguson's decades-long service in the Old Trafford dugout.

Ferguson's replacement, David Moyes, gave little playing time to Zaha, who subsequently went on loan to Cardiff City. Upon his return, Moyes had been sacked and replaced with Van Gaal – and the veteran manager didn't make things any easier for the Ivory Coast international.

What was said?

Speaking to the On The Judy podcast, Zaha said of his return from Cardiff: “I went back to United after that and it was Louis van Gaal by then. When he came, it was after the World Cup where he played Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben up front [for the Netherlands national team].

“He gave me two options: you're either a wing-back or a striker. Those are positions I'd never played before, it was like I'm being set up to fail.

“This was after coming back from the David Moyes era and I was just shattered with how everything didn't work out for me. Then I go back, I get 'either you're a striker or a wing-back' – and I couldn't do either.

“I can vary my game now. With years of playing you get experience. You've seen me play up front for Palace these days. Back then I wasn't good with my back to goal because I didn't have the awareness. I'd stand on the ball and the defender would poke it away. I wasn't good with that.”

He added: “I remember I had to play striker in pre-season. We were playing teams like Inter, I had to play against [Nemanja] Vidic. We played against Real Madrid, I'm playing against Pepe and [Sergio] Ramos up front.

“It was like, 'this guy is boying me'. Bro, I'm being thrown in the deep end against the maddest teams.”

The bigger picture

Zaha ultimately left Man Utd after just two Premier League appearances, rejoining Crystal Palace first on loan and then permanently ahead of the 2015-16 season.

At the end of that campaign, Zaha was named the Eagles' player of the year and credits his time at Old Trafford as a character-building experience that has helped shape him into the versatile forward that he is today.

What's next for Zaha?

Roy Hodgson has repeatedly stated that he would be surprised if no clubs registered an interest in his star player during transfer windows, with Arsenal having been monitoring Zaha's situation in the past.

At 28 years old, Zaha is contracted to Palace only until 2023 and could opt to push for a move to a club competing in European competition before entering the twilight of his career.

Given the devastating financial impact the coronavirus pandemic has had, however, the list of clubs able to afford Zaha is likely to be understandably small.

Further reading

Tomas Soucek is being tipped to attract interest from Premier League heavyweights in upcoming transfer windows, with the West Ham midfielder’s former coach, Dusan Uhrin, backing him for big things.

Speculation regarding supposed interest from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in the Czech star has already surfaced, although there is considered to be little substance to those reports.

Uhrin doubts that the 25-year-old, who has eight goals to his name this season, will be targeted by the German giants, but he can see leading sides in England lining up to make a move.

What has been said?

Uhrin, who worked with Soucek at Slavia Prague, has told BBC Sport: “He is constantly improving, so why not? Who scores eight goals from his position? I wouldn't expect a transfer to Bayern, but rather a team in England.”

The 78-year-old added on his initial impressions of a player who stepped out of the academy ranks at Slavia after being snubbed elsewhere: “He didn't have good passing. Also, it didn't look very good when he was running. That might have been the reason why coaches didn't want him.

“But he was great in improving himself and working hard in training. He progressed really quickly, took responsibility and remained a great boy. You had to get used to watching him because at first glance he looked slow.”

How has Soucek fared this season?

The Czech Republic international has become a key part of David Moyes’ plans at the London Stadium.

He managed just three goals during a season-long loan in 2019-20, but has added greater end product to his game in the current campaign.

Those efforts have proved priceless to the Hammers as they seek to chase down a European qualification spot in the Premier League.

Soucek’s eight goals have contributed to the collection of 14 points by the Hammers, with only three players in the English top-flight able to better that return.

Bruno Fernandes leads the way at Manchester United on 26 points, Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah sits joint-second on 21, with Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin matching the efforts of a Merseyside rival.

Further reading

Southampton defender Jannik Vestergaard says that the style of the club suits his game “perfectly”.

The 28-year-old Denmark international defender has been widely recognised as one of the club’s outstanding figures this season.

Saints have made great progress under Ralph Hasenhuttl and were flying high in the table before Vestergaard picked up an injury shortly before Christmas.

What has Vestergaard said?

“Our style of football surely is a perfect fit for me,” he told Goal. “When I got injured, I was in a great place with my football in the greatest league in the world and for Denmark.

“The club were in a great place, but actually I believe that it would have felt worse if I had been in a bad spell at the time, and if the results had not been good.

“And we all know football: there are ups and downs during every season for every club and every player in the world. Now we just want to work hard to get back on our successful track.”

What was Southampton's record without Vestergaard?

Vestergaard's final game before injury was a 1-0 defeat at home by Manchester City on December 19 and Saints initially started positively without him, drawing 0-0 with Fulham and West Ham before beating champions Liverpool 1-0.

However, Saints then lost 2-0 away at Leicester before going down 3-1 to Arsenal and 1-0 to Aston Villa at St Mary's.

The final game of Vestergaard's absence was the 9-0 thrashing by Manchester United at Old Trafford last week, which saw the Saints end the game with nine men.

The bigger picture

With Vestergaard having returned in Saturday's 3-2 defeat at Newcastle, the Saints will be hoping for increased assurance at the back.

The club had been pushing for a potential European spot, and even Champions League qualification, when Vestergaard was ruled out, and they will be anxious to return to a similar level of form and results.

They travel to Wolves in the FA Cup fifth round on Thursday night before facing the same opponents at home in the Premier League on Sunday. Games against Chelsea and Leeds round off February, with Saints currently 12th in the table.

Further reading

Hasenhuttl tight-lipped on Ings contract talks

Hasenhuttl outlines plans for 'special' Minamino

Man Utd equal record PL win with nine-goal Saints thrashing

Arsenal midfielder Bukayo Saka has sought to piece together the perfect FIFA Ultimate Team player from the best young talent in the Premier League.

The 19-year-old England international slots seamlessly into that category having enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence at Emirates Stadium – with a long-term contract in north London earned along the way.

He considers himself to be a contender to fill a FUT role in the dribbling stakes, but is prepared to acknowledge the skill sets of Gunners team-mates and Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City rivals when it comes to ticking other boxes.

What has been said?

Saka has been speaking to the Premier League’s official YouTube channel and said when asked to fill the various FUT categories: “Shooting, Mason Greenwood. Both feet, he's amazing and I think that's one of his best qualities.

“Defending, Aaron Wan-Bissaka. I've rarely seen him get beaten, so I'd say him. When I played against him, I didn't find myself a lot in those situations, but I could feel what he wanted to do as I've obviously seen him play before. It's about not going into the trap he sets for you.”

On the passing front, Saka said of Arsenal colleague Emile Smith Rowe: “[He has]  settled in perfectly, he was patient for his opportunity and I think he deserved it. When he got it he took it and showed the impact he can make for the team.

“He’s a livewire across the pitch, he’s everywhere, he will run into space, pass into space and create opportunities for all of us. I love playing with him and I’m really happy with what he’s done in the team since he’s come in.”

Saka also name-checked City starlet Phil Foden for his passing ability, while Chelsea full-back Reece James filled physical and defensive spots.

“He’s (James) so strong, so powerful,” said Saka.

“His technical ability is amazing as well. He’s good enough not just to play right-back but can also play in midfield as well.

“He’s that good for me. The combination of his technical and physical skills makes him so good.”

Gabriel Martinelli got the nod on a pace front, with Saka saying of the Brazilian youngster: “Just watch him play and press, the way he goes, he doesn’t stop.

“He’s not only just fast, he can also run a long distance at that same speed and just get faster.

“You look at his Chelsea goal [last season] - he didn’t slow down or get tired. It’s not just his pace it’s his engine as well. It’s crazy. It’s like he’s got a battery pack on his back.”

The bigger picture

There are a number of talented teenagers illuminating a Premier League stage at present, with top-flight managers prepared to put faith in youth and resist the urge to invest heavily on ready-made stars by turning to home-grown talent instead.

Arsenal have been doing that this season under Mikel Arteta, much to the delight of Saka and Smith Rowe, while players of considerable promise can be found on the books of every team in the English top-flight.

Further reading

Former Kenyan striker Ronald Okoth has explained how AFC Leopards gave Gor Mahia proper preparations for their upcoming Caf Confederation Cup tie against Napsa Stars.

Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards played to a goalless Mashemeji Derby on Sunday and Okoth believes the showdown should act as another way of helping K’Ogalo tackle the Zambian side on February 14 in Nairobi.

“AFC Leopards are a big team that exposed Gor Mahia’s weaknesses and that is a good thing for the coach because he will pinpoint where the problem is and how to correct them in earnest,” Okoth told Goal.

“Good preparations are needed for any team at Caf level because, at the end of the day, proper preparations will largely determine the final outcome.

“But I have a feeling Gor Mahia have had good preparation this time around because they have just played the derby. The derby was not a small game and that has given them the right momentum ahead of the Napsa Stars game.

“Napsa Stars are coming when Gor Mahia are in a good shape just after the derby. The form in the league has also been encouraging and they have a good coach who I believe is ready to apply the winning methodology.”

Even though the former Mathare United striker feels the preparations for the first leg have been good so far, he has urged his former club to have even better preparations for the return clash.

“We must, however, consider how they will prepare for the second leg because that would be very important should they have everything right,” he added.

“It is the second leg that will probably have a lot at stake and that calls for proper preparations.”

The former Sofapaka star also pointed out a win for either side will show whether the Kenyan league or the Zambian one is stronger.

“It is going to,” he concluded. “You know continentally, the performance of a team always indicates how strong their domestic league is.

“The one who is going to win the tie will give a clear indication of how strong their league is. Look at Chan, Morocco were dominant and teams from the North have dominated the Caf competitions.

“When clubs perform better, that will surely trickle down to the national team’s performance. Every team that does well at continental level, they portray the kind of a league they participate in back at home.”

Napsa Stars have already landed in Nairobi with a 23-man squad that includes former Gor Mahia players Shaban Odhoji and David Odhiambo.

Chelsea playmaker Kai Havertz is being backed to overcome the “nonsense” criticism that continues to be aimed in his direction, with former Bayer Leverkusen team-mate Jonathan Tah expecting the Germany international to come good.

A testing debut campaign in English football is being endured by the highly-rated 21-year-old at Stamford Bridge.

Little return has been offered on his £70 million ($95m) price tag, leading to inevitable questions of his value to the collective cause, but Tah remains convinced that Havertz will offer the perfect response to those who have been quick to write him off.

What's been said?

“I've been watching the Chelsea games regularly since then (the move),” Leverkusen defender Tah told Sport 1.

“It’s super interesting because Timo Werner and Antonio Rudiger also play there. I know what qualities Kai has.

“The game there is different than in Germany. There is a lot of talk in such phases: He has to do this and that because he has cost so and so much.

“But that’s nonsense. Give the boy time; then he will show his enormous qualities at Chelsea too. Kai will convince all the critics over there.”

Fellow countryman Rudiger, meanwhile, has told Sky Deutschland of the struggles being endured by domestic and international colleagues, with Timo Werner also scratching around for form: “First of all, Kai should get over his [injury], then it could soon work.

“[But] the manager ultimately decides. We’ll see when it happens then. But it would be nice [to have the three Germans in the line-up].

“He [Tuchel] will do everything in his power [to help Havertz and Werner]. But at the end of the day, the guys have to be there for themselves on the pitch.”

Havertz’s record in 2020-21

Havertz has taken in 26 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions this season, registering five goals and five assists.

Only one of those strikes has come in the Premier League, though, with Havertz having found the net against Southampton in a 3-3 draw back in October.

More had been expected of the youngster when he arrived in west London and he has sat out the Blues’ last two fixtures through injury.

The Germany international was reportedly missing from training this week and is therefore set to miss out on Thursday's meeting with Barnsley in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Further reading

Now in his fourth season with SuperSport (he joined midway through the 2017/18 campaign), Rusike’s stats have been on the wane for several years add he has not managed to recapture the scintillating form he showed at his previous club, Maritzburg United.

The Zimbabwean international’s progress has been hampered by injury as well as the partnership between Bradley Grobler and Thamsanqa Gabuza, which has seen Rusike relegated to the bench or used more as a winger than as an out-and-out striker.

Rusike’s contract runs until the end of this season, although there is an option for him to renew it for another year.

That, however, seems unlikely if his form does not change.

"Evans knows his option comes up this year and for sure if Evans doesn't bang in goals or makes goals I am not going to keep him," Matthews told Sowetan.

The 30-year-old Rusike has started only four matches for Matsatsantsa this term and has failed to score while registering one assist.

His best campaign for SuperSport was in the 2018/19 season when he started in 27 matches in all competitions and scored six goals while registering four assists.

At Maritzburg he banged in 20 goals in 74 league games over three seasons and also added one cup goal in six outings.

SuperSport have been happy to let their more experienced players move on this season – they sold Aubrey Modiba to Mamelodi Sundowns and released defender Clayton Daniels to Maritzburg United.

Rusike has himself been linked with a return to Maritzburg, although at this stage that is little more than speculation.

Should he move in the current transfer window, there are just four days to complete a deal – the PSL’s mid-season transfer window runs until February 15.

Grobler has scored 13 goals and created one assist in 19 appearances in all competitions for SuperSport this season. Gabuza has complemented Grobler superbly and the 33-year-old former Orlando Pirates striker has five goals and one assist from 17 matches in all competitions.

Swallows FC's veteran right-back Vuyo Mere believes Birds teammate Njabulo Ngcobo has the potential to emulate former Orlando Pirates centre-back Mbulelo Mabizela.

After signing from Maritzburg City in 2001, Mabizela lit up the PSL with some outstanding performances during his two years at Orlando Pirates, before going on to play in England's Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur.

Although off-the-field issues caught up with Mabizela and he arguably never reached his full potential, the former Bafana Bafana centre-back and captain is still regarded by many as one of the finest defenders South Africa has produced.

Mere played briefly with Mabizela at Mamelodi Sundowns and now having seen the rise of Ngcobo, he believes his Swallows teammate has the potential to be as good.

“Njabulo Ngcobo is such a wonderful player to play with. Some people probably don’t know how good he is," Mere told SAFM, as he was quoted saying by the Citizen.

"He reminds me of OJ Mabizela, but he has a long way to go before reaching those levels. But what a player he is for us at the back,” added the former Hellenic and Platinum Stars full-back.

Ngcobo, Mere and their team-mates have ensured the Birds have the second-best defensive record in the league this season - they've conceded just nine goals in 14 league matches, behind only Sundowns (seven conceded in 15 games).

Ngcobo is in his first season in South Africa's top-flight. The 26-year-old joined the Birds from Uthongathi. He also previously played for Richards Bay and AmaZulu, when Usuthu were still in the second-tier.

Mere, who began his professional career in 2001, was also asked who his most difficult opponent over the years has been.

The 36-year-old credited the late Kaizer Chiefs ball wizard, Emmanuel ‘Scara’ Ngobese, with that honour.

“Scara Ngobese is one player that gave me nightmares,” Mere said. “I always had a tough time playing against him. He even enjoyed making fun of us on the field. What a player he was.”

Swallows are currently third on the league standings, five points behind Sundowns and with a game in hand. They host AmaZulu in a league match on Sunday.

Zoo FC head coach Herman Iswekha believes his charges have 'a big problem' in the attacking department after another poor performance which led to their loss against Sofapaka.

Lawrence Juma and Kephwa Aswani struck for Batoto ba Mungu in a 2-0 Football Kenya Federation Premier League win against the Kericho-based side on Wednesday at Wundanyi Stadium in Taita Taveta. All the goals came in the first half and the tactician believes his team was let down by the attackers and defenders in equal measure. 

"We have had our fair share of chances but we have a big problem if we cannot take them," Iswekha told Goal on Thursday.

"My players could neither shoot nor score and it means there is a problem there.

"My defenders' positioning was also wanting and Sofapaka got their chances and took them.

"Sofapaka are a good team with a good coach and experienced in the league and we cannot afford to give them easy chances as we did."

In an earlier interview, the former striker expressed his desire to bring on board experienced players, especially at the back, to bolster his team to avoid registering unimpressive results.

"As I have said on several occasions, many of my players do not have top-tier experience," Iswekha admitted to Goal.

"Definitely I will bring on board three players to improve the team and ensure we perform well.

"I will have to find an experienced defender to partner Pascal Ogweno because we are having a problem there. We will also sign a left-back and a forward to help Collins Neto.

"If we get those players I am confident we will perform better in the remaining campaign." 

After Wednesday's loss, Zoo have just collected two points from the eight games they have played this season. The two points have come from as many draws, while the remaining six games have ended in losses.

They have the worst attack, having scored just four goals and conceded 15.

On their part, the 2009 champions are now in ninth position with 14 points that have come from the 10 matches they have played.