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Federation of Uganda Football Associations is likely to support Patrice Motsepe in his quest to win the Caf presidency.

According to Daily Monitor, the Uganda federation could back the South African mining mogul but according to the source quoted by the publication, the final decision will be made soon.

Motsepe, Jacques Anouma of Ivory Coast, Senegal’s Patrice Senghor, Ahmed Yahya of Mauritania and Ahmad Ahmad – although his candidacy still faces legal tussles – were all cleared to fight for the Caf leadership.

“We are likely to vote for him [Motsepe] because of several factors,” the source told Daily Monitor.

“He is the best bet for now though [this is] not yet a final decision because the Fufa president [Moses Magogo] has to meet with other Cecafa leaders so that they can brainstorm and find the best position as a region.”

Proline FC’s director Mujid Kasule listed what the voters must look for in candidates before they cast ballots in their favour.

“The voters must look at a candidate who will bring about development,” Kasule said. “The leaders are focusing on the business side and forgetting the game itself.

“For example, they are focusing on expanding the competitions to accommodate more teams and not minding about the quality.”

Kasule, a Caf coaching instructor, explained key areas for the next Caf administration to address.

“We have issues with infrastructure but we are not seeing proposals and strategies to improve on that,” he added. “They need to address the issue of coaching; we are seeing coaches from Europe coming to coach with their licenses but African coaches cannot go there because they don’t recognise ours.

“When I see a candidate who owns a football club that is a giant on the continent and coming from a country that has made big strides in terms of football development, that gives me hope that he can do a good job.” 

The East African federation chiefs are expected to focus majorly on the Caf elections slated for March 12 as well as the Fifa Council slots.

The Fifa Review Committee recently cleared Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa and his Tanzanian Football Federation counterpart Wallace Karia alongside Amaju Patrick, Andrew Kamanga, Lamin Kaba Bajo, Walter Nyamiladu, Fouzi Lekja, Gustavo Ndong, Hany Abo Rida, Mamoutou Toure, Mahurin De Chacus, Isha Johansen and Lydia Nsekera to vie for the post.

Lyon coach Rudi Garcia has hit out at his Barcelona counterpart Ronald Koeman over his criticism of Paris Saint-Germain and their pursuit of Lionel Messi.

PSG have a long-standing interest in Messi, which has recently increased with the Argentina superstar in the final few months of his Barca contract.

Koeman hit out at PSG forward Angel Di Maria after he said he would love to play with Messi on the club stage, but Garcia feels it is a bit rich that the Dutchman is offended by the transfer talk after publicly talking up interest in Lyon forward Memphis Depay.

What was said?

“I read that Ronald Koeman was a little offended that PSG spoke about Lionel Messi at the club before a Champions League match,” Garcia told BeIN Sport.

“He was not shy, even after the transfer window, to talk about Memphis Depay. 

“It is called the water sprinkler and the sprinkler has been sprinkled.”

Why is Garcia upset with Koeman?

Barcelona have had their eyes trained on Dutch forward Depay for some time, and Koeman said publicly that he wanted to bring the forward to Camp Nou.

“I want to have him at Barcelona,” Koeman told AD. “I can’t know what the financial situation of the club will be then. We’ll have to wait.”

This has led Garcia to take the decision to call out Koeman, in light of the Dutch coach’s most recent statement. 

Di Maria was careful with his choice of words, saying: “I have already played with Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe. If I could play as well with Leo, I could happily retire after that!”

The Argentina international did add “my wife told me, 'if Leo comes, we will at least stay and you will make him a barbecue’” - but he stopped short of saying he wanted him to join PSG.

Further Reading

Al Ahly’s Mohamed El Shenawy and Hussein El Shahat have showered praise on Qatar’s abilities to stage a successful Fifa World Cup.

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.

Even at that, the Asian country has put up a ‘world-class’ hosting of the Fifa tourney, with the Egyptians lauding the organisation as well as hoping for a solid hosting of the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

“In terms of organisation, everything has been world-class. The training sites and stadiums are of the highest level. Qatar is doing a very good job and this is something which makes all Arabs very proud,” said El Shahat in a statement released to the media.

“We hope it will be a fantastic World Cup and I wish Qatar all the best. I hope to be here with the Egyptian team in 2022.

“I think the fans will have a lot to enjoy here in 2022. Hopefully, by then the pandemic is over and we will see full stadiums. I hope the fans will enjoy this atmosphere.”

El Shahat is also in awe of the Qatar-based Al Ahly fans, who turned up during their 1-0 victory over Al Duhail in their first game.

“There are many Al Ahly fans all over the world. I was very happy to play in front of a large crowd here in Qatar – I love a passionate atmosphere. I hope the crowd will continue to be with us throughout the tournament,” he continued.

For captain El Shenawy, the Club World Cup is an excellent dress rehearsal for the 22nd edition of the global football showpiece.

“Everything is very well organised here and the stadiums are world-class,” said the Pharaohs goalkeeper.

“I am sure the fans will enjoy the World Cup in Qatar. The stadiums are all close to each other – and if fans want to watch two matches a day, they can.

“The transport is good and fans can easily get to and from the stadiums. I could see from our first match that everything went smoothly. I think 2022 will be very good for fans. They will enjoy everything that Qatar has to offer.”

Pitso Mosimane’s men take on reigning European kings Bayern Munich in Monday’s semi-final at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium. Victory over the Germans would see them set up a final showdown against Mexico’s Tigres UANL.

Shola Shoretire has signed his first professional contract with Manchester United and has already been training with the first team.

The forward, who has been at United since the age of nine, put pen to paper on a professional deal last week just after turning 17.

He is highly regarded as one of the brightest young talents in the club’s under-23s side and scored a hat-trick in their 6-4 comeback win against Blackburn Rovers on Friday night. His efforts haven’t gone under the radar as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has asked him to join first team training again.

Why is Shoretire so highly rated?

The 17-year-old only pushed into the U23s in September but has already impressed his coaches with his quick progress. He’s played up an age group throughout his entire career, showing great confidence and ability.

The forward, who can operate as a winger, a No 10 and also as centre forward is versatile and you can see the quality in his technique and touches. His work rate this season has improved and he is already being tipped for a big future.

What does Solskjaer make of him?

Due to the restrictions with Covid bubbles at the moment, the teenager will train with the seniors for the foreseeable future and will travel to U23s games separately. He will use a different changing room to those not in the first team bubble.

Their next game is on Friday against Arsenal where Shoretire will expected to be involved despite training with the first team.

Solskjaer closely watches the progress of those in the U23s and there is regular dialogue between the Norwegian and Neil Wood and Nicky Butt, who oversee the youngsters.

Shoretire was first promoted to first team training over Christmas while the academy players were given some time off and Solskjaer continues to be impressed with what he has seen from the 17-year-old, and has moved him into their bubble ahead of the FA Cup clash against West Ham.

What’s been said about him?

Neil Wood, under-23s manager: “With Shola what impresses me the most is that he’s a very good technical player, and Shola has always played up a year throughout his whole academy life, I can’t remember him every playing in his own age group.

“He’s always been stretched, I think he’s a very mature lad for his age and the way he plays is very mature. He does a lot of work and takes a lot of positions up and he’s played in a lot of roles, he’s played as a 9, played left, he’s played 10 and on the right.

“Whatever you ask him to do on and off the ball he’s going to do it and you can trust him to do that job. He’s doing excellent for the age of him.

"I’m not expecting him to be man of the match and be the main figure of the team because he’s so young, but he’s not going on that pitch and drowning or anything he’s probably been one of our most consistent outstanding performers throughout the season.”

How’s he been getting on this season?

He has played 13 times in Premier League 2, scoring five goals and registering three assists.

What is his nationality?

Shoretire has made two appearances for England at under-16 level.

Further reading

Simba SC have claimed it is not a crime for their midfielder Clatous Chama to miss a penalty against Azam FC in the Mainland Premier League.

The Zambian star stepped up to take a penalty two minutes after they had taken a deserved lead through Meddie Kagere but Azam keeper Mathias Kigonya, who was making his debut, dived the right way to save the resultant kick.

The miss later turned costly as Azam scored two quick goals in the second half through Idd Selemani and Ayoub Lyanga to make it 2-1 and it needed a late strike from Luis Miquissone to salvage a 2-2 draw for the Msimbazi giants.

Simba Media Officer Haji Manara has now told the club’s faithful to stop panicking after the outcome insisting missing a penalty is always part of the game.

“Most of our fans are complaining we did not score from the penalty spot against Azam, I think they are forgetting even top teams in the world miss scoring from the same spot, it is part of the game, you can score or miss, and I ask the fans to calm down,” Manara said as quoted by Sokalabongo.

“Other fans are complaining we only managed to draw against Azam, I want to tell them Azam is a big team in Tanzania and they also came looking for points so a draw is a fair result, also those saying we missed many scoring chances, it happens everywhere in the world, even top teams miss chances and even they end up losing matches.

“We want to thank our players for the efforts they put against Azam, they have done a good job and even our opponents did a great job to deny us a win, we still have some job to do in upcoming matches and we want to promise our fans things will change for the better.”

In an earlier interview, the Ugandan keeper explained his work was to save penalties hence the reason he denied Chama.

“It was just a normal penalty from Clatous [Chama] which I had to save because that is my job, it is the reason I stand between the sticks,” Kigonya said as quoted by Sokalabongo.

“I have to keep the goal safe, it is my duty to protect my team from conceding goals because we all have our duties to perform and my target is also to make sure we don’t concede easily.”

The draw enabled Azam to reach 33 points and remain third on the 18-team table while Simba are second on 39 points and Yanga SC are top with 44 points from 18 matches.

While Azam shift focus to league matches, Simba will now prepare for the Caf Champions League group stage, where they are scheduled to kick off their campaign with an away game against Vita Club of Congo on February 12.

Former Al Ahly coach Rene Weiler said the African champions lack 'tactical education' ahead of their clash with Bayern Munich, while he has also predicted an ‘uncomfortable’ match for the German Bundesliga club when both teams battle in Monday’s semi-final fixture.

The Egyptian giants set up a date with Hans Flick's side after they edged hosts club Al Duhail 1-0, thanks to Hussein El Shahat's first-half strike.

Al Ahly are aiming to surpass their best feat in the Fifa Club World Cup which was a third-place finish at the 2006 edition in Japan.

When asked about the quality of Pitso Mosimane’s team, Weiler was initially positive when he spoke to Goal.

"There's no one far below average, but also no one much better than the rest.

“All the players are incredibly athletic. The players are fast, strong and technically good because they start to play football as kids and play it day and night.

“It will be really uncomfortable to play against them. What they are lacking is tactical education."

Over the years, Al Ahly have dominated the Egyptian top-flight and the Caf Champions League, and they recently won both titles in the 2019-20 season.

Weiler who spent a year in the North African nation, however, thinks the Egyptian Premier League is not better than top European leagues despite their aggressiveness.

"Europe's top leagues are better, but the Egyptian league isn’t incredibly tough,” he continued. “If you play that way in Germany, there wouldn't be many matches finishing with eleven players on the pitch in each team.

“Bayern will see and feel that Al Ahly's players are technically gifted. The Egyptians will put everything in the duels and give their best. But I can hardly imagine that Al Ahly can keep up with Bayern for the full 90 minutes."

Victory over Bayern Munich in Al Rayyan would set up Al Ahly to face Concacaf Champions League winners Tigres UANL in the final on Thursday after the Mexican giants defeated Palmeiras 1-0 in the first semi-final fixture on Sunday.

Gaziantep silenced Goztepe 2-0 in Monday’s Turkish Super Lig encounter with Papy Djilobodji finding the net.

Having gone on a run of four games without a victory in the league, Ricardo Pinto’s side found their winning formula to send the visitors back home empty-handed.

In the keenly contested affair at the Gaziantep Arena, both teams put up a commanding display but were unable to get a goal as the first half ended without a goal.

Goztepe had found the net in the 30th minute but Cherif Ndiaye’s effort was chalked off for offside after VAR replays.

The hosts stepped up their game in the second half and deservedly took the lead in the 54th minute thanks to an assist from Alexandru Maxim. Maxim floated a corner-kick into the visitors’ goal area and the Senegalese defender beat his markers to head past goalkeeper Irfan Egribayat.

That goal was the former Chelsea and Sunderland star’s first of the 2020-21 campaign. The last time he found the net was against Yeni Malatyaspor on July 25, 2020.

Halil Akbunar levelled matters for Unal Karaman’s team in the 65th minute. Again, referee Volkan Bayarslan cancelled the goal as VAR adjudged that the Turkish midfielder was in an offside position.

With 14 minutes left on the clock, a solo Kevin Miralla strike sealed the win for Gaziantep – their 10th win in the ongoing season.

While 32-year-old Djilobodji was in action from the start to finish, Ghana's Abdul Aziz Tetteh, Cameroon's Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik and Mali's Nouha Dicko were not listed.

For the Goz Goz, on loan Gorica forward Ndiaye played all 90 minutes alongside Nigerian midfielder Obinna Nwobodo. Mali U23 star Fousseni Diabate, Senegal's Lamine Gassama and Nigeria's Anderson Esiti were handed a place in the starting XI, nonetheless, they were replaced in the second-half by Peter Zulj, Murat Paluli and Adis Jahovic.

Whereas, former Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye replaced Marko Mihojevic with four minutes left to play.

Following this result, Gaziantep moved to seventh in the Super Lig log having accrued 38 points from 23 points, while Goztepe dropped to 12 with 26 points from the same number of outings.

Former Everton and Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell believes Mbaye Diagne needs ‘good service’ to replicate his Turkish Super Lig goalscoring form at West Bromwich Albion.

Last month, Diagne left Galatasaray on loan to team up with Sam Allardyce’s team until the end of the season and boost their fight against Premier League relegation.

Few hours after the move, the Senegal international was thrown into the fray as a second-half substitute to make his Premier League bow against Fulham – an encounter that ended in a 2-2 draw.

He has subsequently played his way into Allardyce’s starting XI and he started their last two games against Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur.

After playing for 202 minutes in three Premier League matches without breaking his duck, Campbell thinks the 2018-19 Super Lig topscorer needs more supply of the ball upfront.

This season, Diagne scored 11 goals for Galatasaray, including nine league goals before his loan exit.

“He’s not a player I know a huge amount about but I have seen him play a couple of times in Turkey,” Campbell told Football Insider.

But the Premier League is different…defenders are a lot tougher, a lot stronger over here, even if he was playing for one of the top teams in Turkey.

“I just think it’s about service. He knows where the goal is and his record is very good.

“You’ve got to give him the ball. Sam Allardyce has brought in some good players to the squad, he’s had a good window with West Brom.

“So I think it all depends on if you can get him the service.”

Diagne's goal will be much needed when West Brom host Manchester United at Hawthorns with the hope of ending their five-game winless run in the English top-flight.

David Moyes has admitted to passing up the opportunity to spend big on a striker during the January window, with the West Ham manager deciding to keep “£15-20 million” in his transfer kitty.

The Hammers found themselves short on firepower after offloading Sebastien Haller to Ajax for almost half of the £45m ($62m) they had invested in the Ivory Coast international during the summer of 2019.

Michail Antonio is now being relied upon to lead the line, but he is being pushed to breaking point ahead of an FA Cup fifth-round clash with Manchester United and Moyes concedes that he is low on attacking numbers.

What has been said?

“It has been well documented that we don’t have a lot of other options,” the Hammers boss told reporters.

“We’re well aware of that and we chose to do it. I didn’t want to waste £15-20million ($27m) on something I wasn’t sure about so that was the option I chose to take.”

Moyes added on Antonio heading into a trip to Old Trafford on Tuesday: “It will be a close call whether he makes it or not.

“We'll need to assess him tomorrow to see if he is able to play.”

Is Antonio injured?

The versatile 30-year-old was withdrawn 74 minutes into a goalless draw with Fulham on Saturday.

He has five goals to his name this season, after being asked to lead the line on a regular basis, but has been suffering with hamstring problems.

Antonio missed a month of action before returning to the Hammers team for a 2-1 win over Aston Villa in late November.

He lasted just 45 minutes in that contest and was not seen again until a 0-0 stalemate with Southampton on December 29.

Fatigue now appears to be the most pressing concern for Moyes, with West Ham reluctant to take any risks with a key part of their plans in an ongoing European qualification bid.

Which strikers have West Ham been linked with?

While Moyes opted against bringing in competition and cover for Antonio during the winter window, a number of potential targets were mooted in east London.

There was talk of Marko Arnautovic being brought back to the club from CSL side Shanghai SIPG – some 18 months after the Austrian departed for Asia.

Josh King was said to be another long-standing target for the Hammers, but he has ended up at Everton.

Big money could be invested in Boulaye Dia at some stage, with the Reims frontman continuing to catch the eye, while Moyes may be tempted to join the scramble for England international Danny Ings if an exit door is thrown open at Southampton.

Further reading

Zinedine Zidane remains non-committal on his future plans at Real Madrid, with the Frenchman reluctant to be drawn on whether he will see out a contract that is due to run until the summer of 2022.

Questions are once again being asked of a Blancos legend at Santiago Bernabeu as the reigning La Liga champions struggle to establish consistency and put themselves in contention for major honours.

Zidane has delivered for the most demanding of clubs in the past, as a player and coach, and is happy to let others speculate on his ongoing presence in the Spanish capital as he focuses on delivering more positive results.

What has been said?

“We'll see,” Zidane has told reporters when asked about the chances of honouring his current deal. “The important thing is the day to day, This is what concerns me. What happened has already happened.

“What I say is that those of us who are here deserve to work. Everyone can say whatever they want. What we are going to do here is believe in what we do.”

Pressed further on whether he would consider quitting, the World Cup winner added: “Why should I leave if I do what I like?

“You go through bad times, of course, that's normal in life. At Madrid we know that it's a great club and that what you have to do is compete. And, here, there will always be changes.”

Why is Zidane under pressure?

Real returned to winning ways in their last outing, as Raphael Varane bagged an unexpected brace in a 2-1 win over Huesca, but the Blancos have failed to secure back-to-back successes since before Christmas.

They have suffered Super Cup and Copa del Rey defeats since then, while also slipping to third in the Liga table – seven points adrift of neighbours Atletico Madrid despite playing two games more.

With domestic silverware edging out of reach, the Champions League could represent Real’s only route to major honours in 2021 – with a last-16 meeting with Atalanta fast approaching in that competition.

Failure in Europe would see pressure piled onto the broad shoulders of Zidane, despite the previous hat-trick of continental successes that he has overseen at the Bernabeu.

The bigger picture

Zidane has been around long enough to know that results will dictate his future, with the former France international having spent his entire career working at the very top of the game.

A spark is required from somewhere as Real scratch around for form, with their next outing set to see them play host to Getafe on Tuesday.

Sergio Ramos will be among those unavailable to Zidane in that fixture, as Madrid battle their way through an injury crisis, with the Blancos’ talismanic captain having undergone surgery on a troublesome knee complaint.

Further reading

Son Heung-min's future at Tottenham is "not a problem", according to Jose Mourinho, who says he's confident that the forward will sign a new contract with the club.

Tottenham halted a three-match losing streak by beating West Brom 2-0 on Sunday, with Son rounding off the scoring with a trademark finish after Harry Kane's opener.

The South Korean now has 13 Premier League goals to his name this season, and although he is still waiting for an extension offer, Mourinho is optimistic that Spurs will tie him down to fresh terms when the financial uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic ends.

What was said?

Asked to address Son's situation after watching his side beat West Brom, Mourinho told the media: “Son is not a problem. He has a contract still for a couple of years if I am not wrong, maybe even three. I believe, just to wait for the right moment to do it.

“Probably this situation with the world where we are, the Covid situation, I do not think it is the right moment for players and clubs to discuss contracts with so many people losing jobs and not working and difficulties.

“I believe that when the sun shines again for the world, I believe the club and Sonny they are going to arrive quite easily to a conclusion.”

When does Son's contract expire?

Son, who joined Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen for £22 million ($30m) in 2015, signed a bumper new deal two-and-a-half years ago which tied him to the club until 2023.

The 28-year-old still has 29 months left to run on that agreement, but Spurs are reportedly set to make sure that he remains on their books beyond that by increasing his earnings to £200,000 per week.

What is Son's Spurs record?

Son's latest effort against West Brom took his tally of goals for the 2020-21 campaign to 17 across all competitions, just one less than he managed in the whole of last season, while he has also set up a further 10 goals for his team-mates.

The Korean attacker's overall record for the club now reads 102 goals and 57 assists from 261 matches, and he will have the chance to increase that number when Tottenham take on Everton in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Wednesday.

Further reading

Edinson Cavani admits to having found it “difficult” to settle at Manchester United on the back of his arrival in October 2020, but the Uruguayan has found his feet and now has sights set on major silverware.

The 33-year-old striker is vastly experienced, having represented the likes of Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain in the past, but he is a Premier League rookie after opting to take on a new challenge in England.

United plucked him out of the free agent pool as interest was building, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer prepared to take a calculated gamble on a proven frontman that is starting to justify the faith shown in him.

What has been said?

“I always think that settling in and adapting to a different place, a new culture, different customs, is always difficult,” Cavani has told United Review.

“Change is always difficult, as is settling in somewhere new. Even though you try to throw yourself totally into it and to settle in quickly, right now there’s a lot of stuff going on around us that is making that process a little bit tougher than usual. But, of course, you have your family life at home away from the game, it’s never just football alone.”

Cavani has added on his ambition, with an FA Cup fifth-round clash with West Ham next on the Red Devils’ agenda: “I haven’t had chance to read or study about this trophy with any great depth, but I believe that every cup or piece of silverware is always very important. I’ve always felt that way and that has always been my philosophy in life.

“For me, football is all about never-ending, continuous competition. Every game, whatever the stature of the trophy at stake, has a different impact amongst the fans and the public in general. But in my eyes, football is 100 per cent about competing, in every kind of match.

“I can easily imagine just how important a trophy it is. But over and above any of that, as I told you before, for me, football is all about competition, pure and simple, and you always have that desire to win, whatever cup you’re playing for, it’s always important. And as I always say, winning isn’t easy, and so when you win, you have to enjoy it, and you also have to try to get into the habit of winning.”

Cavani’s Man Utd record

Cavani was eased into the fold at United by Solskjaer, with Anthony Martial favoured as the Red Devils’ number nine.

The South American has, however, earned a regular starting berth of late and – after finding the target in a dramatic 3-3 draw with Everton – is now up to seven goals through 22 appearances in all competitions.

A man with over 400 career efforts to his name is clicking with those around him, as feet are found in a new culture and division, and United have the option of triggering a 12-month extension in his contract that will keep him on their books through to the summer of 2022.

Further reading

Dean Henderson is ready to step up and play for Manchester United more regularly after impressing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in training.

The England international has been on the periphery this season having returned to the club after a successful loan spell at Sheffield United last term but he could be in line for more minutes after impressing his manager with his development.

Henderson is likely to get another chance to prove his credentials when United host West Ham in the FA Cup fifth round at Old Trafford on Tuesday night after David de Gea's mistakes contributed to a 3-3 draw with Everton in the Premier League on Saturday.

What has Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said?

About Henderson getting a chance: “He’s played well when he’s got the chance. For me, he’s developed his game, I know he’s not played as many games as he would’ve done last season - you see every game when he plays and in training you see his improvement, he's working hard on a couple of aspects that we’ve spoken about. And I’ve been impressed with his attitude and work rate.

“He’s not the most patient guy - he wants to play every game because he knows he will perform well so long may it continue because he’s improved since he's come here.”

When has Henderson played?

Henderson has started nine games this season and made 10 appearances in total after coming off the bench when he replaced De Gea at half-time in the win against Southampton at St Mary’s in November.

He has been favoured in the cup competitions, starting all six games in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup this season, while chances in the league have been limited to just two starts, one against West Ham and another against former loan club Sheffield United. He also started in the 2-1 defeat away to Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League.

In his 10 appearances across all competitions, he has conceded nine goals.

Is David de Gea's place under threat?

The Goal View | Charlotte Duncker | Man Utd correspondent

The Spaniard has appeared undroppable, despite his high-profile mistakes and with Henderson breathing down his neck. He was culpable for both Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dominic Calvert-Lewin goals at Old Trafford on Saturday night and, while Solskjaer would not blame his first-choice goalkeeper, he did warn all his players that none of them were assured of a place in the starting XI.

“Every player has to earn the right to earn his place of course,” Solskjaer replied when asked if De Gea’s place is untouchable. “We’re a squad with competition and that applies to absolutely every single one in the team - and that is the same for every single one of us.”

But whether or not Solskjaer sticks to his word or not will remain to be seen. Henderson will more than likely get his chance against West Ham on Tuesday night but if he impresses will Solskjaer put his money where his mouth is and give him another start in the league? He's champing at the bit to play more but De Gea is untouchable, especially when it comes to league games.

Further reading

Summing up his disdain for long-ball football, Brian Clough once famously declared that, ‘If God wanted the game to be played in the sky, he’d have put grass up there.’

One wonders what Ol’ Big ‘Ead would have thought if he was around to see that his beloved Nottingham Forest were attempting to play the beautiful game on a computer screen.

Forest can dress it up how they like, but the appointment of Nathaniel Milton represents a farcical chapter in the history of an institution that, frankly, deserves to be treated better by its custodians, who seem more keen to play fantasy football than work in the real world. 

Appointing fresh-faced managers who promise to reinvent the game may be a fashionable trend of the modern era, but appearances count for jot in football. Results are the bottom line, and the club hierarchy are setting themselves up for a big fall with a gamble as reckless is this.

Forest’s decision caught many by surprise - and with good reason! While Milton no doubt has plenty of laudable attributes, his CV, remarkably, lacks a single proper managerial role. 

Insiders have revealed some superfluous tweaks to a players’ Code of Conduct that served his predecessor perfectly well, and that he spent almost the entirety of his first day in charge by working through the intricacies of his preferred tactic.

During his unveiling, Milton dismissed the idea that his reputation (or lack thereof) would have a detrimental effect on his capacity to carry out the job and he certainly delivered a polished performance in front of the press, saying all the right things.

“I can’t stop smiling, this is a wonderful feeling,” Milton told the press excitedly, with outstretched arms. “I’m very excited; this is a great club and I can’t wait to get stuck in.

“We want winning to be ingrained in the culture of this club, so if it’s there to be won, we’ll compete for it.”

However, while winning competitions with Loughborough University is commendable and compiling reports for Brendan Rodgers is certainly valuable work for aspiring coaches, these things simply do not add up to the sort of experience required to compete in the Championship, let alone win it.

Indeed, when you consider the field of potential candidates available to Forest’s owners, the decision to hire such an unproven manager is all the more baffling.

Clawing your way out of the Championship is notoriously difficult and anyone in football will tell you that there is plenty of truth to the saying that you go with the old dog for the hard road.

Mick McCarthy was available and believed to be interested. Ok, his time in Cyprus may not have panned out as he had hoped, but the former Republic of Ireland boss knows this division inside out. Or what about Sam Allardyce, Neil Warnock, Tony Pulis, or even Harry Redknapp, who still has an unrivalled eye for talent?

Roy Keane has been linked with the role in the past and, though he tends to be viewed with suspicion by some fans due to his apparent abrasiveness and pundit persona, he did lead Sunderland to the top-flight, not to mention the fact that his pedigree in the game is undeniable.

Milton supporters are already pointing to success stories such as Julian Nagelsmann, Daniel Farke and Eddie Howe, but what tends to be forgotten is that those guys are ultimately outliers.

Having finally managed a semblance of stability in recent years, with a few promising play-off pushes, Nottingham Forest are taking a massive risk and could soon find themselves teetering towards the dark days of Joe Kinnear and Gary Megson.

They may have a hip head coach at the helm now, but when things don’t work out like they did in the Powerpoint presentation, Nottingham Forest will soon learn that relegation is far from vogue.

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Liverpool are taking one game at a time amid their faltering title defence, according to Jordan Henderson, who has insisted "we don't look at the league".

Last season's runaway Premier League champions are in grave danger of surrendering their crown in weak fashion after losing 4-1 against Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.

The Reds slipped 10 points behind City after that result having played a game more, but Henderson says a collective desire to win every game remains as strong as ever within Jurgen Klopp's squad.

What was said?

When asked how quickly Liverpool need to regroup after their third successive home defeat, Henderson told the club's official website: "I remember last season you kept asking me when we were top of the league – we don’t look at the league, now especially.

"You concentrate on the next game and just try to win every single game you can, like we always do whether that’s when you’re on top or you’re fourth or fifth or whatever it is.

"You’ve just got to concentrate on the next game and put in performances as much as we can."

Where are Liverpool in the Premier League table?

Liverpool are fourth in the standings and will find themselves 13 points adrift of City if Pep Guardiola's side win their game in hand, and they now only have 15 games left to try and catch the leaders.

Klopp has already seen his team drop 14 more points than they did in the entire 2019-20 campaign, with consistency proving elusive amid an ongoing defensive injury crisis.

The Reds are at risk of being drawn into the battle for Champions League qualification instead of the Premier League trophy, as Chelsea and West Ham now sit just a point behind them in fifth and sixth respectively.

What's next for Liverpool?

The Merseyside outfit will now start preparing for a huge clash with Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

Liverpool are three points behind the third-placed Foxes at the moment, but did pick up a comfortable 3-0 win against Brendan Rodgers' team at Anfield back in November.

Klopp's focus will then switch back to the Champions League, with the Reds set to take on RB Leipzig in the first leg of their last-16 tie on February 16.

Further reading

Express FC coach Wasswa Bbosa has explained how they used the break from Ugandan Premier League action to prepare well for the resumption of the division.

The Ugandan top-flight took a break last December to allow the national team chance to prepare and participate in the African Nations Championship, which came to an end in Cameroon on Sunday.

The Red Eagles are now set to resume league action with a clash against defending champions Vipers SC on Tuesday and speaking ahead of the clash set for Wankulukuku, Bbosa has revealed their readiness to take on the Venoms.

“A lot of positive progress has happened during the break with the team, we’ve used the time to be sharper in front of goal and just as I said in my matchday programme notes, we respect Vipers but our target is to get maximum points,” Bbosa said as quoted by the club’s official website.

“If we can execute our game plan, I am sure we will pull through.”

However, Express will come up against a Vipers side who hammered Myda FC 7-0 at the weekend, with their new signing Yunus Sentamu notching a double in the fixture.

Bbosa has a fully fit squad to pick from with no injury worries apart from left-back Arthur Kiggundu, who will face a late fitness test.

The Red Eagles are so far well within their quest of winning silverware this season having picked up eight points from four games before the league break.

On the other hand, Vipers have racked up four wins and two draws in the last seven meetings against Express, putting them as the favourites to come out with maximum points from the fixture.

In a recent interview, Bbosa remained confident his charges will get back to the top of the league table.

"We are focussed on getting the club back to where it belongs, the top," Bbosa said as quoted by Football256.

“It is a process but we are confident we can achieve something with the coaches and the players available. They are all top individuals, great people to work with, supportive and determined to make this place a fortress again.

“I call upon our fans to stay supportive and trust the technical team and the players to give their all to regain this great club’s former glory. It has been tough without them but hopefully, we can see them back here at the Betway Muteesa II Stadium in full voice.”

Timo Werner admits fears of not finishing in the Premier League top four had started to form at Chelsea before Frank Lampard was relieved of his managerial duties and Thomas Tuchel was appointed.

The Blues initially looked to be moving nicely through the gears in 2020-21, with a 17-game unbeaten run at one stage on the back of sizeable summer investment.

They were, however, to find themselves stuck in reverse before club legend Lampard departed and Tuchel was brought in to oversee a Champions League push that has delivered 10 points from his first four fixtures at the helm.

What has been said?

“If we go back three or four matches, when the manager was not yet here, we were nine or ten points behind the top four,” Werner told Chelsea's 5th Stand app after the 2-1 win over Sheffield United

“We watched the table and were like, ‘oh, it might not be so good at the end of the season’. Now we are really good, back in shape, and I think if we keep going like this we can put more pressure on the other teams."

How has Tuchel fared?

The former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain boss has made an immediate impact at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea had been on a run of one win in five Premier League games prior to his arrival under Lampard seeing the wheels come off his reign.

Tuchel has rediscovered lost momentum, with his side conceding only once in a run of three wins and a draw.

The Blues are now up to fifth in the Premier League table, just one point back on title holders Liverpool and the final Champions League spot.

The bigger picture

Chelsea have a testing run approaching that is set to take them through to the end of March.

Their next six Premier League games include outings against Manchester United, Everton, Leeds and Liverpool, while there are also FA Cup and Champions League fixtures with Barnsley and Atletico Madrid.

Tuchel will want to see current standards maintained in west London and could do with Werner finding his shooting boots again as the Germany international has netted just once in his last 20 appearances for club and country.

Further reading

Gor Mahia head coach Carlos Manuel Vaz Pinto was impressed with his defence during the 0-0 Mashemeji Derby draw against AFC Leopards.

Prior to the game, K'Ogalo have dominated and they have not failed to score against Ingwe since 2016. However, on Sunday at the Kasarani Stadium, the two teams settled for a goalless draw in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League.

"I am not happy with the result because we always play to win the game," Pinto told Goal.

"But I am happy the way the team played, especially in the first half. We also controlled the second half but did not create clear chances like we did in the first one.  

"I am also happy with our defensive organization. When I came, this was the main problem of the team, but we managed to keep a clean sheet. I don't remember our opponents creating a clear scoring opportunity; I am happy to have at least solved it.  "

The tactician hinted he might not sign more players especially after the arrival of former skipper Haron Shakava, Burkinabe midfielder Abdul Karim Nikiema Zoko and Brazilian forward Wilson Silva Fonseca.

"This is the squad we have, I am happy about the players and how they work," Pinto added.

"And I am sure we can achieve our goals of winning the league and get into the group stage of the Caf Confederation Cup."

K'Ogalo will play Napsa Stars of Zambia in the final preliminary round of Africa's second-tier club competition and the Portuguese has commented on it and hinted at his plans.

"Caf games are different from the league games. Napsa Stars have not started the season well but when it comes to Caf games it is a different story," he continued.

"We will analyse our opponents and prepare for the two games. We have a target of reaching the group stage, it is not only important to Gor Mahia but to Kenya as well because of the ranking.

"All players want to play in Caf because it gives them an opportunity to showcase their talents abroad." 

After Sunday's game, Leopards are fourth on 19 points after nine games while Gor Mahia are sixth with 16 points from as many matches.