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Some poor defending proved costly for Amakhosi as first division outfit Richards Bay netted first through Thabani Dube's header from a Khanyisa Mayo corner in the 29th minute.

The Glamour Boys were reduced to 10 men when Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya received a second yellow card in the 64th minute before Leonardo Castro equalised in the 76th minute, only for some more poor defending from Chiefs to allow Siyabonga Vilane to net a 91st-minute winner.

The likes of Castro, Samir Nurkovic and Lebogang Manyama all squandered goal-scoring chances.

"I warned them yesterday, and the whole week since the draw," Hunt told SuperSport TV.

"Obviously we had numerous chances in the first half, and just didn't make the final ball count.

"Even when we went to 10 men we still got numerous chances. But you've got to do better."

Hunt gave rare starts to the likes of Siphelele Ntshangase, Ntiya-Ntiya and Kgotso Moleko, but Ntiya-Ntiya was sent off midway through the second half while Ntshangase, along with Darrel Matsheke and Bernard Parker, were substituted at the interval.

"A few people you give a chance here and there and obviously proves me right that they've....you know...and then made the changes but then even with the one or two we bring on, it's got to be better. We've got to work a bit harder, make situations better. We've got to work a little bit more,"  the former Bidvest Wits and SuperSport United coach continued.

"We just want the ball to feet all the time. And then we turned the ball over at the right-back position, kicked it straight to the [opposition] they turned it over went to the other side and then then you think why's he there when he shouldn't be there, same player for both goals.

"I know what's in front of us, I know what's in front of me, so we have got to be better.

"Its been like that from the start, we have got to have more legs in the team, more mobility, all these type of things. We've got to get through, we've got to grind away and turn the corner and go again."

Chiefs will now turn their attention back to the Caf Champions League - they have a tough match away at Moroccan champions Wydad Casablanca on Saturday night.

In the domestic league, Amakhosi are eighth on the standings, 15 points behind league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. Chiefs’ next league game is against AmaZulu on February 17 in Johannesburg.

Tusker coach Robert Matano has explained how his tactical changes in the second half enabled them to beat Wazito FC in an FKF Premier League match on Friday.

Second-half substitute Jackson Macharia was the Brewers’ hero after he powered home the winning goal in stoppage time to end Wazito’s five-match winning run in the league.

In the evenly contested clash, Matano was forced to make three tactical changes at once, bringing on Macharia, Humphrey Mieno, and George Odhiambo for Chris Onyango, Otieno Apollo, and Boniface Muchiri, and his changes paid off as Macharia scored a stunning goal, seconds to the final whistle.

The veteran tactician spoke of how difficult it proved to break down Wazito and what prompted him to make the changes which eventually earned them three points from the fixture.

“It was a nice game we had expected that and you know my players had put a lot of fight and resistance in the match, and you know we faced a Wazito team which was well motivated after winning five matches in a row,” Matano told Goal.

“We came in the strong team, with a strong mind and focus and in the second half we came back even stronger to win the match and I am very happy about that.

“In the first half we did not play, we did not keep the ball around ourselves, and our passing was not so frequent and we were lacking composure and then we came in and brought the players who can play that game to maintain the ball and then we can create chances to score and it happened as we got the goal at the final whistle.”

On his part, Macharia was happy to have handed the Brewers the points which helped them to keep their top spot on the 18-team league table.

“I was not planning to come in and score because we were playing under pressure and I had gone for some games without scoring, but what I knew I will score one of these fine days and didn’t know it will happen against Wazito,” Macharia told Goal.

“I am grateful the goal helped my team to win three points and all we know Tusker is a big team and we are not feeling any now that we are at the top of the table, it is nothing new, we have been there before, and we are feeling easy and relaxed and all we need is to have consistency in our matches and play our game.”

The win pushed the Ruaraka-based side to 26 points after 11 games, four more than second-placed KCB and they will next face struggling Posta Rangers on February 18.

AFC Leopards interim coach Anthony Kimani decided to leave his post at the club because of ‘disrespect’ from top officials.

The 31-year-old former Harambee Stars defender left Ingwe on Sunday, hours after helping the team snatch a vital Mashemeji derby point against rivals Gor Mahia in a 0-0 draw at Kasarani Stadium.

A source in the club has now confirmed to Goal Kimani, who was working as an interim coach, felt he was not being appreciated by the club’s top hierarchy despite the efforts he had made to build a strong team in the 2020-21 campaign.

The source further said Kimani was also upset the club had moved to hire a foreign tactician, Patrick Aussems, who watched the derby from the stands, while he has never been handed a formal contract.

“Kimani felt the club was not appreciating his work, what he has done since he started working as an interim coach,” the source, who did not want to be named, told Goal on Monday.

“He was irked further by the move to bring in a foreign coach when he had done a good job of building the team and furthermore the club was yet to give him a signed contract, they have kept telling him he doesn’t have qualified papers, and this has not gone down well with him.

“It is the reason he decided to walk away, he wants to take a break, he doesn’t have an immediate job to take over but he wants to take a break and he will come up with something to do later.”

Goal exclusively revealed the exit of Kimani from the Den after the drab derby, which saw Ingwe pick up a point from their rival for the first time since the 2016 season.

AFC Leopards have maintained they are yet to receive resignation letter from Kimani with chairman Dan Shikanda promising to respond on the matter when he writes to the club on his decision.

“I have heard rumours Kimani has left after the derby but as a club, we have not received any letter from him on the same,” Shikanda told Goal on Sunday after the derby.

“I can only comment further on the matter when I get his letter, for now, I don’t know if he has resigned.”

When Rwandan tactician Casa Mbungo – now at Premier League side Bandari - left in December 2019, the retired Harambee Star took charge until Tomas Trucha was appointed before the current season began.

He also assumed the roles when Trucha – citing threats to life – resigned after he had led AFC Leopards to an opening 2-1 win against Tusker.

East Bengal finally ended their five-match winless run in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) season as they got the better of Jamshedpur FC on Sunday.

The Red and Golds were guilty of not converting the chances that come their way. Except for the defeat to Bengaluru FC, the Kolkata outfit were competetive and at times, were unlucky to drop points. However, against Jamshedpur FC, East Bengal scored a goal in each half to register three important points.

The Kolkata giants took an early lead when Matti Steinmann headed the ball into the net from a Narayan Das' corner-kick The left-back had a fantastic outing against Jamshedpur as he moved up and down the flank with ease to deliver inch perfect crosses into the box.

East Bengal made headlines in the beginning of the season by becoming the first Indian club to hire a specialist set-piece coach in Terrence McPhillips. Against Jamshedpur, there were several variations in their set-piece routine which often confused the Jamshedpur defence, who struggled to keep them at bay.

Sarthak Golui, who arrived from Mumbai City FC, got a start alongside the experienced Raju Gaikwad who returned to the lineup after a prolonged injury break. With two Indian centre-backs and Danny Fox, East Bengal deployed four foreign players in attack for the very first time this season.

Anthony Pilkington scored only his second goal of the campaign and came close when his shot came off the woodwork. The former Norwich City attacker hasn't been in the best of form since he picked up an injury mid-way into the season.

Scoring has been an issue for Jamshedpur FC off late as the Men of Steel only have netted thrice in five matches. They have also won just a single game from their last five outings. Last season's Golden Boot winner Nerijus Valskis had a perfect to start his campaign this year but goals have dried up for the Lithuanian talisman as he hasn't scored in the last six matches.

Farukh Choudhary, who has returned to Jamshedpur after an unsuccesful stint with Mumbai City, set-up Valskis but the striker's deflected effort came off the post. Choudhary and Seminlen Doungel struggled to make an impact on the proceedings and Valskis was seen dropping back in order to create openings. 

Owen Coyle's team have struggled to set the stage alight in January. They are over dependent on Valskis to score and none of the other attacking players have been able to step up. 

Assistant coach Tony Grant mentioned that should East Bengal make it into the play-offs, they have to win all of their four matches. Three out of their four remaining matches are against top-four sides but if they can replicate their performance against Jamshedpur, it is not impossible to book a berth in the play-offs.

Hyderabad had over 60 per cent possession of the ball against NorthEast United but found it difficult to make use of that advantage in their 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) clash on Sunday. 

Both teams were level on points and positioned third and fourth on the points table heading into Sunday's fixture. They ensured that nothing changed after 90 minutes of football between two playoff contenders. 

Hyderabad have shown that they can play attacking football this season. NorthEast United have proved their mettle since Khalid Jamil took over from Gerard Nus and defeated the likes of Mumbai City and ATK Mohun Bagan already by playing counter-attacking football.

But if the supporters expected a high-scoring entertainer, they would have turned off their screens in utter disappointment. The contest was drearily dull and as Hyderabad boss Manuel Marquez termed it after the game, 'boring!'.

"It was a very boring game. Both teams played without freedom and were very slow on the ball. We had to try something more because they played only three days ago. But if you look at teams after rest, only one team won their first game after the break. Maybe all the teams are tired but it is not an excuse. Maybe we had one or two chances but not clear-cut."

The starting lineup that Khalid Jamil put out was surprising due to the absence of Deshorn Brown who only made the bench and came on in the second half. While the coach later revealed that it was due to an injury, Idrissa Sylla has not proved to be a strong threat up front, with just two goals and no assists in 15 matches this season. 

Hyderabad were dominant in midfield, spraying passes out to the flanks and sending crosses into the box for Aridane Santana and Fran Sandaza. Asish Rai was particularly effective down the right flank and his crosses were threatening but the NorthEast defence, led by Benjamin Lambot and Dylan Fox, were more than ready for the task. 

Resilient defending helped the Highlanders tie the Nizams down as they played too many passes to very little effect. The attack versus defence strategy, with no end product, made for drab viewing towards the end.

Lambot had a chance to head in a match-winner from a Gallego delivery into the box right at the end of the game. Similarly, Liston Colaco also had a shot on target which was straight at the goalkeeper. But there was no winner on the day. 

AC Milan would love to have Zlatan Ibrahimovic back next season, but they don't yet know whether the prodigious goalscorer wants to keep playing.

Ibrahimovic has scored 15 times in all competitions this campaign after almost retiring over the summer. His brace Sunday helped Milan to a 4-0 win over Crotone.

After the game, manager Stefano Pioli said he appreciates all of the qualities Ibrahimovic brings to his side, from attacking firepower to emotional leadership. Pioli, though, admitted his striker was "tired" by another hard-fought year.

What's been said

“Zlatan is happy with us and I think the best thing about this team is that the players are happy," Piolli told Sky Sports Italia after Milan's win. "We are with a huge club, everyone wants to do well and I think it’s right that he continues playing, and that he does it with us.

“He is an athlete who is highly motivated, is scrupulous in the way he looks after his body with everything from diet to recovery.

"He’s tired, but you don’t stay at this level for this long without looking after yourself."

The bigger picture

As many big clubs constantly try to find the next big thing to lead their attack, Milan's commitment to Ibrahimovic is somewhat unique. The club leads Serie A with a striker old enough to be the father of some of his opponents.

If Milan don't have Ibrahimovic in their lineup next year, would there be a significant drop-off in goals scored? They might have to dive into the transfer market for a younger striker this summer to avoid that outcome, especially as Inter Milan and Juventus remain ready to pass them by at any sign of weakness.

Marco Verratti admits that he is excited by the prospect of Lionel Messi signing for Paris Saint-Germain.

Messi’s deal with Barcelona is up at the end of the season, and with Barca in financial strife, the prospects of them retaining the Argentine look to be slim.

Manchester City are linked with the six-time Ballon d’Or winner, yet it is PSG who seem to have the edge in the race to capture the all-time great.

Verratti, who has been with PSG since 2011, has admitted that he would welcome the arrival of Messi to the Parc des Princes outfit.

Speaking to Canal+, the Italy international midfielder explained: “Of course, I would like to play with Messi.

“To have him in the squad would be something magnificent, one more thing that football would give to me.

“I would give the ball to Neymar and Messi and stay behind to just enjoy watching them a bit.”

PSG have been criticised by Barcelona for openly courting the attacker, with Verratti following Leonardo Paredes and Angel Di Maria in flirting with Messi.

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino, however, had moved to try and cool the controversy at the press conference earlier this week.

“We have great respect for all our opponents and other clubs. We have enormous respect for other clubs,” he said.

“And 10 days before the match against Barcelona, ​​we are focusing on Ligue 1, a different competition, and we will have time to think about the Champions League. We have immense respect for an institution like Barca and towards all the people who work there and its players.”

PSG’s build up for that big clash continued on Sunday as they played out a 2-0 victory away from home over Marseille, with Kylian Mbappe’s early goal added to by a clever near-post header from Mauro Icardi.

PSG, however, remain third in Ligue 1 behind leaders Lille and Lyon.

Nevertheless, they are better placed to challenge for their domestic crown than Barcelona, who may be second in La Liga, but are a distant seven points behind Atletico Madrid, who also have two games in hand over Messi & Co.

Tigres defeated favourited Palmeiras 1-0 in the Club World Cup semi-finals on Sunday thanks to a second-half penalty from star striker Andre-Pierre Gignac.

Manager Tuca Ferretti had said his Liga MX team didn't fear the Brazilians, and his players seemed to take that message to heart on the pitch.

By reaching the Club World Cup final, Tigres made CONCACAF history and ensured the 2021 season would become one of the most significant years they've ever had regardless of where they place domestically.

The bigger picture

Tigres is the first CONCACAF team to ever reach the Club World Cup final. It beat a team in Palmeiras that had conquered Santos and Boca Juniors to qualify for the tournament by winning the Copa Libertadores

What's been said?

"I feel calm and happy for the victory and enthusiastic like everyone else but I am not going to be having a party," Ferretti told reporters on a video conference. "There is still a game to go, the most important is the one that comes and we know the capacity of the team that we are going to face. Prepare the boys and recover them physically because emotionally they are in a good place."

When asked about fans of other Mexican teams rooting for Tigres in the final, Ferretti said: "People have the right to support or not to support, to want or not to want, to wish or not to wish. It is the right of the people. When Mexican teams participate, I always wish them the best because that's how I am as a person. I don't want to be malicious. But people have the right to be whatever, if they do not want to support there is no problem."

Gignac's incredible run

Gignac has now won three straight games for Tigres on their dream run, netting the late winner in the CONCACAF Champions League final to qualify for the Club World Cup and scoring a decisive brace in the Club World Cup quarter-finals before Sunday's victory. The French forward is up to 145 career goals at Tigres.

Who will Tigres play in the Club World Cup final?

Tigres will face the winner of Bayern Munich vs. Al Ahly in the final on Thursday, February 12.

Kylian Mbappe is delighted to hear that Neymar will sign a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain.

The Brazil international star, who arrived at the club in 2017, has intimated that he wants to extend his deal at Parc des Prince, with reports suggesting that an announcement could be close.

Had PSG failed to agree terms with the former Barcelona star, they may have been forced to sell him this summer or else see him depart for nothing a year later.

“This is great news. everyone knows the importance of this player. I hope he will be able to write the history of this club for many years to come,” Mbappe told Canal+.

Mbappe had double reason for celebration as he was commenting after a 2-0 win over rivals Marseille that keeps PSG in touch at the top of the Ligue 1 table. He was able to get on the scoresheet with a fine breakaway goal and was pleased with the manner in which the team executed their tactics, although he says there is more to come from himself.

"We started well. We were able to score very early in the game, it closed then, but we controlled the game afterwards. It was a serious game and we stay in touch,” he said.”

“I keep playing matches, and I’m managing to finish the matches better. I am ramping up and it will get better and better.”

Meanwhile, PSG have a Champions League double header against Barcelona to look forward to, the first leg of which arrives at the end of the month. Mbappe denied it is a date that is already in the minds of his colleagues.

“Does Barca occupy our thoughts already? No because we have to concentrate on the next game in the league because we have dropped too many points,” he said. “But that could be a good thing because it means that we have to play matches with intensity. It means that we will not, therefore, be surprised in the Champions League.”

PSG reached the Champions League final in 2020 but suffered a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the final.

Thomas Tuchel confirmed why Christian Pulisic and Thiago Silva weren't in the Chelsea squad for the 2-1 away win over Sheffield United, while he allayed fears about Timo Werner's health.

Werner set up both goals in the win at Bramall Lane but came off in the 75th minute to get treatment on his thigh after being involved in both Mason Mount and Jorginho's goals.

Meanwhile, Silva also picked up a thigh injury during the 1-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday and had a scan after the match to confirm the severity of his problem. Tuchel explained why he and surprise omission Pulisic were left out on Sunday.

"Christian has some family issues to resolve and family is always first so we decided to give him a rest for this game," Tuchel said. "With Thiago, we are fighting for him every day but he will be for sure out for the FA Cup so it will take time.

"It will be several days but we have set the goal, I would like him back for maybe Southampton, that’s realistic but also ambitious. I know Thiago, he will do everything to be ready as soon as possible but it is a muscle injury so you cannot take any risk."

After Werner explained that he suffered a dead leg upon winning the man of the match award, Tuchel admitted he had no concerns about the 24-year-old's condition: "I’m not sure how you say it in English, you call it a 'dead leg' or something?

"That describes it well. It’s not serious, It is very painful for him at this moment but now, I think he’ll be fine."

The £47.5 million ($59m) summer signing from RB Leipzig went into more detail about how he got injured in the collision to win the decisive penalty in the second half. 

"The 10-15 minutes after was hard. I told the manager he should take me off because it was a tight game. In the end, it is better to have 11 fit players on the pitch rather than 10 and a half," he said on SkySports.

Kai Havertz is also on the injured list, but Kurt Zouma recovered to make the bench on Sunday after the pair suffered problems on the training ground last week.

Ilkay Gundogan believes this could be the most competitive season he has had with Manchester City and says the Premier League title is a long way from being secured.

The German international scored twice as City moved five points clear at the top with a 4-1 victory over Liverpool on Sunday.

Many are ready to crown City as champions-elect with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saying Manchester United are not title contenders and Jurgen Klopp saying his side are fighting for a Champions League place.

But despite City recording a record-equalling 14th successive victory in all competitions, Gundogan is taking nothing for granted.

"There are still so many games to play," he said. "I think we should stay humble, try to take every challenge by itself because the Premier League is so competitive - and maybe the most competitive year that we have had, so it is about every single game and opponent.

"We know we are in a very good moment, but we shouldn’t take it for granted and not drop any edge and to keep going to do the stuff we have been doing as good as possible. Then, it can be a great and successful season for us.”

The 30-year-old is having the best goalscoring campaign of his career with his two goals taking his tally to 11 season and making him the club's joint top goalscorer with Raheem Sterling.

However, Gundogan doesn't believe that his recent form in front of goal means he has stepped up his game.

"It is nice to get on the scoresheet, but I know also that there are a lot of experts who look at different stuff and probably also saw that in recent years I have played on the same level or maybe even better, but I didn’t score or assist a lot," he added.

"For me, it is always about leaving everything on the pitch and leaving it with a good feeling in myself. It doesn’t matter if you score or not, it is about the feeling that I have after every single game. That is how I judge myself to be honest.

"In terms of numbers, it is by far the best season I have ever had but there are also different parts of the game.”

Gundogan would have had a hat-trick had he not blasted a first-half penalty high into the Kop.

He was able to make fun of the miss after the game, tweeting he was inspired by the Super Bowl, but admitted he was grateful that it had not proved costly.

“It is not easy to deal with a failing on the penalty spot and there is always a danger of lacking a bit of confidence straight after," he said.

"But I went into half-time trying to say to myself to keep going, make the simple stuff as good as possible and try to stay in the game.

"I tried to look for my chance and if I get it in the opponent’s box then just try to be there.

"Thankfully, it has worked out twice, quite well. I don’t take this for granted.

"I enjoy it obviously, but I enjoy it even more when our team plays well and we play like we did in the second half and that is the most beautiful part of it.”

Thomas Tuchel is loving life in the Premier League so far amid his dream start managing Chelsea.

After inheriting the squad from Frank Lampard in late-January, he's yet to lose a match, claiming nine of 11 possible points in the process. On Sunday, his group beat Sheffield United 2-1.

Chelsea concocted an almost instant response to an own goal from Antonio Rudiger in the latest victory, regaining their advantage four minutes later from the spot.

The bigger picture

Chelsea have zoomed up to fifth place in the Premier League and are on the verge of cracking the top four. Liverpool sit just one point ahead of the Blues after they lost to Manchester City on Sunday. That sets up a proper fight for a Champions League spot, which before Tuchel's arrival appeared a difficult task.

Plus, Tuchel has some of his most important players rounding into form. While Timo Werner hasn't scored, he has drawn two penalties in the past two games and assisted fellow attacking cog Mason Mount.

What's been said

"The type of football is physical and tougher and there is a lot of quality and during matches it never stops," Tuchel told Sky Sports. "You feel absolute spirit to give everything in every match it brings out the best in every player and it's a pleasure to coach every game because this is what we love and what I love and so far things are going well and we are happy."

He added in a separate interview with BBC Sport: "We have a team that is ready and wants to win. It creates a winning mentality. You can feel this when you step through the door at the training ground."

What's next

Chelsea's next two Premier League matches, at least on paper, should give them optimism. They will see Newcastle and Southampton next before finishing the month with a more difficult clash against Manchester United.

The Blues also have an upcoming FA Cup matchup with Barnsley and Champions League tie with Atletico Madrid.

Paul Onuachu’s Genk suffered a 2-1 defeat to Anderlecht in Sunday’s Belgian topflight encounter.

Coming into the game, the Smurfs had gone on a run of ten matches at home with losing. Against the Purple and White, however, they ended up surrendering their invincibility despite taking the lead.

Fuelled by their 5-0 decimation of Thes Sport their last time out, the hosts began the game on a flying note as Theo Bogonda put them ahead in the second minute.

The former Belgium youth international of Congolese background intercepted a wide ball before unleashing the ball past goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther.

That lead lasted for just 17 minutes as the visiting side levelled matters after Danny Vukovic turned the ball into his own net.

Three minutes later, Anouar Ait El Hadj gave Vincent Kompany’s men the lead. The Belgium youth international of Moroccan descent profited from a Albert Lokonga pass, beat a marker before rifling past the goalkeeper.

Facing an uphill task to grind out victory at home, the hosts came out stronger but were unable to get the much-needed goals despite dominating ball possession in the goal-laden first half.

Genk’s dominance continued in the second-half but they did not pose much danger. Chances fell on the path of Onuachu but they could not get past goalkeeper Wellenreuther as the visitors put up a solid defensive showing.

Even with the introduction of Nigeria’s Cyriel Dessers for Kristian Thorstvedt in the 84th minute, goals were scarce as John van den Brom’s team crumbled at the Luminus Arena.

While Super Eagles striker Onuachu was in action from start to finish, Cote d'Ivoire midfielder Eboue Kouassi was not listed for the encounter.  

On the other hand, Congo prospect Abert-Mboyo Lokonga played all 90 minutes for Anderlecht while Nigerian striker Paul Mukairu who is on loan from Antalyaspor replaced Jacob Larsen in the 62nd minute. Whereas Mali's Abdoulay Diaby and Ghana's Majeed Ashimeru were unused substitutes.

As a result of Genk’s defeat, they dropped to third in the Jupiler League table having accrued 43 points from 26 outings, while Anderlecht are fourth with 41 points from the same number of matches.

Chelsea striker Timo Werner has admitted that his goal drought is starting to get to him – despite fashioning two goals as the Blues overcame Sheffield United away from home.

Thomas Tuchel’s undefeated run as Chelsea boss continued at Bramall Lane as goals from Mason Mount and Jorginho gave them maximum points. In between times, Antonio Rudiger struck an own goal for the hosts – the first goal that Chelsea have conceded under the German.

However, the overriding emotion was pleasure at the victory – and that also goes for Werner, though the former RB Leipzig man admitted that it was tinged with frustration.

The 24-year-old has not scored since November, when the Blues last faced the men from the Steel City.

“Overall a good win for us, difficult against a high defending Sheffield United and proud that we continue our last wins,” he told Sky Sports .

“For myself, again there was no goal but it is good to see I can help the team with other things.

"I am happy when we win and with two assists, but as a striker you want to score, it has been a long time and I have not had this long without in my career. The goals will come.”

He brushed off the suggestion that he should have been allowed to take a penalty after winning it.

"In the future, maybe I can take a penalty but at this moment, I need to score some normal goals before taking a penalty,” he said.

"It was a clear penalty and I was shocked it was not given straight away. The VAR helps the referee."

Meanwhile, Werner is full of praise for compatriot Tuche, who has overseen three wins and a draw since taking charge of the Stamford Bridge outfit, propelling them back into the Champions League reckoning in the process.

"Every manager is different, he gives us a lot of ideas and now I play on the left and can play behind the striker or as a 10,” he said. “That is very good for me and the last wins were also a good move from the manager.”

Hakim Ziyech has promised to be back to his very best soon after revealing a difficult start to his Chelsea career.

The 27-year-old agreed to join the Premier League side in February 2020 for a fee of €44 million on a five-year deal from Ajax and linked up with the Blues in the summer ahead of their 2020-21 campaign.

The Morocco international start to life at Stamford Bridge did not go as expected after he suffered a knee injury against Brighton and Hove Albion in pre-season.

The injury delayed the winger’s debut for the Stamford Bridge outfit and had to wait until October to play his first game for the club against Southampton.

In December, the forward suffered thigh problems which ruled him out from a number of games before returning to action in January 2021.

Ziyech scored more than 40 goals for Ajax during his four-year stay with the Dutch club and believes he is yet to reach the peak of his performance for the Blues.

“It was a difficult first halfyear. Of course, I immediately started with an injury, came back, then had another injury. So things are not going the way I had hoped,” Ziyech told Ziggo Sport, as per Voetbalzone.

“But, as most know, I always believe in myself. I know what I can do, so I don't worry too much about that. The real Ziyech will be back.

“The Premier League is faster than at Ajax. Luckily I picked that up pretty quickly until I got injured in the first exhibition game, which then throws you back all the way. And not even after that. That was a bummer. ”

Ziyech’s inability to make many impacts for the Blues culminated in the club’s unimpressive performances which led to Frank Lampard’s sack as the manager of the side.

The forward is looking to securing more playing time under new Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, irrespective of the role he is given.  

 “You know that can happen if the results are not good. It is also not the first time that it happens to me that the trainer is fired, so I know how to deal with that,” he continued.

‘We will have to wait and see what kind of system he wants to play in. We have already played twice with three defenders and I was second ten.

“But as you know: whether I play on the right or in the centre, that doesn't really matter to me. As long as I play. That is the most important."

Former Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt believes it will take some months before Ziyech can fully settle in the Premier League.  

“I think he is not completely satisfied. Every player hopes, as he says himself, to play a lot. People sometimes underestimate how big the step from the Eredivisie to the Premier League is,” Kuyt told Ziggo Sport.

 “I experienced that as a player myself. I can still remember playing there for four, five months and just lost six kilos. After that, fifteen kilos of muscle mass were added. That still does something to you.

"By definition, a player who goes from a familiar environment to a completely new environment and also in the corona time just need at least six months. He has had some problems with injuries, fitness. He came in not quite fit. He just needs time."

Mumbai City have a three-point lead over ATK Mohun Bagan at the top of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) standings when they take on play-off contenders FC Goa at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, on Monday evening.

TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM

The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL in India.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

TEAM NEWS

Mumbai City Possible XI:

Injured - None
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players - Hugo Boumous, Ahmed Jahouh

FC Goa Possible XI: 

Injured - Brandon Fernandes
Doubtful - Princeton Rebello
Suspended - None

Key Players - Igor Angulo, Jorge Ortiz

Morocco scored two second-half goals to defeat Mali 2-0 in the final of the African Nations Championship on Sunday, becoming the first team to retain the title in the competition’s history.

Soufiane Bouffini opened the scoring in the 69th minute after Mali had held firm for over and hour, but Ayoub El Kaabi added another 10 minutes later to take the contest beyond the Eagles.

To add insult to injury, Issaka Samake was sent off for Mali in the 93rd minute as their otherwise impressive Chan campaign ended on a sour note.

Despite entering the tournament as favourites, Morocco started the tournament sluggishly—with a narrow 1-0 victory over Togo before they were held 0-0 by Rwanda in Douala.

Things heated up in their final group game—a 5-2 rout of Uganda—before they cruised past Zambia and Cameroon in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively to reaffirm their status as tournament favourites.

Mali, meanwhile, went the distance in both of their knockout games—requiring penalties against Congo-Brazzaville and Guinea—and fatigue eventually told for them during the final stages of Sunday’s encounter.

The West Africans had the better of the early stages of the contest, but conspired to miss several chances, efforts they were later left to rue. In one instance, Moussa Kone was denied by Anas Zniti, while Demba Diallo was also thwarted by the crossbar. 

After the pause, Mali had another excellent chance to open the scoring, but Sadio Kanoute's effort struck the woodwork as an opportunity went begging.

Boutouli opened the scoring in style 20 minutes from style, before El Kaabi's excellent header sealed the title with 10 minutes on the clock.

While Morocco’s dominance told in the possession stakes—they saw 63 percent of the ball—Mali maintained more of a threat on the counterattack, and ended the game with 10 shots to the Atlas Lions’ seven.

He may not have scored in the final, but Morocco’s Soufiane Rahimi ended the tournament as the top scorer—with five goals—and the Raja Casablanca man also won the Player of the Tournament award.

On Saturday, hosts Cameroon were defeated 2-0 by Guinea in the third-placed playoff as they ended their own campaign on a flat note. The Indomitable Lions conceded six goals across their final two fixtures, having been outclassed 4-0 by Morocco in their semi-final.

Ilkay Gundogan was quick to make fun of his own penalty miss on Sunday as he says he was inspired by the upcoming Super Bowl when he skied his shot up and over the crossbar.

The German mdifiedler was allowed to joke about his penalty misfire against Liverpool only because Manchester City went on to earn a 4-1 win at Anfield. 

Gundogan scored two goals from open play following the mistake, also helping to alleviate criticism lodged against him. He still might lose his spot kick duties to goalkeeper Ederson, however.

After the match, Gundogan mockingly compared himself to an American football kicker.

It's the Super Bowl in the U.S. on Sunday, providing Gundogan the perfect angle to make fun of his penalty kick into the Kop during Manchester City's 4-1 win.

"When they tell you it's #SuperBowl and a Field Goal is worth 3 points..." he wrote on Twitter with a photo of the incident attached.

During his post-match interview with BBC Radio 5, Gundogan took a more serious approach to his penalty miss. In a match with such high stakes, the overpowered shot could have been a season-changing event.

"I need to admit that missing a penalty is always a bad thing, especially early in the game," Gundugon said. "There's always a danger of dropping confidence, but after I missed I just tried to do the simple things as well as possible.

"Don't get distracted by the penalty and try to keep going and help my team to win. It worked out well.

"Maybe I was lucky to be in the right places but I always try to be there when I smell the danger in front of goal. Happy about the goals, relieved but much happier about the result and the way we played."

Musa Barrow scored twice to inspire Bologna to a 3-0 victory over Gervinho’s Parma in Sunday’s Serie A game.

Barrow made his 19th league start at Stadio Ennio Tardini and delivered a spectacular performance in the encounter.

The Gambia international played a key role as Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men returned to winning ways after back-to-back defeats to Juventus and AC Milan.

Ivory Coast international Gervinho also featured prominently in the encounter but could not help his side avoid defeat.

Only 15 minutes into the game, Barrow opened the scoring for the Red and Blues, heading home Nicola Sansone’s cross.

The 22-year-old Gambia star then doubled his side’s lead moments after the half-hour mark after benefitting from another Sansone’s assist.

Riccardo Orsolini then sealed the victory for Bologna shortly before the end of the game after he was set up by Roberto Soriano.

Barrow featured for 82 minutes, had 41 touches on the ball and made three key passes before making way for Rodrigo Palacio.

Gervinho, meanwhile, featured for the duration of the game, had 60 touches on the ball, completed three dribbles and struck one shot.

His teammate and Nigerian forward Joshua Zirkzee was introduced into the game in the 55th minute but could not save Parma from suffering their 12th defeat of the campaign.

With the result, Bologna moved to the 13th spot on the league table after gathering 23 points from 21 games.

Parma dropped to the bottom three after their inability to add to their existing 13 points and will hope to return to winning ways against Hellas Verona on February 15. 

Barrow has been with the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara outfit since January 2020 when he teamed up with the side on loan from Atalanta.

The forward has now scored six goals and provided four assists in 23 appearances across all competitions this season.