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Malaba Youth Development Association (Myda) FC head coach Abdul Swamadu Musafiri believes his team has struggled in the Ugandan Premier League owing to lack of experienced players in the team.

The promoted charges have started life in the top tier in bad fashion, having collected one point from the four games played. The tactician has also pointed out losing key players is the reason why his team is struggling.

"I think we have lacked crucial experience at this level especially in match situations," Musafiri said ahead of the league game on Saturday.

"Some of the players more so in the backline came up short regarding experience since it was their first time playing in the top tier. However, they are learning more after every game. I do trust them and have the belief that they can go on and have a top career, but frankly, they still have some learning to do 

"You are aware that we lost some of the players from the team that gained promotion from the Big League and we were forced to bring in new talents."

Myda will have a tricky fixture away to St Mary's Stadium where they will play hosts Vipers SC, who are the reigning champions.  

"We are ready to take on Vipers and the boys have always had it in mind that we missed the game, but anytime it had to be played and Saturday is the day we have always been waiting for," Musafiri stated.

"As a coach, I think this game has really come at the best time because we have seen how they play and we have also analysed our mistakes in the first four games which I believe won’t surface again.  

"We have always scored and that’s not our problem, however, the issue is we have conceded a lot and more of those in injury time when the game is about to end and that’s an issue we have to respond to with immediate effect.  

"We have done some business in January and we have boosted our defence with the acquisition of Fred Okot who will provide leadership and experience in our backline.

"However much we respect Vipers because they are the defending champions, we are ready to challenge them. Many might say we are a new team but some players are not new at this stage."   

Hazel Nali put up an impressive showing for Hapoel Be'er Sheva as they subdued Hapoel Ra'anana 2-0 in Thursday’s Ligat Al fixture.

The 22-year-old goalkeeper has established herself at Be'er Sheva since completing her maiden professional move to the Israeli top-flight from Green Buffaloes, on a one-year deal last November.

The Zambia international was handed her sixth appearance as a starter and she gave a good account of herself between the post as her side claimed their first win of the 2020-21 campaign.

The hosts started the game on an impressive note and got their first breakthrough in the 17th minute courtesy of Arava Shahaf's strike.

On the brink of half-time, Or Erez bagged the second and winning goal of the encounter her brilliant header to guarantee the first win of the season for Andrea Bercholc's team.

Okoye was in action from start to finish for his side and made several breathtaking saves to ensure a clean sheet for Be'er Sheva, along with Ghana's Blessing Agbomadzi.

Thanks to this result, Bercholc's side now occupy the sixth spot in the Ligat Al log having garnered five points from six games.

Be'er Sheva would be hoping to build on this impressive result when they travel to face Maccabi Emek Hefer on February 11.

Yanga SC have reached out to former player Amisi Tambwe a day after world football governing body Fifa handed them a transfer ban.

The Zurich-based body handed the Jangwani giants a ban of three years from transfer activities after the Burundian striker sued them for failure to pay him Tsh43.5m accrued from sign-on fees and salaries after his unceremonious exit from the club at the end of the 2018-19 season.

After accepting receipt of the letter from Fifa, Yanga have moved to reach out to the player, and have asked him to give the total amount he is owed so that they can pay.

“It is true Yanga have reached out to me through Eng. Hersi Said, they phoned me on Thursday and they have committed to pay the money they owe me,” Tambwe told Viwanjani Leo.

Despite Fifa ruling that Yanga must pay the player, the club lodged a complaint with the Court of Arbitration of Sports in Zurich, who also supported Tambwe by insisting the player must be paid his dues.

According to Felix Majani, who is the lawyer for Tambwe, Fifa had also promised to deduct points from Yanga in the Mainland Premier League if they don’t pay the money in the next 45 days.

“I am Felix Majani the lawyer of Amisi Tambwe, a former player for Yanga and it is very clear in the public domain that Yanga have not paid him his money, since he left the club in 2019, so we lodged a case with Fifa which Tambwe won,” Majani told Kitenge TV on Wednesday.

“However, Yanga moved to the Court of Arbitration for Sports to protest Fifa's decision and they lost again but we moved back to Fifa, and they have now ruled since Yanga have failed to pay the player, they will remain banned from doing transfer activities for the next three years starting from June 2021 until they pay Tambwe.

“If they don’t pay him then they will be deducted points from the league and will be fined heavily and that is the message Fifa has just communicated to us and we are waiting to see whether Yanga are ready to pay Tambwe or they will sacrifice and go without signing players.”

The striker left Yanga at the end of 2018-19 season when coach Mwinyi Zahera dropped him for the season 2019-20, however, he left behind a debt of Tsh43.5 million, an amount which Cas ordered the club to pay within 45 days from December 1, 2020.

Harry Maguire wants a trophy at Manchester United to silence the club’s haters, with the Red Devils skipper aware that plenty of people want to see the Old Trafford heavyweights fail.

Four years have passed since they last secured major silverware, with Jose Mourinho delivering three triumphs in 2016-17.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has inherited the managerial reins, with the 1999 Treble winner charged with the task of replicating the success of his playing days.

That has been a slow process, but optimism is building again in 2021. United have come into contention for the Premier League title, while also remaining in the hunt for FA Cup and Europa League honours.

Maguire is determined to get his hands on at least one prize and deliver the perfect response to critics that continue to write the Red Devils off.

The England international defender told United’s official podcast when asked if doubters provide added motivation: “I enjoy it. I don’t mind it at all. When I lift my first trophy at this club it will put a bigger smile on my face knowing there’s a lot of people not wanting us to do that.

“We are the most talked about club in the world. A lot of people don’t want us to do well. A lot of people want us to fail and that’s the world that we live in. I’m pretty used to it now.”

Maguire has been with United since the summer of 2019, when he made his record-breaking £80 million ($110m) move from Leicester.

He has inherited the captain’s armband at Old Trafford and played his way through the odd dip to remain an important part of Solskjaer’s plans.

The plan now is to deliver on expectations, with the Red Devils aware of the need to get back on a trophy trail as soon as possible.

“I’ve felt from the moment I walked into this club we have improved a lot,” Maguire added. “Performance-wise is so important because you can get lucky in one, two, three games when your performances aren’t good and you scrape wins, but you are never going to last over a season.

“You have to make sure performances look after themselves and give yourself an opportunity to go and win games over a period. Keep improving but for sure, at this club we have got to win trophies.

“We have to start competing in the league to win the title and then we have to start lifting trophies and winning the biggest competitions in the world and being involved in them.”

Gor Mahia head coach Manuel Vaz Pinto has explained how he plans to shut up AFC Leopards during the Sunday Football Kenya Federation Premier League tie at Moi International Sports Complex.

The two arch-rivals will be meeting for the first time this season and Pinto hopes his players will deny Ingwe space to operate as they plot to hand them yet another loss.

AFC Leopards are without a win against K’Ogalo since 2016 but they are heading into the Premier League showdown buoyed by three consecutive wins.

“We will try to lock up the spaces as we look for the same in our opponents and utilise them because that is what counts in a game for one to win,” Pinto said as per the club’s Facebook page.

The Portuguese tactician also spoke about the kind of training sessions they have had since they defeated Bandari 3-1 on Sunday.

“Our preparations started on Tuesday and our main goal when we started was the recovery of players after the Sunday game as we worked on tactical aspects,” the former St George head coach added.

“We will continue to work on tactical issues through the remaining time before our Sunday’s match against AFC Leopards.”

As the two sides prepare for what will be the 89th Mashemeji derby clash, Ingwe’s chairman Dan Shikanda also explained how they are building up ahead of the tie.

“I can say proudly we are on top of them on the table after playing an equal number of matches [eight],” Shikanda told Goal in a separate interview.

“We are looking forward to a great derby and as we promised our players, win the league and win a house and I can tell them for free this is a key match because our fans, our members, our stakeholders are looking for the missing bragging rights.

“We know what a win can do, it will bring closer people to the team, and we are really doing everything possible to win it.

“The time is now, we are ripe enough and if we get the win then we will open a good run of beating them even four to five matches in a row, but this derby [for Sunday] is very key for us because, to be honest, our fans have not enjoyed the bragging rights and we feel we need to give them some happiness.”

Both AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia could be under coaches who have never taken charge of a Mashemeji encounter should the former appoint Patrick Aussems on Saturday as it has been widely reported.

Fabinho admits he is “unsure” how long an untimely injury at Liverpool will keep him stuck on the sidelines.

The versatile Brazilian has been filling in at centre-half for the Reds this season, with Jurgen Klopp seeing his squad decimated by fitness problems.

Tactical tinkering has been forced upon the reigning Premier League champions, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip ruled out long-term.

Fabinho has joined them in the treatment room, with the 27-year-old sitting out Liverpool’s last three games.

He was laid low in the wake of an FA Cup fourth-round defeat to Manchester United and concedes no timescale is being put on his recovery.

Fabinho, who is nursing a muscle complaint, told Liverpool’s official matchday programme: “I had a slight discomfort in training so we decided that I shouldn't play against Tottenham or West Ham.

“I started undergoing my recovery straightaway and I'm feeling a lot better than I was at the start of last week and hopefully I'll have the opportunity to come back for these games we have coming up.

“We're not exactly sure how long I will be out but I'm working hard to be back playing as soon as possible.”

Liverpool appeared to have countered Fabinho’s absence and rediscovered their spark when seeing off Tottenham and West Ham in back-to-back outings in London. Klopp’s side wobbled again, though, in a 1-0 home defeat to Brighton, leaving them seven points adrift of table-topping Manchester City.

A meeting with the Citizens is next up for the Reds, with Fabinho confident they can play their way into form and contention for more major honours.

He added: “We know the quality of this team. Of course, we have had a few players out this season with injuries and coronavirus, but we know that we have the quality to be in a better position in the league table.

“The confidence will come back for sure and we just have to keep working hard because the quality is there. Sometimes you have difficult times in football and you just have to be together, work hard and do everything you can to win because you know the results can turn around just as quickly.”

Mathare United head coach Salim Ali believes fatigue is slowly creeping into his squad after back-to-back Football Kenya Federation Premier League matches in a span of a short period.

The recent outing for the Slum Boys was at Kasarani Stadium on Thursday where they settled to a 1-1 draw with Western Stima, having lost 1-0 to Tusker on Sunday.

The youthful coach has pointed out why his team looked off at times.

"It has not been easy for us because after every two or three days we have been playing," Ali told Goal on Friday.

"Some of my players looked fatigued and at some point, they struggled to match their opponents. It played a part in our draw at home. But we appreciate the point that we managed to pick."

After this weekend, the league takes a break and will resume after two weeks and the former Ulinzi Stars coach has expressed his relief.

"At least the break will give us some time to rest and restructure," Ali stated.

"The players will get some time to get their energy back and ensure we have a better re-start on resumption. 

"We have at least managed to play together as a team and it has given me more insight of the players considering the fact that we did not have time for proper pre-season."

On Thursday, the 2008 champions were the first to score courtesy of Daniel Otieno, but with seconds to go, Mukisa Junior replied.

The first half ended with neither of the two teams getting the ball into the back of the net.

It seemed the match would end goalless until the 85th minute. Substitute Khalid Jumaan picked out Otieno in a good area and the forward did not hesitate to hit the back of the net.

The former champions thought they had done enough to walk home with maximum points, but Stima had other ideas.

With seconds to go, Mukisa capitalised on a concentration lapse to ensure the spoils were shared.

"It was all about concentration lapses in the stoppages and we were punished," Ali explained.

"We now have to take the lessons and ensure it does not happen again next time. In the top tier, you get punished if you sleep on the job."
 

Express FC goalkeeper Denis Otim is not worried he is yet to make a start for the side he signed for before the start of the 2020-21 Ugandan Premier League campaign.

The 20-year-old custodian arrived at the Red Eagles from Mbarara City but he is yet to earn a starting role as he faces stiff competition from regulars Mathias Muwanga, Cryspus Kusiima, and Sadat Mugenyi.

Otim has now claimed he does not want to walk away for failing to start for the team, insisting he only needs time to show the coaches what he can offer the team.

“Firstly it’s been a good ride from the start and I can't complain,” Otim said as quoted by the club’s official website.

“The boys have been fantastic, you can see we’re all working towards a common goal of winning but in my case, the goalkeeper coach Daniel [Kiwanuka] has fone a fantastic job.

“I will try to be better with every opportunity given to me and I have no doubt it’s only a matter of time for me to be in goal.”

Otim has also welcomed the league break which was occasioned by Uganda’s participation in the African Nations Championship, saying it gave them enough time to work on their weaknesses which had seen them concede three goals from four matches.

“As a team, we did great before the break but I believe we can do better,” Otim continued. “As goalkeepers, we know we have to ensure we keep as many clean sheets and the break has allowed us to correct our mistakes.

“It’s now hoping for the best when the league resumes.”

Coach Wasswa Bbosa has preferred Muwanga, who also doubles as the assistant captain, to lead the team in their four opening fixtures.

Meanwhile, Express will reward their season ticket holders ahead of the return of the top-flight.

The club, through their senior administrator Patricia Ayebare, have confirmed they will reward their season ticket holders during an event dubbed ‘the Express season ticket holders Day Out’ at Muteesa II stadium Wankulukuku on Friday, February 5.

“Appreciating others is the biggest value so they say and Express is doing just that for all season ticket holders,” the club said in a statement on their official website.

“The club is set to reward all season ticket holders with a VIP treatment in an event dubbed “The Express FC season ticket holders Day Out” which will take place at the Betway Muteesa II stadium Wankulukuku on Friday, February 5, 2021.”

The Red Eagles will resume the league action when they take on champions Vipers SC on February 9 at Wankulukuku

Luis Suarez is backing Lionel Messi to “retire wherever he wants” as speculation continues to rage regarding the Barcelona superstar’s future.

Goal has learned that the mercurial Argentine will not be making any decision on his next move until the end of the 2020-21 campaign. He has grown tired of the endless rumours, with barely a day going by when he is not linked with a switch to Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain.

There is little chance of the gossip going away, with the six-time Ballon d’Or winner continuing to run down his contract at Camp Nou.

If no fresh terms are agreed with the only club side he has represented in his remarkable career, then the South American will become a free agent.

Suarez, who enjoyed six trophy-laden years alongside Messi at Camp Nou before joining Atletico Madrid last summer, feels his former team-mate has earned the right to make his own decisions.

He admits anything could happen before the all-time great hangs up his boots, with the 33-year-old having revealed in the past that he would like to experience MLS and a return to Newell’s Old Boys before calling it a day.

“This afternoon I spoke with him, he was very happy about the victory [over Granada],” Suarez told El Transistor. “He is [playing] at a spectacular level, he is the best in the world.

“Messi will retire wherever he wants, he can decide whether it's at Barcelona, in Argentina or wherever.”

Barca have not given up hope when it comes to thrashing out a contract extension for their talismanic captain. Financial difficulties for the Liga giants are, however, making life difficult, with it revealed that they are now €1.2 billion (£1.1b/$1.5b) in debt.

Details of Messi’s lucrative contract have also been leaked, with the four-year deal he agreed back in 2017 set to earn him €555 million (£491m/$674m).

He is, however, worth much more than that to the Blaugrana and it remains to be seen who will be benefiting from his sporting and commercial strength in 2021-22, with a big career crossroads approaching for a forward who shows no sign of slowing down.

Cape Town City have bolstered their midfield with the acquisition of former Nigeria under-20 captain Abdul Jeleel Ajagun.

The news was confirmed on City's Twitter page on Friday morning, with a short post:

"Cape Town City is delighted to announce the signing of midfielder Abdul Ajagun. The midfielder joins from Belgium Pro League side Kortrijk."

Ajagun will be handed the number 13 jersey by the Citizens.

He began his career with the academy team of Nigerian club Dolphins FC. He also won the 2010/11 Nigerian Premier League title with Dolphins and later signed for Greek side Panathinaikos FC ahead of the 2013/14 campaign, going on to score on his official debut against Platanias.

An attacking midfielder, Ajagun became a free agent after he was released by Belgian club KV Kortrijk in October 2020. He made just three appearances in the Belgian First Division A for Kortrijk this season.

The Port Harcourt-born player also had loan spells at Greek club Levadiakos FC and Dutch outfit Roda JC. It was at Roda where he had his best return of goals in a league season, scoring five in the 2016/ 17 season in the Dutch top flight.

Ajagun, 27, joins a growing list of foreign-born players at the Mother City club, including goalkeeper Peter Leeuwenburgh (Netherlands), defender Ioannis Potouridis (Greece), winger Charles Zulu (Zambia), striker Justin Shonga (Zambia) and left-back Edmilson Dove (Mozambique).

Dove is however injured and is not expected to play until next season.

Ajagun will compete with the likes of Mduduzi Mdantsane (City's top scorer this season with eight league goals) as well as Mpho Makola for a place in the starting line-up as an attacking midfielder.

Coach Jan Olde Riekerink's Citizens side are involved in the Nedbank Cup this weekend - they play last season's beaten finalists Bloemfontein Celtic at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday evening (17:00 kick-off)

And if the coach’s comments are anything to go by, it could be a high scoring encounter:

"This is a knockout game so it is not about how many goals you concede, but rather the number of goals you score,” the Dutchman was quoted saying by IOL.

“So long as you score more like AmaZulu did when they recently won 4-3. It is the way we play and sometimes we lose the ball in risky positions.

“We will have to improve when we are in transition so that we can be more effective. Our strength is scoring goals and creating chances.”

The FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) is already underway in Qatar. Two matches have already been played and the semifinal which would involve European Champions Bayern Munich is slated to be held on February 8, 2021. 

Nasser Al-Khater, the CEO of the 2022 World Cup, is viewing the Club World Cup as a perfect test platform for the 2022 global event. Although the ongoing tournament is being hosted with utmost safety with all Covid protocols in place, the official hopes that the marquee event in November 2022 can be hosted without any restriction per se.

"Hosting the Club World Cup is important for us for the preparations of the FIFA World Cup in 2022. This is the second edition of the Club World Cup that we host. However, today we are hosting it in different circumstances. We are hosting during a global pandemic which is very difficult but it is also important to make sure we play our part in the safe return of football. 

"We do hope that the fans coming here can enjoy football. We do know that the fans must undergo a PCR Covid test before attending the match. All the operational staff must go through testing before they can work. This will ensure the safety of the players and also make sure that we don't have any outbreak due to the current situation."

Al-Khater feels the best practices learnt from the Club World Cup will be implemented during the 2022 World Cup.

"All the operational testing that would be required and all the skills that would be implemented in the World Cup are picked up and practised during the Club World Cup. With almost two years to go for the 2022 World Cup, we hope that the world goes back to normal and people can enjoy as they previously did. We hope that we don't need to implement any of the protocols that we are implementing right now," he explained.

Qatar have already hosted two big-ticket competitions in the recent past, namely the AFC Champions League and the Amir Cup, and Al-Khater is confident that the country is absolutely ready to host the Club World Cup without any Covid-related complications. 

"Qatar has set benchmarks for the safe return of sporting events. We have hosted two events, one of them being the AFC Champions League qualifications and finals. There were more than 1000 delegates that participated in the event. We had about 10000 spectators attending the final. We had implemented strict safety protocols, made sure that all players and delegates were secured in medical bubbles and saw that the entire tournament was conducted in safe bio-bubbles, whether it was in the hotels, training sites we saw that all movements of players and officials were done in a secure way. We are happy that it was a successful event. 

"We also hosted the Amir Cup Final which saw the return of 50 per cent capacity. Again it was conducted maintaining safety protocols. Around 48000 PCR tests were conducted to make sure that fans those who entered the stadium were free of Coronavirus. It was a successful event and we did not see any outbreak because of the event. So these two major milestones put us in a very good place to host the FIFA CWC in the same way," he expressed. 

Later in 2021, Qatar would also host the Arab Cup. It would act as the perfect prelude to the World Cup next year. 22 teams are going to participate in the initial round and all the matches will be played in World Cup stadiums.

"Thankfully, we are preparing ourselves in terms of stadium infrastructure, infrastructure in general in the country we are in a very good place. In terms of operationally implementing our plans, we have ensured that there are a lot of test events from now on until the World Cup. Obviously, the most important and major one is the FIFA Arab Cup in 2021 that would also take place at the same time as the World Cup, so to be around November and December 2021. That's where we are going to be testing most of our stadiums, operations and all major infrastructure."

The Education City Stadium and the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium will be used during the Club World Cup. Bayern Munich will play their semifinal against Al Ahly at the Ahmed bin Ali arena, whereas the other semifinal and the final will be hosted by Education City.  

The African Football HQ podcast comes in the midst of a blockbuster weekend of African football.

On Monday, the transfer window concluded, wrapping up a month of fascinating deals involving African players.

The best and worst of those January deals are assessed by Malek Shafei and Ed Dove in this week’s episode of the podcast.

There have been some major transfers involving the continent’s stars during the window, with moves involving Sebastien Haller and Krepin Diatta among the most expensive to take place across world football during January.

Dove is particularly excited by Ajax’s double swoop for Haller, from West Ham United, and the arrival of Oussama Idrissi from Sevilla.

The latter may be returning to the Netherlands following a torrid four months in Spanish football, but as recently as last season he netted 13 goals in the Eredivisie for AZ Alkmaar, and should be a superb addition for the Dutch giants.

Shafei is excited about his compatriot Mohamed Mostafa swapping the Egyptian Premier League for Turkish giants Galatasaray; can he translate his form in Africa to the Super Lig giants?

The pair also run through their transfer duds, with Dove unconvinced by Bright Osayie-Samuel’s switch to Fenerbahce, and Shafei unsure whether Henry Onyekuru’s move back to Gala from AS Monaco is really what he needs to get his career back on track.

We’re also joined by Goal Kenya correspondent Seth Willis as he previews the Mashemeji Derby.

Sunday’s clash between domestic giants Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards is the biggest match in the Kenyan football calendar, and local expect Willis looks ahead at what to expect from the heavyweight clash.

He also discusses the ongoing African Nations Championship with Shafei, and examines why East Africa’s representatives—Uganda and Tanzania—struggled to make an impact in the tournament for homebased players.

Also from an East African point of view, we look at Michael Olunga’s transfer from Japanese football to Al-Duhail of Qatar…is this the right move for the Kenya talisman?

Already, his new employers are out of the Fifa Club World Cup, but can their vanquishers—Al-Ahly—go the distance ahead of their semi-final against Bayern Munich?

Shafei runs the rule over the African champions, and explores what to expect from the Egyptian giants ahead of that meeting with Bayern Munich in Qatar.

Kyetume FC defender Benon Tahomera has conceded the results the team are posting in the Ugandan Premier League are a reflection of what is going on off the pitch.

The players have been struggling financially as the club struggles to settle their dues.

Despite their relatively good start to the season, having collected two wins and three draws from the five games played, the defender believes they would have done better if not for demoralizing factors affecting the players psychologically. 

"It is unfortunate that as a team we have not yet performed to our best," Tahomera said as quoted by Football256.

"According to the talent we hold as a group, we can do more but the players are not up to it psychologically.  

"I can tell you that as players, we enjoy what we do on the pitch, however, what is done on the field of play is simply the fruit of what has been prevailing off the pitch. And yes, our results can tell we are not well.  

"I do think if you sign a player and have a contract, then it is out of respect that the terms should be followed but whenever it is breached one remains disappointed."

The experienced centre-back has, however, lauded their coach Livingstone Mbabazi for motivating the players and ensuring they are giving their best on the pitch despite the off-pitch problems.

"The coach has been patient and he deserves credit. He has always encouraged us to keep going even when the financial challenges continue to prevail," Tahomera added.  

"The players were really in bad shape during the first games and they needed to be motivated and thanks be to the [coach] who did all it takes to keep the boys together.  

"We truly believe in him and we are ready to rally behind him. We are three points away from the log leader and I know they are still in our reach."  

So what is Tahomera's take on the five games they have played in the UPL?

"The first five games of the season were not bad though they were not the best because I am sure as a team we can offer better," he said.

"For the start, we missed some players simply because of delayed license clearance. But it is good that now many have been cleared and we can build on from that and push on.

"From now, we are going to fight tooth and nail to recover our form and fight for the best."

The Mukono-based charges will play Police FC in their next assignment on February 12.  

The African Football HQ podcast comes in the midst of a blockbuster weekend of African football.

On Monday, the transfer window concluded, wrapping up a month of fascinating deals involving African players.

The best and worst of those January deals are assessed by Malek Shafei and Ed Dove in this week’s episode of the podcast.

There have been some major transfers involving the continent’s stars during the window, with moves involving Sebastien Haller and Krepin Diatta among the most expensive to take place across world football during January.

Dove is particularly excited by Ajax’s double swoop for Haller, from West Ham United, and the arrival of Oussama Idrissi from Sevilla.

The latter may be returning to the Netherlands following a torrid four months in Spanish football, but as recently as last season he netted 13 goals in the Eredivisie for AZ Alkmaar, and should be a superb addition for the Dutch giants.

Shafei is excited about his compatriot Mohamed Mostafa swapping the Egyptian Premier League for Turkish giants Galatasaray; can he translate his form in Africa to the Super Lig giants?

The pair also run through their transfer duds, with Dove unconvinced by Bright Osayie-Samuel’s switch to Fenerbahce, and Shafei unsure whether Henry Onyekuru’s move back to Gala from AS Monaco is really what he needs to get his career back on track.

We’re also joined by Goal Kenya correspondent Seth Willis as he previews the Mashemeji Derby.

Sunday’s clash between domestic giants Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards is the biggest match in the Kenyan football calendar, and local expect Willis looks ahead at what to expect from the heavyweight clash.

He also discusses the ongoing African Nations Championship with Shafei, and examines why East Africa’s representatives—Uganda and Tanzania—struggled to make an impact in the tournament for homebased players.

Also from an East African point of view, we look at Michael Olunga’s transfer from Japanese football to Al-Duhail of Qatar…is this the right move for the Kenya talisman?

Already, his new employers are out of the Fifa Club World Cup, but can their vanquishers—Al-Ahly—go the distance ahead of their semi-final against Bayern Munich?

Shafei runs the rule over the African champions, and explores what to expect from the Egyptian giants ahead of that meeting with Bayern Munich in Qatar.

AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda has assured fans they are mentally prepared to beat Gor Mahia and end their poor run against them in the FKF Premier League derby on Sunday.

The two Kenyan giants will meet for the first time in the 2020-21 season at Kasarani Stadium with both teams riding high on the local scene, especially Ingwe who are in a run of three straight wins.

Gor Mahia have proven a hard nut to crack for their sworn rivals AFC Leopards as they have not lost a match in their last six matches played in the top-flight.

Shikanda, who himself played in the derby for both Ingwe and then K’Ogalo, has now claimed it is their time to end the poor run by inflicting defeat on the league champions and starting a dominance over them in the next four or five seasons.

“Football being what it is, it is just a match like any other, yes it is true we have not beaten for the last six or seven matches, I know tables will turn one of these fine days, so we can also have a good run over them,” Shikanda told Goal on Friday.

“The time is now, we are ripe enough and if we get the win then we will open a good run of beating them even four to five matches in a row, but this derby [for Sunday] is very key for us because, to be honest, our fans have not enjoyed the bragging rights and we feel we need to give them some happiness.

“We have had tough matches this season in the league against Kariobangi Sharks, against Tusker and even KCB, plus Wazito and the players showed what they can offer and it is the reason we are now looking forward to going for a positive result in the derby, we need a win and nothing else.”

On how Ingwe have prepared for the 89th derby, Shikanda said: “I want to assure the fans we have been preparing and to be honest, it is the first time we are meeting Gor Mahia maybe in the last ten years when physically, tactically, and mentally we are prepared to face them.

“I can say proudly we are on top of them on the table after playing an equal number of matches [eight], we are looking forward to a great derby and as we promised our players, win the league and win a house and I can tell them for free this is a key match because our fans, our members, our stakeholders are looking for the missing bragging rights.

“We know what a win can do, it will bring closer people to the team, and we are really doing everything possible to win it.”

After losing the two back-to-back matches – 2-0 (against Western Stima} and 1-0 (against Wazito) - Ingwe have gone ahead to register three straight wins – 2-1 against KCB, 2-0 against Kariobangi Sharks, and 2-1 against Posta Rangers.

On the other hand, K’Ogalo, who are the defending champions, have also recovered from the shock 1-0 defeat against Vihiga United to win two straight matches – 3-0 against Zoo FC and 3-1 against Bandari.

Last season, Gor Mahia won both encounters, beating Ingwe 4-1 in the first round match before edging them out by a solitary goal en-route to winning their fourth straight league title.

Mumbai City FC lead the Indian Super League (ISL) standings this season with 33 points from 15 matches. Sergio Lobera’s side have only suffered two defeats in this campaign, both to NorthEast United.

It must be noted that in both these defeats, Ahmed Jahouh and Rowllin Borges didn’t play together as a midfield pair for 90 minutes. Jahouh was sent-off in the season opener before half-time and Borges was suspended for the second game against NorthEast.

As much as Jahouh is deemed crucial for Lobera’s team, Borges has slowly but gradually grown in stature and taken his game to the next level. In fact, no Indian midfielder or rather outfield player is having the kind of impact he has had this season.

The Indian international has so far appeared in 14 games for the Islanders, finding the back of the net once while also providing one for his teammates.

The former Sporting Clube de Goa player has the most number of touches per game this season. In 14 games, he has amassed 1015 touches as compared to 1070 by full-back Ashis Rai of Hyderabad FC. Borges is always around to receive a pass and is known for his control on the ball in tight situations.

When it comes to passing accuracy, he is third on the list but it’s vital to note that he has played almost double the number of minutes when compared to Lenny Rodrigues. Chinglensana Singh has the best passing accuracy however, it must be underlined that he plays a centre-back as opposed to being deployed in the middle of the park.

Borges has completed 725 of his 856 attempted passes, the second most in the league. Again, only Bedia has completed more passes than the former NorthEast United player (873).

Despite playing as a holding midfielder, Borges has been heavily involved in the build-up of attacks at Mumbai City. His passing range and ability to get up and down the pitch constantly has been a great asset to Lobera's team.

It is no surprise to see him lead the table when it comes to the most successful passes in the opposition half among Indian players. And when you consider players with a minimum of 200 successful passes in the opposition half, Borges has the second-best passing accuracy as well, only trailing behind FC Goa's Seriton Fernandes who is a right-back.

And it is not just his passing ability that has stood out. Borges' defensive positioning and workrate has also been exemplary, forming an effective shield for Mumbai City's backline. That part of his game is highlighted by the fact that he has made the most interceptions amongst all midfielders in the league this time around. 

And it is not just intercepting loose balls and breaking up play, he also has the second-best ball recovery stats among Indian midfielders. 

There is no doubt that the Goan is arguably the best midfielder in India right now. 

*All stats are from Opta and are correct as before the game between NorthEast United vs FC Goa on February 4, 2021.

The 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) match between NorthEast United and FC Goa ended as a 2-2 draw, a result that neither team should be too disappointed with. 

Khalid Jamil explicitly stated that he was happy with a point from a fixture between two teams fighting for the playoffs. Juan Ferrando said he was totally disappointed but a defeat could have been a lot worse. 

Goa and NorthEast are third and fifth on the league table after having played 15 matches. These two teams and fourth-placed Hyderabad are all on 22 points each. Only four points separate the team from the third place to the seventh. 

The beginning of Thursday's ISL game was indicative of how wary the teams were off each other. Goa took control of the midfield early on despite missing out on a key player like Edu Bedia. 

Alberto Noguera and Princeton Rebello did a fine job of dictacting the tempo of the game but the NorthEast United defence stood strong to weather an early storm. 

The Gaurs' push finally got a reward in the 21st minute. Noguera played the ball to the left flank for Jorge Ortiz who easily skipped past Ashutosh Mehta and returned the ball. The midfielder then found Alexander Romario in the middle of a crowd of defenders and the Indian winger found the net with ease to put his team in front. 

Goa suffered a huge blow when Rebello had to be substitued due to an injury in the 35th minute and the change had an impact. Glan Martins couldn't control the game as well as he would have hoped for on his debut for Goa and NorthEast soon found an equaliser. 

Though Amarjit Singh almost gave FC Goa a win with header from close range, another penalty would mean the spoils were shared. Credit must also go to Federico Gallego and Ashutosh Mehta for NorthEast's point. Mehta has been absolutely brilliant at right-back this season and he was required to put in a goal-saving tackle late on to deny Igor Angulo as well. 

NorthEast United failed to make it four wins a row and that would have been quite a tale for Khalid Jamil to tell. But a point against the third-placed team, with the playoffs in mind, will do for now. 

In the last six matches, FC Goa have only managed to eke out a win once – a 3-0 victory over Jamshedpur FC. Rest of the games have all been draws, strangely. Injuries, suspensions coupled with a lack of concentration at the back has cost them dear. 

What has happened is that FC Goa, who at one point looked nailed on to win a play-off spot, are mired deeply in the race for the play-offs with NorthEast with Hyderabad, NorthEast United and a few more teams within touching distance. 

Their next tie is against Mumbai City FC, who lead the league standings and to beat Sergio Lobera’s side would be a tough ask for FC Goa, who have several key players on the treatment table. 

Giving away two penalties in a single game is criminal at the highest level and something which Juan Ferrando will look into as such a mistake would prove costly as the league enters its business end.

Igor Angulo has been on fire, each time he is on the pitch, and his goals would continue to make the difference but giving away cheap goals needs to be attended to as other teams are closing in.