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Odisha FC have parted ways with head coach Stuart Baxter after the British coach used an offensive analogy of rape to show his frustration over poor referring decision during their Indian Super League (ISL) tie against Jamshedpur on Monday.

After a frustrating 1-0 loss, Baxter was asked on LIVE television about his views on the game. The former South Africa head coach went on to remark that his players needed 'to rape someone' or 'get raped themselves' to win a penalty.

The club was quick to release an official apology statement where they stated, "The club is appalled at the comments made by Head Coach, Stuart Baxter during the post-match interview today. It is completely unacceptable whatever the context and does not reflect the values of the club. We, at Odisha FC, unreservedly apologize and the club management will handle this matter internally.'

Now the side has decided to terminate the services of the British coach with six matches of the season remaining. The club are expected to announce the name of the interim coach soon.

On Monday, Odisha succumbed to their eighth defeat of the season as they went down 0-1 against Jamshedpur FC. Mobashir Rahman's first-half goal separated the two teams.

After the coach made those comments, Odisha FC owner Rohan Sharma had condemned the same and distanced the club from the head coach's words.

The Kalinga Warriors have had a nightmare of a campaign this season. They have won just one game in 14 matches so far and have managed to collect only eight points and are placed at the rock bottom position on the league table.

Odisha FC are next in action on February 6th, 2021 when they take on ATK Mohun Bagan. 

Following last year's privatisation/separation process that was undertaken by almost all of Malaysian professional teams, Kuala Lumpur and Perak on Monday evening announced their new images, at almost the same time.

Recent Malaysia Super League promotional side Kuala Lumpur announced that they will be known as Kuala Lumpur United, while also unveiling their new crest.

The City Boys however have played it safe with their new crest, retaining from their previous FA crest the elements of crescent and moon and knowledge, which are overlaid over a football. These elements are now in turn overlaid over a bigger circle and three blades, the colour of red, blue and yellow each.

Although there are fans who responded to the crest update social media announcement with mild criticism, the club's fans were generally receptive of it.

The same cannot be said of Perak however.

Through its social media, the club that will celebrate the 100th year of its founding this year revealed that it will be known as Perak FC from now on.

However, their new crest; a white bull on top of a black shield with yellow border, has been met universal derision and contempt by their own supporters due to the perceived incompleteness of it.

The bull also looks suspiciously similar to design elements that are freely-available from the Internet, as pointed out by several social media users.

Awang Iman wrote: "Son of a b***h, it's so ugly. They should have organised a crest-designing competition among the fans like what Kedah FC and Terengganu FC have done. All their fans' contributions."

Shafizzad Shahudan commented: "I'm so sad that you've done such a thing. How can the crest look like this if we've been around for 100 years?"

Amir Megat did not mince his words: "Did they get a school kid to design this abomination of a logo?"

Fadzly Suhaimi wrote: "My god, this is what you came up with after 100 years? Might as well just shut down the team, at least we will no longer have to cut down and sell the state's timbers just to pay the players. Better to use the money to help the state's poor instead. The crest is an important thing but you all have no passion and are doing it half-heartedly. Go kick a bucket."  

An injury to captain Matome Mathiane is among the issues Golden Arrows coach Mandla Ncikazi is dealing with as he gets his side ready for their league clash with Orlando Pirates at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The match kicks off at 5pm and both sides come into the league encounter having won derbies on the weekend.

Pirates beat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 in the Soweto derby to move to 25 points, eight behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. Arrows also won a local derby, edging out Maritzburg United by the same scoreline. Abafana bes'Thende are just three points behind Bucs on the standings.

However, the victory over the Team of Choice could have come at a cost as captain and central defender Mathiane limped off injured in the 76th minute.

“January has been challenging losing so many of our players for different reasons considering the fact that we don’t have a big squad," Ncikazi was reported saying by the Daily Sun.

"We hardly change our team and I’m praying that the mileage that they have gathered last month doesn’t affect the team negatively against Pirates," he added.

In fact Arrows had only seven substitutes on the bench over the weekend when teams are allowed nine players.

Another centre-back, Gladwin Shitolo, has also been sidelined with an injury and is likely to miss the match against his former club Pirates.

Some good news for the Durban side at least is that another central defender, Nkosinathi Sibisi, is available again after suspension.

Midfielder Danny Phiri is also back from injury and right-back Siyabonga Dube may also be passed fit for selection against the Sea Robbers after a recent rib injury.

Ncikazi does, however, feel that Pirates' win over Amakhosi on the weekend will have provided them with some winning momentum.

“It is another tough match for us against a highly confident Pirates. I feel it is a bad time [to play them] on the back of their good win against Chiefs," said Ncikazi.

The two sides did meet as recently as January 21, with their league game in Orlando ending 0-0.

“One thing I’m sure of is the players will give their best as always,” Ncikazi concluded.

Tusker FC midfielder Luke Namanda believes it was important for his team to get maximum points against Mathare United in the Football Kenya Federation game played on Sunday.

The two former champions met at Kasarani Annex and after both missed a penalty in the first half, the winger managed to seal maximum points in favour of his team in the 75th minute.

He has gone to explain why the win was important for the 11-time league champions.

"It was really important for us to get maximum points against Mathare," Namanda told Goal on Monday. 

"The win helped in easing the pressure on us because we have many teams high on our heels. We have Wazito FC, AFC Leopards, KCB FC, Kariobangi Sharks and even Gor Mahia on our heels.

"So it was important for us to get maximum points against a worthy opponent in Mathare United."

This season, the former Nzoia Sugar winger has been in good form, and apart from a couple of goals scored, he has managed to get five assists.

"The season is very young and I am happy to have helped in providing five assists," Namanda added.

"I want to get at least 12 to 15 goals by the end of the current campaign. With the help of my teammates, I know it is very possible. If I happen to achieve my targets, then the team will benefit as well because we want to go all the way and win the league title."

Meanwhile, coach Robert Matano has claimed he is not under any pressure after his team moved top of the FKF Premier League table with a win over the Slum Boys.

KCB, who have enjoyed top spot since the league kicked off, dropped to second spot following a 0-0 draw against Ulinzi Stars at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru.

"I am very happy about that [moving top of the table], I know we have played a game more than our rivals but it is good to be at the top because it will motivate my players to continue working hard," Matano told Tusker online.

"We know we can still make it, we know we can still do it, we only need to keep working hard and keep the position and make it ours, and I have been in this game for a very long time and don’t have any pressure because we are on top, maybe someone else but not me."

Simba SC coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa has expressed his satisfaction with the squad after they managed to lift the Simba Super Cup in Tanzania.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi were crowned champions of the competition despite a 0-0 draw against Tout Puissant Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the final match played at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.

The hosts were handed the trophy by virtue of having beaten Al-Hilal of Sudan 4-1 in the opening match and thus their head-to-head record was better than the Sudanese side, who had beaten TP Mazembe 2-1 in their opening fixture.

The tournament also gave new Simba coach Da Rosa the opportunity to gauge his squad and he has admitted they are now ready to conquer the Caf Champions League and also retain the Mainland Premier League title.

“I am very happy to all my players for giving their best and I think we are on a good way to continue our campaign for both Champions League and Premier league assignments,” Da Rosa said as quoted by Daily News.

“This game against TP Mazembe was much better than the previous as we improved defensively and I can see a good future.”

On her part, Simba CEO Barbara Gonzalez revealed the main reason for staging the competition was to give the new coach a chance to examine his squad before they embark on their Champions League and league assignments.

“We have succeeded to build match fitness of players, see the performance of new players and also bring entertainment to people who came in their big numbers,” Gonzalez told the same publication.

“It was a great idea and beneficial to all the trio, teams which competed as they brought their full squads after qualifying to play in the group stages of the biggest club football showpiece on the continent.”

Simba will now prepare for the resumption of the league where they are set to start against Dodoma Jiji on Thursday before they take on Azam FC on Sunday.

“These are two tough games and we need to be thoroughly prepared for them all and be better placed on the league ladder,” Da Rosa further explained.

In the Champions League, Simba have been drawn to play defending champions Al-Ahly of Egypt, AS Vita from DRC Congo, and Sudanese giants Al-Merrikh in Group A.

Rwanda coach Vincent Mashami is happy with the overall performance of the team at the African Nations Championship despite dropping out at the quarter-final stage.

The Amavubi failed to make it to the semi-finals of the competition after they suffered a 1-0 defeat against Guinea in the last eight contest staged at Stade de Limbe, Cameroon on Sunday.

VAR intervened twice during the match to ensure Syli Nationale midfielder Mory Kante and Rwanda goalkeeper Olivier Kwizera were sent off in separate incidents.

Guinea playmaker Morlaye Sylla then took the responsibility to score from the resultant free-kick in the 60th minute after Kwizera was penalised for his late tackle on advancing striker Yakhouba Barry and the goal was enough to send them to the last four of the tournament.

Despite losing at the quarter-final stage, coach Mashami has lauded the team’s overall display insisting they will learn from the mistakes that cost them a historic semi-final place.

“First of all, I want to congratulate Guinea for a hard-fought win, they are an organised team with and without the ball,” Mashami said as quoted by New Times.

“I think we played well, we tried to compete but lost the tie through a few errors but that is football,” Mashami explained while asking his team to be proud of their journey in the tournament and also learn from their mistakes.

On the red card to his goalkeeper Kwizera, Mashami said: “I believe we didn’t handle the opportunity well that we got by having one more player on the field.

“The players were in a hurry to score a goal and failed to be calm and composed in front of goal, that is a lesson that they will learn from.”

Meanwhile, former Rwanda coach Jimmy Mulisa believes the team deserved more than the quarter-final place going by their performance in the competition.

“The national team was at least able to bring back hope among Rwandans,” Mulisa told the same publication. “There is something positive about their performance and I think this should be something that football authorities should build upon, start something new that can bring results that can keep Rwandans happy.

“Everybody was excited and curious to know every update from Amavubi in Cameroon because the character they showed during the group stages made Rwandans believe the team deserved more.

“We can build from that, find areas to improve, and make the best out of the potential that Rwandan footballers have so that we can perform much better.”

Guinea will now face neighbours Mali in the semi-finals on Wednesday at Japoma Stadium in Douala.

The other last-four match will be played on the same day between hosts Cameroon and holders Morocco at the Limbe Stadium while winners of Wednesday's matches will clash in the final at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium on Saturday.

The losers will play in the third-place play-off at the Reunification Stadium in Douala on Friday.

Football Kenya Federation has sent a strong message to Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards fans not to waste their time attending the Premier League derby set for Kasarani Stadium on Sunday.

The Mashemeji derby has come at a time when fans are not allowed to watch matches owing to the strict government guidelines put in place to help curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

And despite the 2020-21 season being played without fans, followers of the two giants have insisted they will try and force their way into the stadia so as to watch the derby.

FKF has now told Goal like other matches in the top-flight, the derby will be played behind closed doors, and those fans who will come to the match venue with plans to watch the game will face the full force of the law.

“Fans will not be allowed and they should stop wasting their time coming to Kasarani,” FKF CEO Barry Otieno told Goal on Tuesday. “There is no preferential in football and rules apply to all.

“We have already put in place tough measures to ensure the derby is played behind closed doors, save for essential service providers [including journalists] and 30 officials from each club.”

Otieno continued: “For the safety of players, club officials, and the general Kenyan public, fans will not be allowed into the stadium, in line with both the FKF Covid-19 protocols and the Ministry of Health guidelines.”

Both teams are currently enjoying a good run of results in the 18-team league table, with AFC Leopards now unbeaten from three matches since they suffered back-to-back defeats against Western Stima and Wazito FC.

After losing the two matches – 2-0 and 1-0 - 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 Banda

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.

AFC Leopards are yet to beat Gor Mahia in their last seven matches with the best result against their rivals coming in the 1-1 draw of the 2017-18 season with Gor Mahia winning the second round fixture 1-0.

The two teams will meet with AFC Leopards ahead of Gor Mahia on the table, as they are currently in position four with 18 points from eight matches while Gor Mahia are sixth after collecting 15 points from eight outings.

Selangor FC became the first Malaysian league club to launch their kit for the 2021 season, when they announced their home kit for the coming season on Monday evening.

The Red Giants' latest home strip is based on their iconic 1986 Malaysia Cup final jersey, which is still being reproduced and worn by the fans in recent years.

While the match ended in a 6-1 win for Selangor over Johor and their 27th Malaysia Cup title, what was perhaps more historic was the fact that it was also the last match in a Red Giants shirt for Selangor and Malaysia legend, the late Mokhtar Dahari.

Mokhtar had turned out for Selangor a total of 375 times, scoring a total of 153 official goals. Just five years after retiring from Selangor, the striker would pass away at the age of only 37 due to motor neurone disease.

The kit retains the red, green and yellow base of the original strip, with green being the official colour of the Crown Prince of the state of Selangor). More interestingly, even the positions of the club crest and kitmaker's emblem have been retained. The Selangor crest sits on the right of the chest while Joma's logo across it, opposite of how they have been placed in recent years.  

However, several minor changes have also been made. The collar is smaller, while a red and yellow quarterly has been introduced where the collar meets the chest. The yellow portion of the kit now sports the watermarked pattern of Spanish cherry, the official flower of the state of Selangor.

But the legend that is remembered through this kit, Mokhtar is immortalised on the back just below the collar; a rubber imprint of his facial silhouette and facial hair.

However, the tribute does not end with the jersey. Alongside current and former Selangor players, the promotional material for the strip also features one of Mokhtar's son, Reza Mokhtar, who reminisces about his father briefly in a promotional video.

The new home kit can be purchased through the club's website, with the player edition priced at RM109. The fan issue of the kit will only be released after the Chinese New Year according to the club, and club team card holders will receive a 10 per cent discount on their purchase.

While their fans have responded positively to the new strip, one group has also issued a reminder to the club board in response. On their social media, their ultras, Ultrasel have reminded the club to use their history to build a more successful future, and to avoid tarnishing Mokhtar's memory by not playing well in the coming season.

"History must be remembered in order to motivate us to create future glory. So we ask; what are the vision, mission and direction of the club board/ownership for the near and far future, after the privatisation initiative?

"The board, players and coaches must remember that when they put on the Mokhtar and 1986-inspired kit, they now have the heavy responsibility to not besmirch the jersey's honour. You must now ensure that your performance exceeds and surpasses our past glories.

"What use is reminiscing about past successes when the path of the future is dim, and illuminated only by the lights we have passed? We must build a more successful future, Forza Grande Selangor!"

Jamshedpur managed to end their five-game winless run in the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) with a narrow 1-0 win against Odisha FC on Monday.

A 41st-minute goal by Mobashir Rahman turned out to be the decider in a tie in which both teams had chances to score. 

At the end of the 90 minutes, Jamshedpur had created the better chances and had four shots on target compared to Odisha's one. The Men of Steel's victory, albeit narrow, was well-deserved. 

The narrow win has taken Jamshedpur to the fifth spot with 18 points from 15 matches, three points behind fourth-placed FC Goa who have a game in hand.

Given how Jamshedpur have so meticulously missed out on qualifying for the playoffs since their inception, converting a goalless draw to a narrow win like they did on Monday could prove to be an important factor in the race for the top four. 

The only concern for Coyle from Monday's game would be his team's profligacy in front of goal. Despite creating clear-cut chances to put the game to bed by the hour-mark, Jamshedpur's wastefulness in front of goal allowed Odisha to keep sniffing for a chance to claw their way back into the game and set up a tense finish. 

Mid-season signing Farukh Choudhary was the biggest culprit against Odisha as the India international found himself at the end of multiple glorious chances to score but failed to hit the target.

The bright spot for Coyle will have been the involvement of Nerijus Valskis who was influential on and off the ball. He acted as the focal point for the team's attacks and when he was marked out of the attacks, his off-the-ball movement helped his teammates build one attack after another and keep the Odisha defence on their toes. 

At the other end of the pitch, Diego Mauricio was far less influential and that made a difference in the outcome of the game. For all the talent that Odisha possesses, they have been highly inconsistent in all areas of the pitch and when they have created chances, they have just not been effective. 

Stuart Baxter is extremely lucky to still be the head coach of Odisha as they find themselves at the bottom of the table with just one win to their name this season after 14 games. It has just not been working for them. 

English Premier League side Fulham have announced the signing of Nigeria international Josh Maja on loan from Ligue 1 outfit Bordeaux.

As agreed by both parties, the Cottagers have the option to make the deal permanent for the 22-year-old at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

With Aleksandar Mitrovic struggling for form since Fulham’s return to the English topflight, manager Scott Parker has been desperate to add a striker to his squad. Now, he has the Super Eagles star to count on in terms of goalscoring duties.

“We are delighted to announce the signing of Josh Maja from Bordeaux on loan,” Fulham confirmed the transfer on their website.

“The 22-year-old striker will remain with Fulham for the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign, with an option for the deal to be made permanent.”

Speaking to Fulham website on arrival, Maja – who spent three years in Fulham’s academy from the age of 11 alongside Jerome Opoku, Taye Ashby-Hammond and Marlon Fossey expressed his delight teaming up with the English topflight side.

"I’m really excited and proud to sign for Fulham on loan for the remainder of the season,” he said.

"This is a big opportunity and I look forward to meeting up with the team and working hard to achieve positive results."

Fulham’s director of football Tony Khan claimed Maja’s return to Craven Cottage provides him with an opportunity to prove his worth at ‘the highest level.

"I’m delighted that we’ve been able to bring Josh back to Fulham,” Khan said.

"He’s made tremendous progress in the years since he left our Academy, and now he’s returning to the Club in our First Team with an opportunity to earn his place in our squad and prove himself at the highest level."

Maja left Fulham for Manchester City before continuing his career at Sunderland – where he made his senior debut in the League Cup in September 2016.

With this move, he becomes the seventh African in Parker’s team after Neeskens Kebano (Congo), Tosin Adarabioyo (Nigeria), Mario Lemina (Gabon), Ademola Lookman (Nigeria), Ola Aina (Nigeria) and Andre-Frank Anguissa (Cameroon)

He is unlikely to make his debut when Fulham take on Leicester City in Tuesday’s league showdown. Against Brendan Rodgers’ men, they would be targeting their first win in 2021.

Swansea City have agreed to bring in Paul Arriola on loan for the remainder of the season in a transfer deadline pick up from D.C. United.

The forward is fresh off a two-goal effort for the U.S. men's national team this week against Trinidad & Tobago. He has bounced back well to a torn ACL in early 2020, netting three times overall for his country since the start of last month.

Arriola will join USMNT compatriot Jordan Morris at the Liberty Stadium. Morris signed with the Swans on loan from the Seattle Sounders on January 22.

As was the case with the 26-year-old Morris, a move to Europe for Arriola at 25 years old marks a now-or-never progression for the winger.

“We have spoken with Paul and we understand how exciting this step is for him in his professional career,” D.C. United general manager Dave Kasper told his club's website. “We wish Paul the best of luck and look forward to him rejoining our club.”

Arriola and Morris are set to feature in a promotion battle in the coming months. Swansea City are four points off the top in the Championship through 26 matches, trailing only Norwich City.

Arriola previously arrived at D.C. United from Club Tijuana for a record fee of $3 million in 2017. He has scored 14 goals in 72 MLS appearances, though he featured in the league just once last year because of his knee injury.

With Swansea City's transfer activity before the close of the transfer window, the USMNT can continue its recent emergence in European competitions. The likes of Weston McKennie, Giovanni Reyna, Sergino Dest and Christian Pulisic have added American flavor to some of the sport's biggest stages of late, building up talk of a "golden era" for the U.S. national team.

Arriola wasn't the only American to make the move on Monday, as Chris Richards moved to Hoffenheim, DeAndre Yedlin moved to Galatasaray, Bryan Reynolds signed with Roma and Daryl Dike completed a loan move to Barnsley.

Despite Covid-19 still posing a major threat, two showpiece international sporting tournaments are still set to take place this summer - the Tokyo Olympics and Euro 2020.

Both tournaments were delayed one year due to the spread of Covid-19, but is there a chance that the Olympics will be cancelled as countries still grapple with containing the virus – despite the introduction of the vaccines? Goal takes a look.

The International Olympic Committee remain committed to the tournament going ahead as planned without being delayed another year, though president Thomas Bach admitted that the event will largely be played behind closed doors to ensure fans' safety.

There were worries that the competition would have to be put on hold once again due to the prevalence of Covid-19 and the slow distribution of vaccines, but Bach cited his optimism formed from seeing several international sports tournaments continue with safety measures in place.

“We have at the moment the handball world championships with 32 teams from all over the world in a bubble of 3,000 people in Egypt,” Bach said. “More than 7,000 events have been organised by the international federations and out of 175,000 Covid tests only 0.18% were positive.

“The competitions could be run and organised and none of them developed into a hotspot. This is why we are so, so confident.”

When asked about whether or not fans would be able to attend, however, Bach's answer was not as sunny.

“This I cannot tell you,” he said. “Because our priority is to ensure a safe Olympic Games and we will do whatever is needed to do that. Everybody would love to have full-capacity stadia and the roaring crowds.

"But if that is not possible we will respect our principles, safety is our first priority.”

He then confirmed that plans were being put in place about safety measures being implemented throughout the tournament, such as competing athletes quarantining for five days before flying to Tokyo.

Bach also stated that the IOC would not require athletes to have received the Covid-19 vaccine - iterating that it was his hope that athletes are not prioritised in the vaccine distribution queue before individuals with high health risks.

We are not in favour of athletes or champions jumping the queue. In the first lines must be the high-risk group – the healthcare workers, and the people who keep our society alive," Bach added.

“If we thought we were being irresponsible and the Games could not be safe we would not go for it.

"Our task is to organise the Games, not to cancel them. And our task is to make the Olympic dreams of athletes come true. This is why we are working day and night to organise a safe Olympic Games in Tokyo.”

The 2021 Olympic Games are set to take place in Tokyo from July 23 to August 8, 2021.

Takumi Minamino has completed a temporary move away from Liverpool by joining Southampton on loan for the remainder of the season.

All the talk around Anfield on deadline day surrounded possible defensive arrivals.

The need for defensive recruits was heightened following confirmation that Joel Matip would not play again this season - with the Cameroon centre-back joining Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk on the long-term absentee list.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp secured his defensive targets by signing Ben Davies from Preston on a permanent deal and bringing in Ozan Kabak on loan from Schalke with the option of a permanent move in the summer.

However, news filtered out on Monday evening of an approach from Southampton for Minamino.

The 11pm UK deadline came and went without the announcement of a deal, but it was confirmed that Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl had landed the Japanese forward on loan until the end of the season.

Hasenhüttl said: “I am very pleased to welcome Takumi to our squad for the rest of this season.

“He will help provide another good attacking option, and is importantly the right profile of player for us.

“This will give us some additional depth in our squad at an important time, and I am looking forward to beginning work with him on the training pitch.”

The move will hand Minamino the chance to press for regular playing time at St Mary’s, something that has eluded him at Anfield since joining Liverpool from Red Bull Salzburg in January of last year.

Given Liverpool’s attack was sensational last term during their title-winning campaign, minutes were understandably hard to come by after joining midway through the season.

He scored against Arsenal in the Community Shield in August, but it took until December 19 to net his first Premier League goal - in the 7-0 rout of Crystal Palace.

After the game, Minamino expressed relief at breaking his duck in the Premier League.

“A goal in the Premier League was what I really wanted to achieve," he said. "Rather than feeling happy about it, I think it took longer than I wished. But I am happy that I could contribute to the team’s victory.

“I wouldn’t say that I was disappointed with myself [for not scoring in the Premier League previously], but I always wanted to score as soon as possible. I also felt some pressure about it.

“I am happy that I finally scored, but I have only scored once, so I will work hard to score more.”

Since that game, he has made only two further appearances - 61 minutes against Aston Villa in the FA Cup and six minutes in the home defeat to Burnley on January 21.

His next appearance will almost certainly be in a Saints shirt, and he will hope to make a mark in the second half of the season.

Indian Super League side Odisha FC are “appalled” by offensive comments made by head coach Stuart Baxter as he suggested that his players would need “to rape someone or get raped” to win a penalty.

Appearing infuriated by a refereeing decision that went against his side during the 1-0 defeat by Jamshedpur FC at home on Monday, Baxter used an analogy to complain about how difficult it is for his team to get refereeing decisions their way.

This was after Odisha had a penalty claim turned down by the referee when striker Diego Mauricio was brought down inside the box by the Jamshedpur FC goalkeeper.

“You need decisions to go your way and we needed a penalty. I think one of my players would have to rape someone or get raped himself if he was going to get a penalty,” Baxter said during a post-match interview.

In a brief statement on Monday, following up on Baxter's comments, Odisha were quick to condemn the Englishman while promising to “handle the matter internally.”

“The club is appalled at the comments made by head coach Stuart Baxter during the post-match interview today,” Odisha said in a statement. “It is completely unacceptable whatever the context and does not reflect the values of the club.

"We, at Odisha FC, unreservedly apologise and the club management will handle this matter internally.”

Odisha FC owner Rohan Sharma was also quick to make his disapproval clear after Baxter's comments went viral.

Baxter’s side anchor the Indian Super League standings and have gone for five straight matches without tasting victory and look set to finish the season at the bottom.

They have won just once in their 14 league matches, all under Baxter, who joined them in June 2020 after stints in South Africa coaching Kaizer Chiefs, SuperSport United and Bafana Bafana.

Last month, Odisha FC registered their first win of the 2020-21 Indian Super League season after a 4-2 win over Kerala Blasters at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, Goa.

However, it proved to be false dawn, and the Kalinga Warriors have now lost eight out of the 14 matches they have played this term.

Baxter, however, remains confident that his side can turn things around this term.

"We haven't played over the last seven or eight games any team that we are unable to beat," he continued. "We have run every team very close and even tonight it could have been one of those honourable 1-1 draw.

"[However] we need to turn them into wins and see if that momentum will take us somewhere in the closing stage of the season," the ex-Amakhosi boss concluded. "These lads won't lie down, I won't lie down.

"We will get over this and we will get back to work and we promise to the fans we will do as well as we can in the rest of the season."

Nigeria international Ramon Azeez has been loaned to FC Cartagena from Spanish topflight side Granada.

In the 2019-20, the Super Eagles midfielder featured in 25 LaLiga games with two goals to his credit as the Nasrids finished in seventh position - which earned them qualification for the Europa League second qualifying round.

This campaign, however, he seemed to have been frozen out of Diego Martinez’s squad, playing a meagre two Spanish topflight games. Notwithstanding, the 28-year-old will continue the rest of the season with the Spanish second tier outfit in a bid to get regular playing time

“Granada Club de Futbol and FC Cartagena have reached an agreement for the transfer of the midfielder Ramón Azeez until the end of the season,” the LaLiga side announced on their website.

“The player, a member of the squad since January 2019 and who was part of the promotion to the First Division. The club wishes him luck in this new sports career.”

At the Estadio Cartagonova, the Super Eagles midfielder’s experience would prove crucial in helping the struggling Albinegros avoid demotion at the end of the season.

With 21 points from 23 outings so far, Luis Carrion's men occupy the 21st position in the Smartbank log - one point above Alcorcon who sit at the base.

Baring any obstacles, Azeez could make his debut when Cartagena - who are without a win in their last seven games host Real Oviedo in a league encounter on Saturday.

After representing Nigeria at U17 and U20 level, the pint-sized midfielder was handed his first professional contract by Almeria. He teamed up with Lugo as a free agent after six seasons at Estadio de los Juegos Mediterraneos.

In 2019, he was signed by Granada on a three-and-a-half-year deal. His biggest highlight came on September 2019 after heading home from close range following a cross from Antonio Puertas as his team stunned reigning champions Barcelona 2-0 at home.

On the international scene, he was part of Stephen Keshi’s squad to the 2014 Fifa World Cup Brazil and he was handed a starter’s role in the three-time African champions’ 0-0 draw against Iran on June 16.

Sevilla have loaned Morocco international Oussama Idrissi to Eredivisie giants Ajax Amsterdam, without an option to buy.

In the ongoing season, Idrissi has only mustered just three Spanish topflight games – all as substitutes.

At Ajax, he is expected to rediscover his notable form that saw Sevilla hand him a five-year deal.

“Sevilla FC and Ajax Amsterdam have come to an agreement over the loan transfer of Oussama Idrissi for the rest of the season, without an option to buy,” a statement from the Spanish topflight team read.

“The Moroccan winger, born in the Netherlands, came to the Club in the summer transfer market and returns to his country of birth in search of more minutes after playing in three La Liga games, three Champions League fixtures and Sevilla's four matches in the Copa del Rey, where he provided two assists.

“Sevilla FC wish to thank Idrissi for his commitment and professionalism and wish him the very best for the rest of the season in Amsterdam.”

The 24-year-old is delighted to join the Sons of the Gods while expressing his desire to be a part of Erik ten Hag’s ‘good team’.

"I'm very happy. And also honored to play in this beautiful stadium and become part of a very good team,” Idrissi told club website.

"Ajax came along and then I had to make a quick choice. The fact that I can now wear the shirt of this club brings a lot of joy to football.

"I didn't really take into account that I was leaving Sevilla, but then Ajax came along. No one had to give me advice, because you don't turn down an offer like that so quickly."

Idrissi who joins compatriots Zakaria Labyad and Noussair Mazraoui, Lassina Traore (Burkina Faso), Andre Onana (Cameroon) plus Mohammed Kudus (Ghana) in Ten Hag’s side is looking forward to making his bow for his new team.

"I'm going to try to do my part. The future here is bright. I hope to show beautiful things,” he continued.

"We are active on three fronts and have a good starting position. The spirit and quality of footballs must be maintained. Then there are very nice months ahead for the players and the fans."

Indian Super League side Odisha FC are “appalled” by offensive comments made by former Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter as he suggested that his players would need “to rape someone or get raped” to win a penalty.

Appearing infuriated by a refereeing decision that went against his side during the 1-0 defeat by Jamshedpur FC at home on Monday, Baxter allegadly used an analogy to complain about how difficult it is for his team to get refereeing decisions their way.

This was after Odisha had a penalty claim turned down by the referee when striker Diego Mauricio was brought down inside the box by the Jamshedpur FC goalkeeper.

“You need decisions to go your way and we needed a penalty. I think one of my players would have to rape someone or get raped himself if he was going to get a penalty,” Baxter said during a post-match interview.

In a brief statement on Monday, following up on Baxter's comments, Odisha were quick to condemn the Englishman while promising to “handle the matter internally.”

“The club is appalled at the comments made by head coach Stuart Baxter during the post-match interview today,” Odisha said in a statement. “It is completely unacceptable whatever the context and does not reflect the values of the club.

"We, at Odisha FC, unreservedly apologise and the club management will handle this matter internally.”

Baxter’s side anchor the Indian Super League standings and have gone for five straight matches without tasting victory as chances of avoiding relegation are diminishing.

They have won just once in their 14 league matches, all under Baxter, who joined them in June 2020 after stints in South Africa coaching Kaizer Chiefs, SuperSport United and Bafana Bafana.

Last month, Odisha FC registered their first win of the 2020-21 Indian Super League season after a 4-2 win over Kerala Blasters at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, Goa.

However, it proved to be false dawn, and the Kalinga Warriors have now lost eight out of the 14 matches they have played this term.

Baxter, however, remains confident that his side can turn things around this term.

"We haven't played over the last seven or eight games any team that we are unable to beat," he continued. "We have run every team very close and even tonight it could have been one of those honourable 1-1 draw.

"[However] we need to turn them into wins and see if that momentum will take us somewhere in the closing stage of the season," the ex-Amakhosi boss concluded. "These lads won't lie down, I won't lie down.

"We will get over this and we will get back to work and we promise to the fans we will do as well as we can in the rest of the season."

West Brom have boosted their hopes of Premier League survival by signing versatile Ainsley Maitland-Niles on loan from Arsenal.

The Baggies are mired in trouble, currently second from bottom in the table with only two wins to their name.

However, West Brom boss Sam Allardyce has talked positively about extricating the side from its slump and he has been backed in the transfer window by the club’s board.

He has brought in experienced heads Andy Lonergan, Robert Snodgrass and Mbaye Diagne to strengthen goalkeeper, midfield and attack respectively.

Turkish defensive midfielder Okay Yokuslu has joined on a temporary basis from Celta Vigo, and Maitland-Niles capped off a positive deadline day for West Brom when joining on loan from Arsenal.

Maitland-Niles can operate in a number of positions in defence and midfield, meaning Allardyce has done some excellent business as he plots a way out of trouble for West Brom.

The 23-year-old was courted by Southampton, but he has elected for a relegation scrap and it could be that regular playing time at the Hawthorns was dangled in front of him by Allardyce.

While Allardyce has been active in bringing players in to the club, it’s been the opposite at Arsenal.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta made it clear he wanted to sweep the decks at the Emirates and he has moved a host of players on.

“We have decided [who could leave today] and we are working on it,” said Arteta. “You will find out before 11pm. I cannot speak about any individual players. What we want to do, the conversations we've had, the various reasons - let's see if we can get something done tonight.”

Mesut Ozil was the high profile departure from Arsenal in January, joining Fenerbahce on loan, but Sokratis Papastathopoulos headed for Olympiakos earlier in the month after being released from his contract and it was a similar story with Shkordan Mustafi departing for Schalke, while William Saliba, Sead Kolasinac, Zach Medley, Joe Willock and Matt Smith have left on loan.

Maitland-Niles has now joined the exodus from Arsenal in a loan deal until the end of the season.

The Baggies face bottom of the table Sheffield United on Tuesday, followed by a trip to Tottenham on Sunday.