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Coach Florent Ibenge cited “individual mistakes” as the reason DR Congo lost to Cameroon in the 2021 African Nations Championship quarter-final.

The Leopards took the lead thanks to Makabi Lilepo’s header in the 22nd minute, but the hosts equalised seven minutes later through Yannick Ndjeng after profiting from goalkeeper Ley Matampi’s howler.

Matampi tried to punch away a long ball in his area, but it fell to the experienced striker who had a simple task of tapping the ball inside the net.

The Indomitable Lions sealed the win in the 42nd minute as Felix Tcheounde’s shot took a deflection to beat the goalkeeper for the second time.

Despite a solid performance in the second-half, DR Congo were unable to equalise and crashed out of the competition.

“Congratulations to Cameroon. Two individual mistakes penalised us,” Ibenge told Caf website.

“Cameroon didn’t have more opportunities than that, but they were very realistic on those occasions and that's what made the difference.

“If you take a good look at the second half, I think we rather dominated the game. We didn't give up, we didn't look down, we played to the end. 

“From my point of view, we were pretty much tied. Rather, there were these two twists of fate that weighed heavily in the balance.”

Making a fifth appearance in the biennial African football fiesta, the two-time African champions came to Cameroon hoping to win the diadem for a record third time.

They began their campaign on a winning note - defeating Congo 1-0 at the Japoma Stadium thanks to a second-half strike by Chico Kubanza.

They came from behind to hold Libya to a 1-1 draw in their second game at the same venue.

In their last group game, they survived Niger Republic scare to triumph 2-1 and consequently finished as Group B winners with seven points.

Following their exit, they are expected to commence preparations towards qualifying for the next edition billed for Algeria.

For hosts Cameroon, they will lock horns with either reigning champions Morocco or Zambia in Wednesday’s last-four encounter billed for Limbe Stadium.

Liverpool are set to move for Preston’s Ben Davies ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.

The Reds have opened talks with the Championship outfit, and the prospect of a £2 million deal now looks a realistic possibility.

The Premier League champions have also been offered the chance to sign Marseille’s Duje Caleta-Car, though that move is understood to be a non-starter given the Ligue 1 club’s demands.

Jurgen Klopp confirmed on Friday that the Premier League champions would try to bring in a new face, with all four of their senior centre-halves currently sidelined through injury.

And it appears Davies is the man they have settled upon. Sources have confirmed to Goal that Liverpool are ready to make their move, and that Sepp van den Berg, the Reds’ young Dutch defender, could move to Deepdale on loan as part of the deal.

Davies, 25, is out of contract at the end of the season, meaning he is available at a knock-down fee. Celtic have also expressed an interest.

Born in Barrow-in-Furness, and comfortable at left-back as well as centre-back, Davies has made more than 140 appearances at Preston, and has enjoyed a host of loan spells with the likes of York, Tranmere, Southport, Newport County and Fleetwood.

Liverpool have acted, belatedly, after the injury issues at the back worsened this month. Joel Matip suffered an ankle ligament problem at Tottenham on Thursday and is likely to be out for a number of weeks, while Fabinho is set to miss the Reds’ next fixture, at home to Brighton, with a muscle problem.

Klopp does, however, hope to have the Brazilian back for the crunch clash with Manchester City on February 7.

Jordan Henderson and Nathaniel Phillips started against West Ham on Sunday, but with vital games at home and in Europe on the horizon, Klopp is eager to bring in a centre-back to ease the burden. 

A host of names, naturally, have been linked in the past few days. Goal has learned that Liverpool were offered the chance to sign Caleta-Car from Marseille, but chose not to follow up.

Anfield sources swiftly dismissed suggestions from America about a short-term deal for New York Red Bulls’ Aaron Long, while Arsenal’s Shkodran Mustafi and West Ham’s Issa Diop, who was an unused substitute against the Reds on Sunday, were also rumoured.

Liverpool expect, meanwhile, to complete the signing of 16-year-old Kaide Gordon from Derby this week. 

The youngster, who can play anywhere across the forward line and who made his senior Rams debut earlier this season, would start with Barry Lewtas’ Under-23 side at Liverpool.

Manchester United winger Facundo Pellistri has joined Deportivo Alaves on loan for the remainder of the season.

The 19-year-old signed for United on the final day of the summer transfer window in a €10 million (£9m/$12m) move from Penarol, but has yet to make his senior debut for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side. 

Pellistri has featured for United's Under-23 side in recent months, scoring three goals in eight appearances, and will now move to La Liga to continue his development. 

Alaves will not have an option to purchase Pellistri at the end of the season. Sources told Goal that Club Brugge were also interested in taking Pellistri on loan, but the winger has always dreamed of playing in La Liga.

After Alaves presented their plans for his development and convinced him of his importance to the team, Pellistri instructed United of his wishes to go there.

Though Pellistri hasn't featured for his side yet, Solskjaer is encouraged by his progress thus far and believes the Uruguayan teenager has a big future ahead of him at Old Trafford.

“Our scouts have followed Facundo for a long time and we believe that he will be a real talent for the long term," Solskjaer told Man Utd's official website after Pellistri's move to La Liga was confirmed.

“Whilst we understand it will take time for him to adapt to the English game, he is capable of having an impact with his pace and ability to beat his opponent.

"We wish Facundo all the best for his spell with Alaves in Spain, and look forward to following his progress."

Pellistri has made two matchday squads for United's first team so far, as he was an unused substitute in the Champions League games against Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir

Pellistri will now be thrown into a relegation battle in Spain, with Alaves currently in 18th place, the last of the three relegation spots. Abelardo's side are level on points with 17th-place Osasuna. 

The winger could be set to make his debut for Alaves on Friday when his new side host Valladolid, who are just one point ahead of them in the table. 

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi believes coach Gavin Hunt should do whatever it takes to ensure that Nkosingiphile Ngcobo is able to influence matches to maximum effect.

Ngcobo was subdued during Saturday's Soweto derby against Orlando Pirates which Chiefs lost 2-1.

And the 21-year-old, who was deployed in a sort of left-wing role against Bucs (Keayen Baccus, Daniel Cardoso and Njabulo Blom played in central midfield), never came out for the second half after being substituted for Happy Mashiane.

Ngcobo has hardly missed a minute's action for Chiefs this term and has chipped in with three goals in 14 league games. Mashiane has himself been in excellent form over the past month. But while Nkosi didn’t have a problem with Mashiane starting on the bench, he questioned Hunt’s decision to withdraw Ngcobo.

"I think he [Hunt] is taking a different approach to the approach he has taken with Ngcobo. With Ngcobo, sometimes he pulls him off too early, when maybe he could have given him a bit more time,” the former Bafana Bafana playmaker said in his role as a SuperSport TV analyst.

“Because, obviously, he's a player with an impact on the team at the moment. So sometimes opponents will try and nullify him.

“I would feel [Hunt] can provide him with more solutions. Don't just play him in a certain position and then when it doesn't work then you pull him off.

“Just make certain adjustments to try and free him. Because he's your impact player, he's your best player at the moment.”

Elaborating on Mashiane, Nkosi says he understands why the winger has not been starting regularly:

“With Gavin I don’t think at this point he has certified him as a starter. I think there is more that he demands from him as a coach. Especially coming in to these type of games, and at the start of the game," he added.

“I think he's a good player, that he (Hunt) is trying gradually to get Mashiane into a level where he will be a certified full-on starter.

“He's a player with great impact and I think that Gavin right now is trying to introduce him.”

Had supporters been in the ground on Saturday, groans of frustration may have accompanied Thomas Partey losing the ball close to the halfway line against Manchester United as Arsenal attempted to launch a counter with 11 minutes to play.

However, the Ghana superstar was a beneficiary of a near-empty Emirates Stadium, as his culpability in costing the Gunners a potentially promising transition in the eventual goalless encounter in North London wasn’t met with the ire of almost 60,000 fans.

A lot had been made about the meeting of the age-old rivals, not only due to the history of the fixture in the 90s and early 2000s but largely because of what’s transpired at both clubs since that encounter on November 1. A Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty won the game for Arsenal 1-0 as the three-time Premier League winners claimed a first success at Old Trafford since 2006.

While that statistic seemed to dominate post-game headlines, buried underneath ending a 14-year winless league run at the Theatre of Dreams was how Mikel Arteta’s men produced arguably their most impressive tactical display of the season against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s troops.

Crucial to that victory were the performances of Partey and Elneny in midfield; with the former man-marking Paul Pogba while the Egypt man hassled and harried Bruno Fernandes so much that observers may have been unaware of the playmaker’s presence on the pitch.

The evolution of both sides since — the Gunners overcoming their wretched run in the autumn, growing into one of the PL’s in-form sides and United’s ascent into title contention — meant Saturday’s game arrived with so much promise.

Interestingly, Arteta, believing in his team’s growth since beating Chelsea in December, opted against the same formation and central midfield pairing from three months ago. Rather, the Spanish manager continued with the in-form Granit Xhaka alongside the West African.

Be that as it may, the former Atletico Madrid man didn’t produce a similar kind of showing at the Emirates. For one, Partey wasn’t used in any precise man-marking role on Saturday while he had far fewer touches compared to the encounter in Manchester (73-56).

The all-round midfielder completed the highest volume of progressive passes (nine), ranked highest for forward-thinking ball-carrying (12) and made more recoveries (14) in that Old Trafford win than any teammate.

On Saturday, the respective figures for the aforementioned metrics were three, four and seven. While the 27-year-old was joint-top for progressive passes, he ranked third for progressive carries and fifth for volume of recoveries, highlighting a slight underperformance in the Ghanaian’s game against the same opponents.

What particularly summarised the midfielder’s showing was the alarming drop off after half-time, in which Partey’s influence on proceedings waned, demonstrated by that somewhat uncharacteristic possession loss that nearly resulted in Marcus Rashford scoring from range.

In the final minutes of the first half, the West African had strangely ruined a developing fast break by over-hitting a seemingly easy pass to the left flank into touch which probably highlighted what was to come for the rest of the encounter.

This is not to suggest Partey had a poor match; rather ruing the fact he couldn’t produce a similar showing to the one that announced him to English football in November after an underwhelming first start vs Leicester City in late October.

There were still bright moments, regardless of the supposed underperformance on Saturday. In the 22nd minute, his press resistance and impressive ball-carrying saw him wriggle around United bodies in his half, run the length of the pitch before pulling his effort wide while a massive intervention prevented a Rashford cut-back finding Fernandes for a tap-in.

The mitigating factors surrounding the ex-Atleti player’s underwhelming display will largely originate from fitness issues and injury problems that have troubled him in the last couple of months. When he seemed to be hitting stride following a long-awaited return to action, a knock against Southampton led to an early withdrawal vs Saints and actually made him a doubt for Saturday’s stalemate.

In that sense, maybe little should be read into the disappointing performance in the draw with the Red Devils, who probably deserved a win at the Emirates after edging the expected goals battle 1.5-1.1.

This was a significant improvement on their xG of 0.3 when Arteta’s tactics coupled with Partey’s dominance and application stifled Solskjaer’s men at Old Trafford.

ATK Mohun Bagan are just three points behind league leaders Mumbai City after Sunday's comeback win against Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League (ISL). 

The Mariners, who were behind by two goals against Blasters, produced a stunning second-half display to get back into the game and claim a 3-2 win. Roy Krishna picked up a brace and debutant Marcelinho also made an impact in the process. 

Head coach Antonio Habas was pleased with his team's performance. After the game, he said, "Maybe we didn't put up a good performance in the first half but I am very happy with the final result. We deserved this score."

Bagan have been criticised for their defensive tactics throughout the season but they have managed to keep winning games. Habas once against rubbished criticisms about his tactics. 

"Balance is the magic word. I prefer winning 1-0 rather than a draw or lose the game. This is football, we don't have a team for scoring 4 or 5 goals in every game, no team in the league (has that). Today we had more issues in the first XI with injures and we scored three goals. In the second half, we were fantastic and stayed strong."

He also praised the impact of Marcelinho who signed with the team in January after struggling for minutest at Odisha under Stuart Baxter. 

"We want to recover the best Marcelinho, from his Delhi Dynamos (days). He needs more minutes and confidence but the goal he scored today was confident, fantastic for us."
 

Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi was not entirely satisfied with his side’s 2-0 league win over Chippa United at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday.

The Tshwane side could certainly have scored more, but a combination of poor finishing and some great saves by Man-of-the-Match Ayanda Mtshali in goal for the visitors kept the scoreline respectable from the Chilli Boys’ perspective.

Sunday’s match followed the club’s confirmation a day earlier that former Sundowns defender Motjeka Madisha had died in a motor vehicle accident.

The incident occurred on 12 December last year but until now it had not been officially confirmed due to the difficulties in identifying the remains.

When Sundowns celebrated their two goals they paid tribute to Madisha by holding his shirt aloft.

While Mngqithi was appreciative of the symbolism of the gestures made by his players, he still ultimately felt his side could have scored more.

“We did not score the goals we should have scored, I think we could have easily scored six or more goals,” he told SuperSport TV after the match.

“But there are times in football that maybe you must accept that maybe Madisha only wanted us to score two goals, because we were playing for him today so I think it’s fair to give him two goals. Today I honestly believed we deserved to score more than five goals, but that’s football for you.”

Mngqithi then went on to credit his analysts and technical team for the work they do in analyzing the opposition and preparing for matches accordingly.

However, with that said, he again came back to Downs’ missed chances, something he has previously complained about this season on several occasions.

“The tactical organization of the team is impressive, but we are not ruthless enough. That’s one area that we are always shouting and fighting for,” the former Golden Arrows coach lamented.

“We are not scoring as many goals as we should. And when you come out of this match and you have scored two goals, everybody gets excited that you have scored two goals.

"But to be honest when you get chances like this, this is one game that should give you six, eight goals, from there you’ve got a very healthy goal difference.”

U20 Uganda coach Morley Byekwaso has named his provisional 33-man squad for the Tanzania mini-tournament.

The Hippos will use the competition to prepare for the Africa U20 Cup of Nations scheduled to be played in Mauritania from February 14. 

New faces in the team include Sam Senyonjo, Derrick Kakooza, Davis Sekajja, Andrew Kawooya, Delton Oyo, Simon Baligeya, and Ivan Eyamu.

The squad will leave for their neighbouring country for the 10-day tournament that will also include Namibia. Tanzania and the Hippos qualified for the U20 Afcon from Zone 5.

In the biennial competition, Uganda have been pooled in Group A, and the Hippos will have to do battle for a quarter-final berth with hosts Mauritania, Central African heavyweights Cameroon and Mozambique.

Tanzania, who lost in the Cecafa final to Uganda, have been placed in a tough Group C that features Ghana, Gambia and Morocco while Group B has Burkina Faso, Tunisia, Namibia, and the Central African Republic.

The two winners from each group will be guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals of the biennial competition alongside the two best third-place finishers from any of the three groups.

Mali are the defending champions after beating Senegal 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time.

However, neither of the two nations will be in Mauritania for the competition which will take place until March 4.

Goalkeepers: Komakech Jack (Ascent SA), Oyo Delton (Busoga United FC), Ssenyondwa Denis Kaala (SC Villa). 

Defenders: Kizito Mugweri Gavin (SC Villa), Semakula Kenneth (Busoga United FC), Musa Ramathan (KCCA FC) Kafumbe Joseph (KCCA FC), Begisa James Penz (UPDF FC), Baligeya Simon (Kibuli SS), Abdul Azizi Kayondo (Vipers SC)

Midfielders: Mugulusi Isma (Busoga United FC), Yiga Najib (Vipers SC), Bobosi Byaruhanga (Vipers SC) Sserwadda Steven (KCCA FC), Eyamu Ivan (Mbarara City FC), Kawooya Andrew (KCCA FC), Asaba Ivan (Vipers SC), Ssekajja Davis (Bright Stars FC), Wabyoona Faisal (Big Talent SA).

Fowards: Bogere Ivan (Proline FC), Ssenyonjo Samuel (KCCA FC), Kakooza Derrick (Police FC), Basangwa Richard (Vipers SC), Bukenya Joseph Kizza (KCCA FC), Ssali Alpha Thierry (Proline FC).

Timo Werner is in need of a lucky break amid an ongoing goal drought, according to Thomas Tuchel, who says "no warm words" or "hugs" can help the Chelsea star.

Werner extended his scoreless run in the Premier League to 12 matches after drawing a blank during Chelsea's 2-0 win over Burnley on Sunday.

The Germany international squandered a number of good openings during the contest, which was only Tuchel's second in the dugout since replacing Frank Lampard, with Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso proving to be the match-winners for the hosts.

Chelsea forked out £47.5 million ($65m) to sign Werner from RB Leipzig last summer, but a return of nine goals through his first 29 outings has seemingly not been good enough to justify such a high fee, with Tuchel now facing something of a selection dilemma.

The Blues heads coach admitted that he is not planning to put an arm around his fellow countryman after his latest subdued display, with the striker's confidence unlikely to come back until fortune starts to smile more favourably upon him.

Tuchel said of Werner's struggles post-match: "No talks, no hugs, no warm words can make up for this feeling. Maybe we need a stupid goal, a deflection or whatever for him.

“As long as the guys work, as long as the guys are reliable in their positions and in their work rate for the team, we will push them, there’s no doubt about it.”

Asked to assess his team's performance against Burnley, Tuchel added: "I was very pleased again with the performance, it’s very important to have a win because it gives us a boost and it gives us the most confidence possible.

“It was a very, very good performance. We controlled the match completely, we never lost intensity and we never lost the focus or awareness.

“It should be a signal to our guys up front that we needed two defensive players to score. We lack in the moment precision in the last pass, precision in the last touch and the finishing, we will work on this."

Chelsea will now turn their attention to a huge London derby clash away at Tottenham on Thursday, which they must win to stay within touch of the Champions League places.

The Blues are level on points with Spurs in seventh at the moment, but have played two games more, while reigning champions Liverpool are currently four points ahead of both teams in fourth.

Yanga SC have explained the task they have handed the revamped technical bench ahead of the Mainland Premier League.

The Jangwani giants were forced to beef up their technical bench with an assistant coach after Juma Mwambusi resigned from his post a week ago citing health issues.

The club then moved to hire former player Nizar Khalifan and he will now work closely with the team’s head coach Cedric Kaze.

Yanga official Antonio Nugaz has now confirmed the team is ready to do well in all their matches and the main target they have set for the bench is to make sure they lift the league title and also qualify for Caf competitions.

“We have a very good technical bench that revolves around young coaches and if you look at our squad, we also have a squad of young players meaning they will bond well and give us what we want,” Nugaz said as quoted by Sokalabongo.

“The main thing is in our plan is to get good results. We need to win the Mainland Premier League, we also need to participate in Caf competitions, it is just a matter of time because we have a very good squad and I know they will deliver.”

Meanwhile, the club has also confirmed their three players - Saidi Ntibanzokiza, Yacouba Songne, and Dickson Job – who are recovering well from their respective injuries and will be fit to play when the league resumes on February 4.

Ntibanzokiza, who is an attacking midfielder, was injured in the league match against Tanzania Prisons while Songne suffered an injury in the Mapinduzi Cup quarter-final match against Azam FC and Job suffered a thigh injury while training with national team Taifa Stars for the African Nations Championship competition.

Yanga team manager Hafidh Saleh has assured the team’s faithful the players are making good progress and they will be available when the league resumes.

“As for Job, he has already started light training with his teammates who are in camp so we are strong and I believe that until the league returns everything will be fine,” Saleh told the same online portal.

“Yacouba and Saidi are still not fit but their progress is good so fans should not be worried about these players.”

Yanga are currently topping the 18-team table with 44 points from 18 matches and they are yet to lose a match this season.

Tusker FC have leapfrogged KCB to top the FKF Premier League table after a laboured 1-0 win over Mathare United in a match played at Kasarani Stadium on Sunday.

Luke Namanda scored the lone goal with 15 minutes to go and ensure coach Robert Matano went home smiling. 

The Ruaraka-based charges were thirsty for an early goal and bombarded forward with every opportunity they got. In the 15th minute, Boniface Muchiri was fouled in the 18-yard area and the 11-time champions were awarded a penalty.

Henry Meja stepped up as usual, but this time around, his effort came off the crossbar with the goalkeeper well beaten.

It would have been a costly miss for the hosts as the visitors got back to back massive chances to score. In the 18th minute, the Slum Boys had a good chance to score from inside the danger zone but Daniel Otieno was denied by Michael Wanyika.

In the 29th minute, they once again had a big chance when a defender handled the ball and the referee awarded a penalty. But Otieno skyrocketed the ball much to the relief of Tusker.

The 2008 champions ended the first half on a high as Wanyika, once again, had to be alert to deny Norman Ogolla.

In the 48th minute, Mathare custodian pulled a magical save to deny Meja who was certain to find the back of the net, and the rebound fell to the attacker but his effort was stopped by the woodwork.

The Brewers, eventually, managed to break the deadlock in the 75th minute courtesy of substitute Namanda who converted a pass from fellow substitute David Majak.

At Sudi Stadium, Nzoia Sugar claimed maximum points against beleaguered Zoo FC.

The Kericho-based side came into the match hopeful of bouncing back from losses to Tusker FC and Gor Mahia respectively. 

The Sugar Millers needed nine minutes to open the scoring. Their visitors conceded a penalty and Gabriel Wandera held his nerve to convert from 12-yards.

In the 39th minute, Collins Odhiambo equalized for the Herman Iswekha-led team but five minutes later, Wandera grabbed his brace to ensure his team collected maximum points.

Tusker XI: Michael Wanjala, Kevin Monyi, Erick Ambunya, Christopher Oruchum, Eugene Asike, Hashim Sempala, Luke Namanda, Apollo Otieno, Henry Meja, Jackson Macharia, Boniface Muchiri. 

Subs: Emery Mvuyekure, Vincent Ngesa, Jimmy Mbugua, Hillary Wandera, Faraj Ominde, Humphrey Mieno, Erick Zakayo, George Odhiambo, Chrispinus Onyango, David Majak

Mathare XI: Job Ochieng', Martin Ongori, Lennox Ogutu, David Ochieng', Norman Ogolla, Cersidy Okeyo, Chris Oduor, Daniel Otieno, James Kinyanjui, John Mwangi, Dani Lual

Subs: David Okello, Martin Werunga, Dennis Ochieng', Kennedy Ochieng', Khalid Jumaan, Danson Kago, Alphonse Ndonye, Klinsman Omulanga

Lautaro Martinez has insisted that he is "happy" at Inter amid ongoing talks over a new contract.

Lautaro has established himself as one of the top strikers in Italian football since moving to San Siro from Racing Club in 2018.

The Argentina international has scored 41 goals in 112 appearances for the Nerazzurri across competitions, including 11 in the first half of the 2020-21 campaign.

His latest strike helped Inter to a 4-0 home win over Benevento on Saturday, which ensured that Antonio Conte's side moved back to within two points of leaders and local rivals Milan at the top of the Serie A standings.

Despite the fact Lautaro has been a regular in Conte's line-up throughout his reign at San Siro, there has been constant speculation over the striker's future in the Italian capital.

The 23-year-old, whose current contract is not due to expire until 2023, was heavily linked with Barcelona last year and a number of Premier League clubs have also been credited with an interest in his services.

However, Inter are working hard behind the scenes to try and tie Lautaro down to fresh terms, and he claims to be quite content in his current surroundings.

"We are working on the renewal, I am happy at Inter, I work every day for the team," the Argentine frontman told reporters after the victory against Benevento. "Everyone behaves very well with me and I feel the confidence of the club and the coach."

Lautaro became the youngest player to reach 30 Serie A goals in the Nerazzurri's history by scoring at the weekend, reaching the mark quicker than Mauro Icardi (22 years, 101 days) and club legend Ronaldo Nazario (22 years, 110 days).

He will be back in contention for a place in Conte's starting XI when Inter play host to reigning Italian champions Juventus in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday night.

The San Siro outfit are due back in league action three days later away at Fiorentina, with the games coming thick and fast due to the congested schedule caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Manchester City academy star Jayden Braaf is set to join Udinese on loan for the rest of the season,  Goal  can confirm.

The club were open to a loan switch for the highly-rated winger, who has also been watched by a number of German clubs including RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund.

Braaf joined City from PSV Eindhoven in 2018 and quickly established himself as one of the top prospects in the club's academy.  He has drawn comparisons with England international Jadon Sancho, who also came through City's system as a youngster before establishing himself in the Bundesliga with Dortmund.

The 18-year-old Dutchman has trained with the first-team squad but has not made an appearance for Pep Guardiola's side.

Guardiola urged patience over Braaf's development when asked about the possibility of him making his debut this season.

"He's a young player and I think everyone has to be patient with him," the City boss said at the beginning of the season. "He has incredible skills but at the same time there are another six or seven players playing there, so we’ll have to see how his evolution is."

After missing the start of the campaign through injury, Braaf was part of the U18s side that won the FA Youth Cup for the first time in 12 years. From that team, Cole Palmer, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Tommy Doyle and Liam Delap have all featured for Guardiola's side this season.

Braaf, however, is keen to prove himself and with a step-up to the first team not seen as likely any time soon, a loan switch suits the player and both clubs.

The Netherlands U18 international is believed to be valued at around £8 million (€9m/$11m) and for any permanent deal, and City are likely to want a sell-on clause.

Braaf, who attracted interested from Chelsea before joining City, has a contract with the club until 2023.

Meanwhile, City are not expecting to make any high-profile signings before the transfer window closes on Monday. However, the immediate future of another academy graduate, Eric Garcia, remains uncertain with the Spain international in the final six months of his contract and Barcelona struggling to complete a deal in January.

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey admitted that his performance in their goalless draw against Manchester United was not good enough.

Partey played from start to finish as both teams struggled to break the deadlock in Saturday’s Premier League encounter.

Back in November, the Black Stars midfielder produced a solid display in the middle of the park as Arsenal bagged a 1-0 win over United at Old Trafford courtesy of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s strike from the penalty spot.

It was a contrasting outing for the 27-year-old on Saturday after he completed just one dribble, one key pass, one tackle and one interception registered in 90 minutes.

Despite his less than impressive contribution at the Emirates Stadium, Partey was pleased to help the Gunners extend their Premier League unbeaten streak to seven games.

“Not my best game but I’m happy to make 90 minutes and also continue with our Premier League unbeaten run,” he wrote on Instagram.

Partey will aim to be back to his best and help Arsenal continue their impressive league run when they visit Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday.

They are ninth on the Premier League table with 31 points from 21 matches.

Meanwhile, Manchester United legend Roy Keane has backed the Ghana international to be an established star at the Emirates Stadium.

“He came in on transfer deadline day, so he never got quite up to speed, so it wasn’t a surprise that he got injured,” Keane was quoted by Sunday Mirror.

"He’s going to be a big player for Arsenal over the next few years.

“His track record... he’s used to playing in the biggest games, we know the important role in the middle of the park for Arsenal, they’ve lacked the physical presence.

"I’ve got no doubt that if he stays fit - which we’ll probably see more of next season - then he’ll be a big player for Arsenal.”

KCB FC assistant coach Godfrey Oduor has expressed his disappointment after his charges were held to a goalless draw by Ulinzi Stars in a Football Kenya Federation Premier League game played on Saturday at Afraha Stadium.

The Nairobi-based charges came into the match hoping to get maximum points from their inconsistent hosts, but it was not the case as the two teams ended up sharing the spoils.

The former Tusker FC midfielder has expressed his feelings after the 0-0 draw in Nakuru.

"It was not what we had expected when we stepped on the pitch," Oduor told Goal on Sunday.

"The 0-0 draw is a disappointment for us considering the fact that we played well and had several scoring chances that we, unfortunately, failed to take. It is something we should work on if we are to continue with our good run and stay in the race for the title."

The former Nzoia Sugar coach has appreciated the point gained, believing it will help his team in future.

"Despite the disappointment of not winning, we take a point from the game," Oduor stated.

"Being a league, a marathon for that matter, the point gained will definitely help us in future. So we take it and take the lessons as well hoping to bounce back in our next assignment."

On Saturday, Masita Masuta could have broken the deadlock in the third minute but he initiated a powerful strike that ended up missing the target. Bernard Ongoma also saw his sixth-minute chance go out as the Soldiers looked keen to fight and get an early goal.

Baraka Badi wasted KCB’s first chance in the game when his effort flew way above the crossbar even though he had space to launch something meaningful in the 11th minute.

Masuta was involved again as the home side engineered a nice build-up in the 35th minute but KCB’s Gabriel Andika made a fine save to deny Oscar Wamalwa from close range.

James Saruni saved the day for the 2010 Premier League champions when he denied Derrick Otanga in a one-on-one situation in the 57th minute. The goalkeeper rushed off his line to stop the former Sony Sugar and Wazito striker who had been placed through on goal by Warambo.

The Bankers survived in the 78th minute when Daniel Waweru’s effort hit the crossbar with goalkeeper Andika well beaten.

KCB are top of the table with 22 points while Ulinzi Stars are sixth on 13.