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Chiefs' form has improved of late and they are on a five-match unbeaten streak in the league having beaten AmaZulu, Cape Town City and TTM before drawing with Stellenbosch FC and Baroka FC.

Prior to that though, Amakhosi had won only one of nine league matches and had also been humiliated in a 5-0 aggregate defeat over two legs of the MTN8 semi-finals against old foes Orlando Pirates.

Chiefs are also still in the Caf Champions League after successfully navigating the preliminary and first rounds, which included tough games away in Cameroon and Angola.

“There have been some highs and there have been more lows," Hunt said of his first four months in charge, as quoted by the Sowetan.

"I think there have been more lows than highs. We have made some unbelievable mistakes in the first round, individual mistakes which I haven’t seen in my time, so we need to eradicate those mistakes," added Hunt.

“But you know, we qualified for the group stages of the Champions League which is very good. We did very well in the qualifying games.

"At times it [Champions League] takes away a lot of the league [momentum]. In the league we’ve been poor, we certainly need to be above 25 points, which we haven’t got yet."

The four-time league title-winning coach says he sees some encouraging signs, but still questions the mental capacity of his players.

“There’s no doubt that the signs are better in my eyes. We need game toughness, we don’t have that. We need more game toughness. It will take a bit of time,’’ he said.

The Glamour Boys’ recent upturn in form has enabled them to climb to seventh spot on the table - with 18 points from 14 matches they are 12 points behind pacesetters Mamelodi Sundowns.

Saturday’s Soweto derby against fifth-placed Pirates (22 points) takes place at the Orlando Stadium and kicks off at 15H30.

Ghana target Jeremie Frimpong has left Scottish side Celtic for German outfit Bayer Leverkusen.

The 20-year-old joins Die Werkself on a four-year deal after two years at Celtic Park.

"Bayer 04 have signed the Dutch right-back Jeremie Frimpong. The Holland U20 international joins the Werkself from Scottish champions Celtic. The 20-year-old has signed a contract at Leverkusen to 30 June 2025," Leverkusen announced on their official website.

Frimpong developed through the youth ranks of Manchester City but struggled to break into the first team, prompting a move to Celtic in 2019.

He made 36 league appearances for the Scottish side over his two seasons with the club.

"Great opportunity to be able to play in one of the best leagues in Europe," Frimpong said on his move.

"I'm totally looking forward to the Bundesliga and, of course, this club in particular. Bayer 04 Leverkusen have regularly been in the Champions League and the Europa League.

"They demonstrated their ambition on the European stage last year in the two games against Glasgow Rangers.

"I really like the offensive, fast and technical style of play at Bayer 04 and I hope I can soon help the team."

Frimpong was linked to AS Roma before deciding to join Leverkusen who currently sit third on the German Bundesliga table.

"In Jeremie Frimpong, we have been able to sign a player with a great facility to develop and this again is a forward-looking transfer for Bayer 04. He's technically strong, incredibly quick and has the desire to go forwards," club sporting director Simon Rolfes added.

"Over the last year and a half, Jeremie has proved himself at an absolute top club in the physically very challenging Scottish league and in European competition.

"That important experience at Celtic, but above all his footballing ability, make him a very attractive young player."

Frimpong is eligible to represent Ghana, England and the Netherlands at senior international level.

Born in the Netherlands to a Ghanaian mother, the right-back moved to England at the age of seven.

After playing for the Dutch at U19 level, he graduated to represent the side at U20 level.

The dates for the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, set to be held in India, has been confirmed by the continental governing body. 

The marquee women's football event will start on January 20, 2022, and will finish on February 6, 2022. 

The tournament has also been expanded to feature 12 of the best teams on the continent. It must be noted that the previous edition of the Women's Asian Cup, which was held in Jordan, had featured only eight teams.

The 12 teams will be divided into three groups of four and eight teams will qualify to the quarter-finals, including two third-placed teams. A total of 25 matches will be played across 18 days during the tournament.

The 2022 Women's Asian Cup will also serve as a qualification tournament for the 2023 Women's World Cup which will be held in Australia (affiliated to the AFC) and New Zealand (affiliated to the OFC). 

The best four teams from the 2022 Women's Asian Cup, along with Australia, will take part in the 2023 Women's World Cup.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Praful Patel said: “The AFC Women’s Asian Cup will not only kick-start 2022 but will be a momentous year for women’s football in India with two big events. We have seen the incremental growth and rise in popularity of women's football with the hosting of international tournaments, and 2022 will be an important step in this journey.

“With the tournament expanded to 12 teams for this edition, fans will have the chance to see the best women footballers from around the Continent in India. Our preparations as hosts are on track, and we’re confident of delivering a world-class tournament for teams and fans.”

AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John was also effusive in his praise for women's football and India as a footballing nation.

“Women’s football in Asia is world class and with the next FIFA Women’s World Cup to be staged in Australia and New Zealand, there has never been a more exciting time for women’s football in the Continent.

 “India has seen incredible growth in recent years, in both the men’s and women’s game and we are confident that the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 will present another historic step in the incredible journey of Indian football – one that will strengthen the passion for the game and leave a lasting impact for future generations of women footballers and passionate fans," he added. 

India, as hosts, have already qualified for the 2022 Women's Asian Cup along with Japan, Australia an China who were the best three teams from the 2018 edition. The qualifiers to determine the remaining eight spots will be held at a centralised venue from September 13 to 25, 2021.

More to follow.. 

Hyderabad FC have drawn each of their last three matches in the Indian Super League (ISL) and are currently placed in the fourth position on the league table with 18 points from 13 matches.

Coach Manuel Marquez, though, is not too worried about his team's sudden drop in form as he feels that all teams have a fair chance of getting a play-offs berth. 

"I think competition is very equal," said Marquez. "There are a lot of draws. All teams are fighting for the top four. All teams have got a fair chance. We have to think game by game. After two wins we drew with Mumbai. Against Odisha, we should have killed the game in the first half. We had few chances but were clear chances against Jamshedpur. We could have won the game. I don't know whether we will miss these points at the end of the championship."

The Spanish boss was happy that his team kept a clean sheet in their last game against Jamshedpur FC but felt that the attack of Hyderabad must improve.

"Sometimes we concede goals and people say that we play too much on transitions. This is our style. Sometimes with more possession, we don't concede many chances. With a clean sheet, you don't lose games. But we need to improve our attack," said the Hyderabad coach.

Goalkeeper Shankar Roy recently jumped ship to join Hyderabad on loan from East Bengal as Subrata Paul went the other way. The Hyderabad coach praised the Bengali goalkeeper and suggested that Roy is good with feet something which he admires.

"Shankar (Roy) is a good goalkeeper. He is good with the feet and is fast. He is young and can play well with our style. I am very happy with the squad with four goalkeepers. We have got this position covered. 

Bengaluru FC are winless in their last seven outings but Marquez remained cautious ahead of facing the Blues as he felt that the team is on a rise at the moment.

"When Bengaluru have the ball, we have to ensure that they do not arrive in our box with danger. We didn't have too many chances in the last game. But the chances that we had were very clear. 

"I can speak only good things about Bengaluru. They are trying to recover the former style. Moosa is doing a good job. They are playing better. They shot the post and Kerala scored in the counter. They are a very good team."

The former Las Palmas manager was all praises for Hyderabad's Indian contingent as he suggested that he is hoping that some of his players make it to the Indian national team soon.

"I wish some of the players get into the national team. For sure some players deserve to play in the national team. Most of them are playing first time with regularity in ISL. They are full of talent. If I am in India till the end of March I will try to be at the match against Qatar. With all the foreigners in, the Indians might have played fewer games. But they have quality. If you looked at them in training you can understand. It is great news for Indian football as there are a lot of young fantastic players. Every training session we are enjoying a lot."

Kerala Blasters attempted 12 shots and created plenty of goalscoring opportunities against Jamshedpur in their 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) match on Wednesday. 

They delivered one of their best performances of the season, only to come away with a point. After registering their sixth draw of the season, they remain eighth on the table with 15 points from 14 games. 

While both teams had chances to score, Blasters just looked more likely to break the deadlock throughout the ninety minutes. 

Jamshedpur did get golden chances here and there, just like when Albino Gomes came off his line and failed to clear a long ball into the box early on. The ball reached Nerijus Valskis whose effort struck the post before Bakary Kone cleared the danger. 

With Jeakson Singh and Rahul KP missing out due to suspensions, the team lacked a bit of sharpness in the final third but there was no lack of intensity from the players. 

Gary Hooper and Jordan Murray were paired up front again and the duo delivered a much-improved display as a suspended Kibu Vicuna watched on from the stands.

Hooper had an impact on the game. He put the ball into the net from Murray's low cross in the first half but had moved a bit too early and it was ruled offside.

A few minutes before half-time, a ferocious shot from the edge of the box by the former Celtic forward rattled the crossbar and bounced out from inside TP Rehnesh's goal. While the replays clearly showed that the ball had gone in, a lack of goalline technology and with the linesman out of position, the goal was not given. 

The second half saw more efforts by Kerala Blasters to break the deadlock but the Jamshedpur defence, led by Stephen Eze and Narender Gahlot in the absence of the influential Peter Hartley, held it together in their own half. 

A more efficient Jamshedpur with a more in-form Nerijus Valskis would have scored a goal against the run of play and nicked a win on Wednesday but it wasn't to be

With the game ending as a draw, it will be the Kerala Blasters camp who would have been more frustrated with the events that unfurled on the field that cost them two points. But there was enough in that display to get fans excited about their next two fixtures - against ATK Mohun Bagan and Mumbai City, which could make or break their season. 

It’s a homecoming for veteran Indian goalkeeper Subrata Paul as he returns to his hometown and East Bengal after a gap of 13 years. The goalkeeper has joined the Red and Golds on loan from Hyderabad FC for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. 

2007-08 season was the last time Paul plied his trade with a Kolkata giant and incidentally, his sojourn in his hometown ended with East Bengal. Before that, he had played for another Kolkata giant Mohun Bagan, where he started his professional career in 2004. 

Kolkata has never been a happy place for the Bengali custodian. He has played a total of four seasons out of his 17-year-long career and has not tasted much success in terms of winning major league trophies or getting enough game time. 

After graduating from the Tata Football Academy (TFA) in 2004, Paul joined the Green and Maroons. As a rookie custodian who was still in his teens, he hardly got game time. In the next two seasons, he mostly worked as an understudy to more senior goalkeepers like Prasanta Dora and Sangram Mukherjee. 

With Mohun Bagan, the goalkeeper won six trophies (Two IFA Shields, two Airlines Gold Cup, one Federation Cup and one Calcutta Football League) in three seasons but he was hardly an integral part of any of those triumphs. 

2007 was Subrata Paul’s breakthrough year in Indian football. He had by then won the then Indian national team coach Bob Houghton's trust and became the country’s number one goalkeeper. Thus, his transfer to arch-rivals East Bengal ahead of the 2007-08 season garnered a lot of attention. Three other Mohun Bagan players Mehtab Hossain, Tomba Singh and Mehrajuddin Wadoo followed Paul to the Red and Golds. 

Paul joined the Red and Golds after winning the famous Nehru Cup triumph in 2007 with the Indian team where his performance, especially in the final against Syria, gathered a lot of praise from all corners. Understandably, the Red and Golds loyalists expected a lot from the goalkeeper. 

His journey got off to a perfect start at East Bengal as the Red and Golds, under the tutelage of Mohun Bagan legend Subrata Bhattacharya, won the Federation Cup in Ludhiana. They had beaten rivals, Mohun Bagan, in the semifinal and then defeated Mahindra United in the final to lift the trophy 

With so many stars in their ranks including Paul, the Red and Golds had hoped to do a double of national titles but unfortunately, East Bengal’s performance in the I-League was abysmal as they finished on the sixth position. 

Thereafter he went to Pune City where he played for three seasons before moving to fellow I-League side Salgaocar FC. He had also returned to Kolkata for a brief period and played for Prayag United in the 2012-13 I-League season. In the Indian Super League (ISL), Paul has played for four different clubs before rejoining East Bengal on Loan in January. 

Paul, despite achieving almost everything in Indian football, both for the national team and at the club level, for a very long time has received criticism for not being able to perform for the Kolkata clubs where the fan pressure is immense. Being the son of the soil, the veteran goalkeeper in his twilight years will hope to prove his doubters wrong. 

Fourth-placed Hyderabad FC, with 18 points from 13 games, are set to face Bengaluru FC in their reverse fixture of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) at the Tilak Maidan in Goa, on Thursday evening.

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TEAM NEWS

Hyderabad Possible XI:

Injured - Nikhil Poojari, Joao Victor, Lluis Sastre 
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players - Aridane Santana, Halicharan Narzary

Bengaluru Possible XI:

Injured - None
Doubtful - None  
Suspended - None

Key Players - Sunl Chhetri, Cleiton Silva

Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman paid tribute to his compatriot Frenkie de Jong after the midfielder spared the Catalans' blushes in Wednesday's Copa del Rey tie with Rayo. 

The Blaugrana appeared close to an embarrassing exit when they fell behind to the Segunda Division side with less than 30 minutes left on the clock. 

But they eventually hit back with an equaliser courtesy of Lionel Messi, before De Jong struck 10 minutes from the end to clinch a 2-1 victory and progress to the quarter-final stage.

Koeman knows perhaps better than most what De Jong is capable of, having handed him his Netherlands debut back in 2018 while he was still at Ajax. 

But the coach believes that there has already been a considerable improvement in the 23-year-old since he arrived at Camp Nou. 

"We need him," Koeman told reporters after the match when asked about De Jong's winner.

"We need the midfielders to be offensive. He has a lot of technical quality and he helps from deep.

"We've spoken to him about helping out in attack and scoring more than one goal a season. He's a more complete player now than when he played for Ajax. He creates and scores more."

Barca have faced a packed fixture schedule in January, having also disputed the Supercopa de Espana alongside their La Liga and Copa commitments; and they will be back in action on Sunday against Athletic Club, who prevailed in the final of the former competition on penalties. 

And while the Supercopa did not go to plan for the Blaugrana, Koeman affirmed that he is pleased with how his team have handled the flurry of matches.

"It's been a difficult month. There were a lot of away games and trips. There were eight games," he added.

"The team has shown its mentality to face this difficult month. We deserved to win the games.

"We got a lot of points. It's too bad about the Supercopa final, but we've got back to our best in La Liga.

"When you win, you're not so tired. The results give us confidence. We'll be fine for Sunday."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted that Anthony Martial won't be spared from criticism after Manchester United were stunned 2-1 by rock-bottom Sheffield United on Wednesday.

Chris Wilder's side got just their second win of the season in the match, with Oliver Burke scoring a 74th-minute winner against Solskjaer's title-chasing outfit.

Martial started and played the full match against the Blades but was unable to generate much in attack as he was often peripheral on the night. 

The France international has netted just five times in 25 appearances this season and although Solskjaer backed the forward, he also said he won't be spared from criticism.

"I think the whole team will probably get criticism tonight and myself as well," Solskjaer said in his post-game press conference. "I don’t think Anthony is exempt from that.

"We all should be criticised because we didn’t perform. Anthony is working really hard in training, working on his finishing and movement. I’ve got no qualms that he will come good."

When asked to take stock of what went wrong on the night, Solskjaer pointed to a number of different reasons.

"There are many facets to a game," the Norwegian said. "Today we didn’t pass with enough quality and not enough rhythm, tempo and quality in our passing, not enough runs in behind when we should have – there were spaces there at times, especially in the first half.

"The boys have been terrific for the last few months, really consistent high performance levels. Tonight was our night to not hit those levels and when you don’t in the Premier League you don’t get those results."

United are now a point behind table-topping Man City with one more game played, and Solskjaer knows his side will have to refocus quickly ahead of Saturday's game against a resurgent Arsenal.

"Of course [there is] no time to feel sorry, there’s a game on Saturday," Solskjaer said. "We have to bounce back. We’ve done it before, this group of players have done it so many times.

"We expect our performance to be so much better on Saturday. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves for too long, when I see them in the morning [we will] get the focus on the weekend."

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand singled out Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford for criticism after the Reds slumped to defeat at the hands of Sheffield United on Wednesday. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men went into the game in fine form, having knocked arch-rivals Liverpool out of the FA Cup at the weekend and on the back of six wins and three draws in their last nine Premier League outings. 

That run has seen United jump into title contention, but they missed the chance to reclaim the summit as the Blades secured a shock win at Old Trafford - only their second of what has been a dismal league season to date. 

Kean Bryan and Oliver Burke were on target for Chris Wilder's struggling side, scoring either side of Harry Maguire's equaliser which gave the hosts brief hope of a comeback.

United are still only a point off leaders Manchester City, but Ferdinand was not happy with what he saw - particularly in attack.

"They didn't have that zip about them. From minute one, really, there wasn't that cut and thrust we've seen from United," Ferdinand told BT Sport after the final whistle.

"Credit Sheffield United, Chris Wilder set them up very well, but United didn't ask the questions. Bruno Fernandes, who they've relied on so heavily in recent weeks, months, didn't get it going today. Paul Pogba the same.

"If anybody was starting to get carried away at Old Trafford, with the position that they're on, it was a reality check. I think recently Man Utd, in terms of reaction, have been brilliant but tonight it seemed to come crumbling down.

"Rashford and Martial were invisible, didn't get on the end of anything, didn't create anything."

Ferdinand continued to warn that, despite the club's lofty league position, Wednesday's setback should serve as a reminder that reclaiming the Premier League title last won in 2012-13 will be no easy task.

"If anybody was starting to get carried away at Old Trafford, with the position that they're on, it was a reality check," the ex-England star added.

United return to action in the Premier League on Saturday, when they visit Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Sheyi Ojo scored as Cardiff City played out a 2-2 draw against Barnsley in Wednesday’s Championship game.  

The forward arrived the Welsh side in the summer of 2020 on a season-long loan from Liverpool after struggling to establish himself at Rangers during his temporary stay.

The 23-year-old was handed his 20th league start and made the most of the opportunity to ink his name on the scoresheet.

Mick McCarthy’s men started the game unimpressively allowing Barnsley to take the lead in the 20th minute through Mads Andersen.

Cauley Woodrow then doubled Barnsley’s lead in the 52nd minute after receiving a fine assist from Alex Mowatt.

Ojo reduced the deficit for the Bluebirds six minutes later after he was set up by Josh Murphy before Kieffer Moore levelled matters in the 68th minute.

The Anglo-Nigerian featured for 90 minutes before making ways for Marlon Pack in his 25th Championship appearance of the season.

With the draw, Cardiff moved to the 15th spot on the league table after gathering 30 points from 25 games.

Ojo has now scored four goals and provided five assists in 26 appearances across all competitions this campaign.

The forward will be expected to continue his impressive form in front of goal when Cardiff take on Millwall in their next league game on January 30.

Ojo has played for Wigan Athletic, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fulham, Reims and Rangers on loan since joining Liverpool in 2011.

The winger is yet to make a decision on his international future as he is eligible to play for the Nigeria national team and England.

Ojo has previously represented the European country at the U16, U17, U18, U19, U20 and U21 levels.

Jose Mourinho has said he is treated worse than other Premier League managers when it comes to being disciplined for touchline behaviour. 

The Tottenham manager was speaking ahead of his side's match against Liverpool on Thursday, a rematch of last month's Premier League game that saw the Reds come out with a 2-1 win.

Following that match Mourinho hit out at his opposite number Jurgen Klopp, saying he would be sent off if he behaved the same way the Liverpool manager did on the touchline.

Mourinho continued to suggest there was a double standard at play ahead of Thursday's game, insisting other managers are treated better than him.

“What I can say is when I didn’t behave well I paid the price," Mourinho said. "And I paid the price in two ways: one was to see matches on TV in the dressing room and another price was big-money fines and I feel that, for some of the other guys, it doesn’t happen the same. It doesn’t happen the same with them.

"But, if the referee and the fourth official are there to do that job, I just hope they do that job and act the way they have to act.”

Mourinho is no stranger to courting controversy but he said that at age 58, he has now mellowed out somewhat from his more fiery days at Porto, Chelsea and Real Madrid.

“In my case, I felt an evolution," the Portuguese said. "I felt an evolution on the emotional control. I felt an evolution in the calmer I am the better I can read the game.

“And I’m even happy that my assistants, they look to the touchline sometimes for communication and I stay in a privileged position.

"And I felt that I had to change my behaviour, which I’m really really happy with. That’s my personal case. I cannot speak for other guys."

Speaking about Thursday's match Mourinho admitted that Liverpool, who are now winless in five league matches, have been hit hard by Virgil van Dijk's serious knee injury.

“They lost a fundamental player, we can say what we want, we can try to hide things, but some players are special and they are impossible to replace so even sometimes the defensive process has a relation with losing an attacking player," Mourinho added.

“A team very stable defensively is a team with much better conditions to attack and vice versa. They lost Van Dijk. It’s very, very important for them."

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire urged his team-mates to bounce back immediately after seeing them go down to Premier League basement boys Sheffield United on Wednesday.

The Blades powered to only their second league win of the season at Old Trafford in a shock 2-1 win. 

Kean Bryan and Oliver Burke scored the visitors' goals to deny United the chance to return to the top of the Premier League table, after Manchester City went top on Tuesday with a 5-0 thrashing of West Brom.

Maguire had given his side brief hope with an equaliser on 64 minutes, and he acknowledged that United must return to form as soon as possible in order to stay in the race at the summit.  

"It wasn't good enough, we didn't play to the level we have in recent weeks," the England centre-back admitted to BT Sport after the final whistle. "We gave them two goals, now it's time to stand up and be counted because it's easy when you are winning football matches - when you lose it is about how quickly you bounce back.

"We started the game in full control. We have to do more, we made it hard for ourselves, got ourselves back in it and you can't lose it from there.

"We knew at half time the next goal would be crucial, we had great belief we could do that again We weren't good enough tonight and didn't play to a level we expect from ourselves."

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer shared his charge's frustration at dropping three crucial points, while also pointing out that United paid dearly for a handful of errors from referee Peter Bankes.

"Disappointed, we couldn't get to the heights of the last few months' football we played. Very disappointing, we couldn't find a solution to their very compact block and good defence," Solskjaer said. "Two wrong decisions, that's how it is, it's that kind of season, inconsistent and the referee missed those two.

"That little spark, that edge, we didn't have that extra creativity, imagination, the X factor we've had - it's happened, we look at it, agree it is not good enough and go again.

"We conceded a poor goal, lost the ball cheaply up the pitch, didn't get back in and tackle, didn't clear our lines and didn't get out to the ball quick enough and we were punished.

"There is no time to feel sorry for yourself because Saturday you go again, we have Arsenal, we have to forget this, learn from it and move on."

Wilfred Ndidi suffered an injury in Leicester City’s 1-1 draw against Everton in Wednesday’s Premier League game.

The 24-year-old was handed his 11th league appearance of the season but only played for 42 minutes before suffering a knock.

The Nigeria international was subsequently replaced by Papy Mendy in the encounter to avoid aggravating the problems.

James Rodriguez opened the scoring for the Goodison Park outfit in the 30th minute before Youri Tielemans levelled proceedings to ensure the game ended with a share of points.

Ndidi’s compatriot and teammate Kelechi Iheanacho was an unused substitute while Alex Iwobi featured for 10 minutes for Everton

The draw helped Brendan Rodgers’ men stretch their unbeaten run across all competitions to nine games which ensured they kept their place in the third spot on the league table after gathering 39 points from 20 games.

Everton meanwhile moved to seventh with 33 points from 18 games and Iwobi will hope to make a more impactful showing in their next league game against Newcastle United on January 30.

Ndidi has been struggling with various injuries since the start of the season which has limited his playing time to 15 games across all competitions.

The midfielder recently returned from a groin injury he suffered in September which ruled him out of action for more than three months.

It is still uncertain if the Super Eagles midfielder will be fit enough to feature for the King Power Stadium outfit in their next Premier League game against Leeds United on January 31.

Ndidi has been a consistent performer for Leicester City since teaming up with the club from Belgian side Genk.

The midfielder has played more than 135 games across all competitions and last season he featured prominently as the Foxes qualified for the Europa League.

Ndidi remains a key member of the Nigeria national team and has 36 caps for the West Africans since his debut in 2015.

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr will hope the midfielder will soon put his injury problems behind him as their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers draw nearer.

Jurgen Klopp expects a quiet end to the transfer window for Liverpool, despite the Reds’ recent slide.

The Premier League champions head to Tottenham on Thursday night on a run of five league games without a win.

This form, as well as the club’s injury list, has led to calls for a new centre-back to be signed, with Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez sidelined for the long-term and Joel Matip’s fitness unreliable at best.

Liverpool sources though insist that those calls will be resisted, with the club still counting the total cost of the coronavirus pandemic and unwilling to gamble financially on what they feel would be a short-term measure.

Klopp said last week that he understood the stance of owners Fenway Sports Group, even though he admitted that a new addition would be helpful at this point, and he is not expecting any dramatic late business at Anfield before Monday’s deadline.

“Not really, no,” he told reporters. “I would not say absolutely 100 per cent no but I don’t expect anything to happen, to be honest.”

Instead, the German will look to get his current squad back firing, after a dreadful few weeks.

Liverpool will be boosted by the return of captain Jordan Henderson at Spurs, while Matip should also return having missed the FA Cup defeat at Manchester United.

Klopp accepts the scrutiny which comes with overseeing the club’s worst run in four years, though he is backing his players to shut out the external noise and find a way back into form.

“It's normal,” he said. “People in general, everything is massive news or it is not. Every day, every two seconds, there is news outside and you think 'wow' and then two minutes later, you get more information. That is how it is.

“I know much better than you imagine how many bad things happen out there. What we try to do, and we do this in positive times as well, is we cut out the outside world when we come together, so we focus and talk only about football.

"Yes of course there are much more serious problems out therem, but in the moment when we are on the pitch the only problem we can solve, the only thing we have to focus on is the football problem.

“We have the chance to sort the football problem and that is what we do. We want to get something tomorrow night obviously, and we will try absolutely everything.”

Tanzania have been eliminated from the African Nations Championship after a 2-2 draw with Guinea in a Group D game played at the Reunification Stadium, Douala on Wednesday night.

Yakhouba Gnagna Barry and Victor Kantabadouno were on target for the National Elephants, while Baraka Majogoro and Edward Manyama replied for Taifa Stars.

After collecting three points from their initial two games in the group, the East Africans were aware they had to win the game to eliminate their opponents who were on three points.

However, it was the Guineans who started the match on a high and in the second minute, Aishi Manula had to be alert to stop Mohammed Traore's fierce shot from finding the back of the net. He parried the ball out for a corner.

From the resulting set piece, Kalos Protus handled the ball in the danger zone and the referee pointed to the penalty spot amid protests from the Taifa Stars players. Barry stepped up and sent the Simba SC custodian the wrong way to give his team an early advantage. 

The experienced stopper once again was called to action in the 11th minute. Mohamed Coumbassa was let loose in the danger zone and took a good shot which was eventually dealt with.

Stars finally settled and started asking questions. In the 20th minute, Shomari Kapombe's shot from about 30 yards narrowly missed the target.

The now blazing Stars sensed they could get an equalizer as their opponents looked nervous. They eventually did in the 23rd minute when the National Elephants failed to clear a dangerous ball and it found its way to Majogoro, whose first-time shot happened to be too much for Moussa Camara in the Guinea goal.

Kapombe, and Kalos Kirenge had chances to score for Tanzania but they failed to capitalize on them.

On the other hand, Coumbassa's effort was stopped by Manula as the two teams went on the break tied at 1-1.

Stars started the second half on a high and in the 49th minute, Ditram Nchimbi had a chance to score but he once again missed the target from close range.

In the 60th minute, the West Africans conceded a fre kick in a good area. However, Kapombe put it too close to the goalkeeper and it was eventually parried for safety by the hawk-eyed custodian. 

Etienne Ndayiragije's charges were almost punished in the 65th minute when the unmarked Mohamed Soumah crossed the ball to Mohamed Traore, but the defender sky-rocketed the ball with the goal at his mercy.

The Elephants eventually paid the price for failing to capitalise on their chances in the 70th minute. They conceded a corner which was brought in well by Feisal Salum. The unmarked Manyama rose highest to find the back of the net in favour of his team.

In the 75th minute, Farid Mussa was in the right position to deny goal-bound effort from Kantabadouno.

As time went by, it was Guinea who were in the ascendency and they literally camped in the final third hoping to get a goal to take them to the quarter-finals.

They were eventually rewarded in the 81st minute when Traore's cross from the left found the unmarked Kantabadouno who rose highest to head home the equalizer which sent the team to the last eight.

Zambia qualified as well despite a goalless draw with Guinea.

In the quarters, Guinea will play Rwanda while Zambia will have a date with the defending champions Morocco.

Tanzania XI: Aishi Manula, Shomari Kapombe, Edward Manyama, Baraka Majogoro, Bakari Nondo, Kalos Kirenge, Farid Mussa, Saidi Juma, Ditram Adrian Nchimbi, Feisal Salum, Ayub Lyanga.

Guinea XI: Moussa Camara, Naby Camara, Mohamed Bangoura, Mory Kante, Mohamed Traore, Ibrahim Doumbouya, Ibrahim Doumbouya, Ibrahim Sory Camara, Mohamed Soumah, Yakhouba Gnagna Barry, Victor Kantabadouno, Mohamed Coumbassa 

Paul Onuachu scored another brace to help Genk secure a 3-2 victory over Zulte-Waregem in Wednesday’s Belgian First Division A game.

The lanky centre-forward has been delivering sparkling performances for John van den Brom’s men this season and continued the form at Luminus Arena.

Onuachu was handed his 21st league start of the campaign, pairing Junya Ito in attack and utilized the opportunity to increase his tally.

The game started with both sides aiming to outwit each other but there was no goal until some moments before the half time break when the Super Eagles forward found the back of the net with a well-taken strike.  

The Luminus Arena outfit continued their domination after the restart and doubled their lead in the 52nd minute when Onuachu fired his effort past goalkeeper Louis Bostyn after receiving an assist from Bryan Heynen.

Ito made it three goals for Genk in the 67th minute which seemed to awake Zulte-Waregem as they launched an attempted comeback after the Japanese strike.

Laurens De Bock reduced the deficit for Francky Dury’s men in the 72nd minute and with two minutes before full time, Gianni Bruno scored for Zulte-Waregem from the penalty spot.  

Despite further attempts to try and avoid defeat, Genk held on their lead to secure all three points at home.

The victory propelled the Blue and White to the second spot on the league table behind leaders Club Brugge after gathering 42 points from 24 games.

Onuachu featured for the duration of the game and has now scored 22 league goals, including five braces and provided two assists in 22 matches.

The centre-forward teamed up with the Belgian club from Danish side Midtjylland in the summer of 2019 and has been turning heads with his performances.

His compatriot and teammate Cyriel Dessers was on parade for 12 minutes after he was introduced for Bastien Toma while Shawn Adewoye was not listed for the encounter.

Dessers has made 19 league appearances for the Blue and White this season, scoring four goals and providing one assist.

Onuachu will hope to continue his terrific form for Genk when they take on Mechelen in their next league game on January 30.

The forward has struggled to make an impact for the Nigeria national team and will hope to replicate his club performances for the Super Eagles in their next 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

New Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel is revelling at the chance to work with N'Golo Kante at Stamford Bridge, admitting he has wanted to work with the France midfielder for several years. 

Tuchel took charge of his first Chelsea match on Wednesday, just one day after he was appointed to take over from Frank Lampard.

The former Mainz, Dortmund and PSG boss oversaw a 0-0 draw with Wolves at Stamford Bridge, saying after the game he was happy with his side's performance after such a short turnaround.

Kante did not feature against Wolves due to a hamstring injury, but is expected to be back soon for the Blues. After the game, Tuchel spoke highly of the France international, as well as several other Blues players he already knows well.

"The funny thing is when you join a team in the middle of the season, I already know the likes of Kai [Havertz], Timo [Werner], Toni [Rudiger]. I wanted many years to have N’Golo Kante in my team and now I have him here, also Olivier Giroud, we have a clear picture," Tuchel said in his post-game press conference.

"I have been following the Premier League for many years both in Dortmund and in Paris so I have a clear picture of what the guys are capable of. To find a guy like [Cesar] Azpilicueta in your office is simply amazing because in the end I am also a fan off football." 

Another Chelsea player the new boss knows well is Christian Pulisic, whom he managed during his spell at Dortmund. Tuchel said the American was unlucky not to start on Wednesday after he made a second-half cameo.

"In Christian for sure I know very well what he is capable of," Tuchel said. "He had a big, big input, it was an unfair decision for him today to not start. I told him it was only because I know what he can bring from the bench.

"I am not sure sure what the others can do but I know you [Pulisic] can bring things for us and absolutely change it for us."

Tuchel will aim for his first win at Chelsea boss on Sunday when the Blues face Burnley at Stamford Bridge.

New Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was content with what he saw from his charges despite being held to a 0-0 draw by Wolves on his debut on the bench. 

Tuchel was announced as Frank Lampard's replacement on Tuesday after the club favourite was dismissed due to a run of poor results. 

The Blues certainly enjoyed the lion's share of possession against Wolves, controlling 78 per cent of the ball, but failed to find a way past the visitors' defence. 

Wednesday's stalemate moved Chelsea above Arsenal into eighth place in the Premier League standings, and the ex-Paris Saint-Germain coach believes that with a little more luck they could have taken all three points. 

"I enjoyed it a lot because I was very happy with the intensity, the attitude, energy and quality of my team, we were well organised, had a lot of ball recoveries in the last third, never lacked intensity," Tuchel explained to BBC Match of the Day after the final whistle.

'We stepped up minute after minute in the second half. I was very happy performance-wise, unfortunately we couldn't score, if we take care of our performance like this the results will come.

"It reminded me a bit of our games in Dortmund, we had a very good training session yesterday, 21 guys who were totally awake, to try to do what we are doing - tactically, structure, where to accelerate the game, how to defend - I didn't expect it to be on this level from one training and two meetings. It gives me a good feeling for the future.

Tuchel caused an immediate stir with one of his first tactical innovations, picking Callum Hudson-Odoi in the unfamiliar position of right wing-back. 

The youngster impressed in his new role, though, earning the praise of the German after the match.

"Dribbling, runs, one-on-ones, intensity - defensively he had to help in a back five, we didn't want to suffer too much [when Wolves had the] ball in possession. Callum was the key on the side with his speed and confidence," Tuchel added.

Chelsea return to action in the Premier League on Sunday, when they host Burnley at Stamford Bridge.