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Chelsea have set a new Women's Super League record by defeating Aston Villa 4-0 on Wednesday, with the Blues now having gone 32 matches without a loss. 

Emma Hayes' side have surpassed the previous record of 31, which was set by Manchester City between May 2015 and May 2017. 

Chelsea, whose last league defeat came in January 2019, went level on points with Manchester United atop the WSL table with the win, and the Blues also hold a game in hand over the Red Devils. 

The Blues got off to the perfect start in the match at Bescot Stadium, with Sam Kerr giving them the lead after just three minutes. 

With 10 minutes to play in the first half, Beth England added a second for the Blues, who took a commanding two-goal lead into half-time against the second-from-bottom Villans.

Pernille Harder and Magdalena Eriksson scored two minutes apart midway through the second half as Chelsea went on to cruise to an easy win.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday's match, Hayes said that her team's unbeaten run would not have been possible without the involvement of every player in the squad.

"The team has been so well prepared since Christmas for the accumulation of games and the training level has been the best it’s been all season," Hayes told Chelsea's official website.

"Reducing the squad to a smaller number has helped with the spirit and everybody knows they are going to get opportunities in so many games and I think that helps.

"The important thing is that every player understands that if the team is to go to a higher level then everybody has to contribute every day in training.

"You can’t have any passengers in the training environment and that is the difference this side of Christmas.

"Every single player is contributing every single moment so the training intensity, the training quality goes up and in turn game performance will go up."

Chelsea will look to extend their unbeaten run with a league match against London rivals Tottenham on Sunday, before they face another London derby against West Ham in a Continental Cup semi-final next week. 

Ida Guehai provided the assist as Rebecca Elloh and Grace Asanteewa scored in Logrono's 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano in Wednesday's Spanish Primera Iberdrola encounter.

Before the encounter, Logrono were smarting from three-straight defeats in all competitions, celebrating only just three victories so far this season.

After a 2-0 defeat at Madrid CFF, Jose Moncayo's side handed Cote d'Ivoire duo Guehai and Elloh along with Asanteewa, starting places against Vallecano, who are also without a win in three.

Logrono made an unfortunate start to the contest at Estadio Nuevo Municipal Las Gaunas when Pilar Garcia gave Rayo Vallecano a shock lead, with just 21 minutes of action in the encounter.

The hosts, however, started the fightback on a high when the Ivorian internationals Guehai and Elloh combined well for the latter to secure the equaliser a minute after the restart.

Six minutes later, Asantewaa announced her return to Logrono's fold in style when she netted the second of the match and completing her side's comeback to earn their third win of the season.

The result takes Logrono to 14th position on the Spanish Primera Iberdrola log, with 13 points from 15 matches this season.

Ghana's Asanteewa played from the start to the finish to earn her third goal, while Cote d'Ivoire duo of Elloh, who got her first goal and Guehai featured for 78 and 85 minutes respectively.

Equatorial Guinea's Jade Boho and South Africa's Nothando Vilakazi were unused substitutes by Logrono.

In their next fixture, the African stars will hope to help their side maintain their winning form at Espanyol on January 31.

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Manqoba Mngqithi heaped praise on his second-half substitutes for their impact in the win over Black Leopards on Wednesday evening.

A brace from Peter Shalulile inspired Masandawana to a 2-1 victory over Lidoda Duvha in a PSL match which was played at Thohoyandou Stadium.

Gaston Sirino was introduced after Ovidy Karuru handed Leopards the lead and he was involved when Shalulile levelled matters.

While Andile Jali, Sphesihle Mkhulise and Lesedi Kapinga all came on after Mothobi Mvala was sent off and Sundowns pushed for the winning goal which they got in stoppage time.

What's been said

"It was one of those matches where when we had all the numbers we did not put the intensity that we put when we were a man short, it's very strange," Mngqithi told SuperSport TV.

"Because I believe first-half we gave a little bit more, they gained confidence and momentum and started to think they can play the moment we started putting them under pressure and working very hard.

"I must say the substitutes that we put in also added a lot of value to the guys that had already exhausted their legs, I believe 'AJ' [Andile Jali], [Sphelele] Mkhulise did a very good account of themselves," he continued. 

"Gaston [Sirino], [Lesedi] Kapinga were also instrumental but Peter [Shalulile] was a tiger up top, fighting for every ball, you can never take that away. 

"The captain [Hlompho Kekana] playing as a 6 and also coming to play as a central defender at a later stage, fought very well with Mosa [Lebusa] and [Lebohang] Maboe," he added. 

"I must commend him, it's very difficult to move from midfield into defence during the game and still be able to adapt quickly, so it was encouraging."

Why does it matter & what's the bigger picture?

Further reading

Chelsea's first match under Thomas Tuchel was a record-breaking one, as the Blues dominated the ball in Wednesday's match against Wolves.

Tuchel was confirmed as Chelsea manager on Tuesday, shortly after the Blues made the decision to part ways with Frank Lampard.

Lampard's tenure ended after just one-and-a-half years, with the former Chelsea midfielder following Maurizio Sarri, the man he replaced, in departing following less than two seasons in charge.

In Lampard's place has come Tuchel, who took charge of his first game on Wednesday against Wolves at Stamford Bridge.

The match finished 0-0, with Chelsea snagging only one point from Tuchel's first game in charge of the club.

Tuchel admitted before the match that the last few days have been "surreal" while promising attacking football.

His first line-up included a few surprises, with Callum Hudson-Odoi deployed as a wingback in one of Tuchel's tactical switches from his predecessor.

Although Tuchel's Chelsea were scoreless on the day, the Blues were dominant on the ball.

Chelsea completed a total of 433 passes in the opening half, their most in the first half of a Premier League since at least 2003-04.

In addition, those 433 total passes were the most by a Tuchel team in the first half of a top-flight game since May 2016, when Borussia Dortmund completed 503 passes against Koln.

By the final whistle, Chelsea completed 820 passes and recorded 78.9 per cent possession - both the highest totals by a team in their manager’s first Premier League game in charge since data started being recorded.

Tuchel was previously in charge of Paris Saint-Germain, having led the Ligue 1 powerhouses to the Champions League final last season. However, he was dismissed by the club in December and replaced by former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Prior to his time with PSG and Dortmund, Tuchel oversaw Mainz from 2009 to 2014.

With Wednesday's draw, Chelsea are eighth in the Premier League on 30 points after 20 games. The Blues are five points behind fourth-place West Ham, having played the same amount of games as their London rivals.

Tuchel's Chelsea will be back on Sunday against Burnley before facing off with Tottenham next week in a clash of top-four hopefuls.

Christy Ucheibe's SL Benfica are through to the final of the 2020-21 Portuguese League Cup semi-final tie after a 3-0 semi-final win over Leandra Smeda's Famalicao.

To reach the semi-finals, Famalicao defeated Torreense 2-0 in the quarter-final, just as SL Benfica beat Albergaria by the same margin.

Having scored at Torreense, Ucheibe was handed a starting role for Benfica while Smeda appeared as a substitute for Famalicao.

Following a previous 2-1 Portuguese Women's Cup triumph, Filipa Patao's team made a bright start to the contest when Ana Vitoria's superb strike broke the deadlock after just two minutes of action.

Cloe Lacasse provided a superb cross for Vitoria's miss before Ucheibe's attempt was foiled by the defence in the 13th minute.

Moments later at Academia Famalicao Stadium, Gabi's fantastic free-kick was deflected to the path of the Nigerian midfielder but her powerful shot went wide. 

After the break, Lacasse doubled the visitors' lead after squeezing her fine shot past Rute Costa in the 62nd minute before she hit her brace eight minutes later to seal the win.

The result saw SL Benfica progress to the final of the competition, waiting for the winner between Sporting CP and Sporting Braga.

Ucheibe was in action from the start to the finish in Benfica's triumph, while Smeda lasted the final 10 minutes of the match in the Famalicao loss.

The Nigerian will be eager to continue with her fine form when her side faces Famalicao in a league fixture on February 6.

Wilfred Ndidi has been handed a starting role while Kelechi Iheanacho and Alex Iwobi are on the bench as Everton take on Leicester City in Wednesday’s Premier League game.

Ndidi will be making his 11th league appearance this season for Brendan Rodgers’ men at the Goodison Park.

The midfielder recently returned from a groin injury and has continued to enjoy consistent starting roles for the King Power Stadium outfit.

Ndidi’s compatriot Iheanacho will hope to come off the bench to make his 20th appearance across all competitions this season in the encounter.

The forward has bagged three goals and provided four assists and will hope to get a chance to increase his tally at Goodison Park.

Iwobi has also been included in Everton squad after receiving the all-clear to return to action after missing his side’s last outing against Sheffield Wednesday in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The 24-year-old forward will be expected to come off the bench to make his contribution for the Goodison Park outfit.

Iwobi has featured in 20 games for the Toffees this campaign and has scored two goals and provided three assists, amid other dazzling displays.

The versatile forward has been with the Toffees since the summer of 2019 when he left his boyhood club Arsenal, where he spent more than a decade.

Leicester are on an eight-game unbeaten run, having last tasted defeat against Leicester in December and will look to extend the fine performances.

The impressive form ensured their third place on the Premier League table after gathering 36 points from 19 games while Everton are eighth with 32 points from 17 matches.

There was an element of surprise when Fenerbahce announced the deal to bring in Queens Park Rangers winger Bright Osayi-Samuel on a four-year deal till 2025.

The QPR attacker will play out the rest of the Championship campaign before joining up with teammates in the summer, a deal which looks strange from the outside looking in. Not for the historic Turkish side, though, but for the wide attacker whose choice of next club has been met with a few raised eyebrows.

Of course, the upside to the Yellow Canaries is evident. The most successful team in the transcontinental nation adds to the talent in the squad to match their ambition to return to the pinnacle of the land. They’ve been without a Super Lig title since claiming the league in 2013/14, which feels really long for a side with 19 league titles and 28 all-time championships.

Failure this year to return to the acme of domestic football in Turkey will see them equal their longest run without a league title (previous famine came between 1989 to 1996), a scenario that’ll only add to Fenerbahce’s pain given their rivals’ triumphs since 2014.

Galatasaray have secured the title three times in the last six years, while Besiktas have picked up two wins. Fener, on the other hand, have had to make do with finishing second three times since last winning it, twice runners-up to Gala, the side they absolutely love to hate.

Their ambition had led to the signing of Mesut Ozil from Arsenal, a gifted playmaking genius who was arguably the best in his position in his prime. Opting to switch to Istanbul from London is understandable: the ex-Germany international has a strong connection to the nation and club, referring to the move as a ‘dream come true’.

However, while Ozil’s move to the Yellow Canaries is comprehensible, Osayi-Samuel’s definitely isn’t...at least to the naked eye.

The ex-Arsenal man clocked 32 in October and is seemingly on his last legs after a productive career in the game which culminated with World Cup success in 2014. Still 23, defending the QPR attacker’s logic in making the switch feels like a fool’s errand.

Admittedly, the Anglo-Nigerian will experience the footballing culture in Turkey as well as live the feisty intercontinental derby with Galatasaray and equally full-blooded rivalry with Besiktas; yet every observer seems hard-pressed to understand the logic behind the move.

Especially being a 23-year-old yet to hit his prime, the Super Lig seems an odd destination for Osayi-Samuel despite the history of Fenerbahce and the intensity of their abhorrence of the aforementioned clubs.

When fans fully return, the atmosphere of games among Fener, Galatasaray and Besiktas and vibe of supporters, in general, will add to the charm of the division.

Still, it’s hard to see a path for the young winger thereafter and there’s a threat he may yet play out his prime years in one of the lesser European leagues and somewhat fall off the radar in the coming years.

This may also hinder him at national team level with either England or Nigeria, particularly with the latter as some have argued in the past that Gernot Rohr has a bias against Turkish-based stars—although invites for Ogenyi Onazi (Trabzonspor), Shehu Abdullahi (Bursaspor), and Elderson Echiejile (Sivasspor) at various times in the late 2010s disproves this claim.

Understandably, though, the short-term benefits are glaring and that perhaps led to this move to Turkey. Having played Championship football all his life, some will reckon moving from the second-tier of English football to the possibly competing in the Champions League or Europa League represents an upgrade for the 23-year-old.

The side he joins in July — or possibly this month if QPR eventually have their way — currently sit second in the league, two points behind Besiktas and three ahead of Galatasaray in a three-horse race for the title.

A top-two finish may not guarantee instant participation in the continent’s premier club competition as the Yellow Canaries still have to navigate some qualifying rounds, but the possibility of playing CL football next season may have swayed Osayi-Samuel.

The sense in moving to Turkey will only become clear in future but, at present, the short-termism of a move to Fenerbahce may prove to obstruct long-term security. Only time will tell.

Former Ghana and Hearts of Oak star Mohammed Polo believes ex-Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs boss Kosta Papic is on course to lead the Phobians to a first major silverware in 11 years.

The Serbian was appointed for a second stint with the 19-time Premier League champions last month following the club's uninspiring start to the 2020-21 competition.

Interestingly, Hearts' last title - a league success in 2009 - coincides with the 60-year-old's first spell at the helm of affairs.

“He has been fantastic so far. He is doing well and we hope he will maintain the form," Polo told Ghana Web.

"There are reports that he says he wants to win the league for Hearts of Oak, we must all back him.

"Let’s support him because he can do it. He needs some consistency so if he is able to get that constituency then he can win it.

"You look at where he picked the team from and where we are now, it shows that he has something good to offer."

In seven matches under Papic, Hearts have won four, drawing two other games and losing once.

On Saturday, the Phobians held Berekum Chelsea to a 0-0 draw in their last fixture.

"This is not his first time. He [Papic] won the league with us. He is what Hearts of Oak need now," Hearts legend Bernard Dong Bortey, who was on the books of Hearts during the 2009 GPL triumph, told Silver FM.

“He’s impressed me so far with his performance with the team. Let’s pray for him so that whatever he wants to do with the team comes to fruition.

“I follow the league and most especially Hearts of Oak and [archrivals Asante] Kotoko. They are the big guns who make the Ghana League exciting.

“Both teams were struggling when the league started, but it seems they’ve picked up now. And that has injected some excitement into the league.

“Even the current table-toppers know that when these giants are in top form then they are a serious threat to them. So I am predicting that one of these two teams will win the league."

Hearts will next be in action in an Accra derby against Great Olympics on Saturday. 

Paul Pogba has defended his former team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic against accusations of racism following the Swedish forward's clash with Romelu Lukaku on Tuesday. 

Ibrahimovic and Lukaku were involved in a heated confrontation on the pitch during AC Milan's Coppa Italia quarter-final against their city rivals, which Inter eventually won 2-1. 

The Swede scored the opener in the match before he was sent off in the second half for a second yellow card. Lukaku netted the equaliser for Inter and the match was capped off by a dramatic stoppage-time winner from Christian Eriksen. 

However the main talking point after the match was the clash between the two former Manchester United forwards, which resulted in both players being shown a yellow card by referee Paolo Valeri.

Ibrahimovic can reportedly be heard saying: "Go do your voodoo sh*t, you little donkey. Go do your voodoo sh*t. Call your mother!" Lukaku can then be heard responding: "Well, let's go inside you b*tch. We will see."

According to Football Italia, Ibra's "voodoo" comments were related to a suggestion made in the past by Everton owner Farhad Moshiri.

In 2018, representatives for Lukaku denied that the player's decision to reject a new contract with Everton had anything to do with "voodoo," following a suggestion by Mr Moshiri at an Everton AGM.

The Swede's words have been called racist by some, prompting him to deny the claims with a post on social media.

“In Zlatan's world there is no place for racism! We are all the same race – we are all equal! We are players. Some better than others," the Swede posted.

Pogba has also leapt to his former team-mate's defence with a post of his own on Twitter. 

"Zlatan... racist? He loves me too much so he's the last person I'd think of as racist! Come on, don't joke with that one!" the France star said.

Following Tuesday's match, AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli said Ibrahimovic "apologised to the dressing room" for the clash with Lukaku and the sending off. 

Inter's victory saw them progress to the semi-finals of the Italian domestic cup competition, where they will face either Juventus or SPAL.

Former Nigeria captain Jay-Jay Okocha has backed Mesut Ozil to succeed at Fenerbahce and he suggested they have similar careers.

During his media presentation on Wednesday, Ozil described Okocha as the star he followed at Fenerbahce and he recalled wearing his no.10 shirt with the Nigerian legend's name written at the back.

“About 20-25 years ago, I was an immigrant Turkish kid who was running after the soccer ball with the Fenerbahce shirt with the number 10 Jay Jay Okocha written on his back in the streets of Gelsenkirchen, thankfully, it was my honour to wear this jersey that I have been dreaming of for many years,” the former Germany international tweeted.

Meanwhile, the 47-year-old was reached for his response to Ozil's comments and he feels honoured to get such recognition from 'a world star player'.

Okocha who won two titles during his stint in Istanbul, tipped the ex-Arsenal star to boost Fenerbahce's charge for the Super Lig crown this season. They are two points behind leaders Besiktas.

"I was very happy. I did not know about the last tweet Mesut Ozil posted," Okocha told Goal. "It is very pleasing to be the idol of such a world star player, to inspire him.

"Mesut is a world-class player. It is a very good thing [for him] to come to Fenerbahce. I think he will definitely be successful in Fenerbahce."

Before calling time on his career, Okocha had spells in Germany, England, France and Turkey, and he thinks Ozil is treading a similar path having previously played in Germany and England.

“Mesut's career is similar to mine; we both played in Germany and England and he came to Fenerbahce like me now. I am very happy," he concluded.

Rwanda head coach Vincent Mashami has explained why they deserved a place in the African Nations Championship quarter-finals.

Rwanda did not have adequate time to prepare for the tournament given the challenges that were caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The tactician ended up selecting a squad dominated by players from AS Kigali and APR who reported late as they had club assignments in the Caf Confederation Cup and in the Champions League.

Soccer activities had also been stopped after the coronavirus cases surged just as the 2020/21 season had begun.

“Despite the challenges we have had in the league at home due to Covid-19, we have worked very hard with the players and we deserve to be in the knockout stage,” Mashami said as was quoted by Caf Online.

Despite the challenges, the 2016 Chan finalists started the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Uganda, followed by another stalemate against Morocco, and the final group match 2-1 win over Togo.

“Two draws and a win in the group stage have motivated us to keep working hard with the belief that we still have a lot to offer,” Mashami added.

The coach also spoke about Thierry Manzi who got injured as they battled the Sparrowhawks.

“Thierry is a mature and experienced player who brings a lot to the team and we shall work hard to have him fit for the quarter-final stage,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, the Rwanda national police condemned the reckless celebration that rocked Kigali City after Amavubi sealed a place in the quarter-finals.

“Following a football match victory in favour of Amavubi, some residents in Kigali celebrated by ignoring stay home orders and other Covid-19 preventive measures. This kind of reckless behaviour during a pandemic is unacceptable,” a tweet by the police read.

“Last night, police officers made sure that everyone stopped the reckless behaviour and went back to their homes.

“We are all proud of the victory of our national team but we cannot afford to be reckless in these times of Covid-19. Sure nobody wants this to be his or her last celebration of Amavubi's victory.

“Amavubi are expected to have more wins in the future of which each of us wishes to celebrate alive and healthy. Please stay home, celebrate at home, and keep adhering to all Covid-19 preventive measures.”

After Uganda's elimination, East Africans will have all their eyes on Tanzania to see if they will overcome Guinea on Wednesday and join Rwanda in the knockout phase.

New Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel says that his arrival at Stamford Bridge has been "a bit surreal" as he revealed the thought process behind his first lineup in charge of the club.

Tuchel was confirmed as Chelsea manager on Tuesday, with the Blues announcing Frank Lampard's departure earlier in the week.

The former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain coach's first game in charge came just one day after his appointment, with Chelsea playing host to Wolves at Stamford Bridge.

Tuchel's first Chelsea line-up did include a few surprises, with Callum Hudson-Odoi at right wing-back and Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech joining Olivier Giroud in the attack.

The likes of Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount, meanwhile, began the match on the bench.

Ahead of his debut, Tuchel, who left PSG in December after leading the club to the Champions League final last season, admitted that it has been a hectic few days leading up to his debut as manager.

"You cannot imagine the last 48 hours, 72 hours, it's all a bit surreal. But we are here now and it is amazing. It was crazy," he told BT Sport.

"We will see if I got any message across in training! I was happy to be on the pitch with them as they feel comfortable, we took the possibility to train. There is nothing to be afraid of and we encouraged the guys to do their best today.

"I hope we will attack and play brave football, we play to score and create chances. It's an intense game, we need a winning mentality and to be compact and solid. that's what we want to create.

"We have a good mix of young and experienced players. Today I cannot choose a team after one day in training, it's not fair so this may be the most unfair line-up we ever do.

"We chose a bit more experience today because we step in in the middle of the season, it's not easy."

Tuchel takes over a Chelsea team that began Wednesday in 10th place, six points out of the top four.

After facing Wolves on Wednesday, Tuchel will have a few days to better acclimate himself to the club before Chelsea host Burnley on Sunday.

Chelsea will then face a major challenge in Tuchel's third match in charge, with the Blues scheduled to visit Tottenham on February 4 in the German's first clash away from Stamford Bridge.

After humiliation by Vihiga United, Gor Mahia responded by beating Zoo FC 3-0 in a Wednesday Football Kenya Federation Premier League encounter at Kasaarni.

Winger Samuel Onyango scored the opener for Gor Mahia before Kenneth Muguna added the second to hand the reigning champions victory and a clean sheet. A clinical strike in the additional minutes from Sydney Ochieng sealed the victory for the record league champions.

Onyango’s goal came in the 10th minute after a good display by the local giants who were dominant against the Kericho club in the first quarter of the encounter.

Muguna doubled the lead two minutes after the half-hour mark as Zoo failed to clear the danger even though they had men inside the penalty box.

Jules Ulimwengu who scored the third goal for K’Ogalo, was unable to tap home from close range after Muguna and Clifton Miheso’s good build-up in the 40th minute. In the second minute off added time of the first half, Onyango’s brilliant move into the box would have resulted in yet another goal but his cross was powerful for Uliwemgu to control and fire into the net.

Zoo almost got the first goal when Geoffrey Gichana spotted Boniface Oluoch off his line but his free-kick hit the crossbar to save the goalkeeper from conceding and taking the blame for poor positioning in the 50th minute.

Tito Okello came close to scoring in the 80th minute after he was sent through by Nicholas Kipkirui but his shot went out from close range.

After failing to capitalise on a number of good chances, Gor Mahia earned the third goal in the fourth minute of added time through Ochieng who curled home a nice shot.

As K’Ogalo picked the win, Zoo will visit Nzoia Sugar on January 31 in search of a first win of the season.

Meanwhile, at Afraha Stadium, Ulinzi Stars emerged winners after beating Mathare United 2-1.

The Soldiers grabbed the lead in the seventh minute when Michael Otieno’s cross found Daniel Waweru who launched a rather feeble shot that goalkeeper Job Ochieng failed to deal with and conceded in the process.

Elvis Nandwa doubled the lead for the 2010 champions in the 71st minute after he collected Masita Masuta’s cross and headed past Ochieng. Daniel Otieno scored the only goal for the Slum Boys in the 88th minute as they recorded yet another loss.

Bloemfontein Celtic have reportedly filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against a one-year transfer ban imposed on them by Fifa.

Reports suggest Celtic were slapped with a transfer ban by the world football governing body for allegedly unfairly terminating the contract of their ex-goalkeeper Patrick Tignyemb.

After the Cameroonian was dismissed by Siwelele with two years left on his contract for “an abusive rant” in 2019 to end an 11-year stay at the club, the player vowed to approach Fifa who is now understood to have sanctioned Celtic.

The goalkeeper argued he was released by Celtic without appearing before a disciplinary committee for the alleged misconduct, hence approaching Fifa.

Celtic chief executive officer Khumbulani Konco was quoted confirming they have since lodged an appeal with Cas.

Without mentioning the nature of Fifa’s punishment and the name of the player involved, Safa confirmed Celtic have been sanctioned.

“The South African Football Association has noted the sanction imposed by Fifa on Bloemfontein Celtic FC over what the club says is a labour relations matter involving one of its former players,” Safa said in a statement.

“The correspondence from Fifa has been referred to the PSL for the attention of the club as stipulated in the Fifa regulations, with a request that the club provides background to the matter and indicate which steps they intend to take. Safa will provide further information as and when it is received from the club and the League.”

Celtic join Kaizer Chiefs in being hit with a transfer ban by Fifa.

Chiefs were sanctioned over the illegal transfer of Andriamirado ‘Dax’ Andrianarimanana from Madagascan club Fosa Juniors and are forbidden from signing players for two transfer periods.

Even after appealing at Cas, Amakhosi lost their case and are currently serving the ban.

Fifa Review Committee has declared South Africa's billionaire Patrice Motsepe eligible to compete for the Confederation of African Football presidency while the Nigeria Football Federation president, Amaju Pinnick can vie to be a member of the Fifa Council.

Motsepe, who owns Mamelodi Sundowns, was cleared alongside Mauritania FA president Ahmed Yahya ahead of the March 12 Caf Congress in Rabat, Morocco.

They will compete against Ivory Coast's Jacques Anouma and Senegal FA president Augustin Senghor while suspended Caf president Ahmad Ahmad is declared ineligible for the election as he continues to serve his five-year ban from football-related activities and interim Caf president Constant Selemani Omari is also not qualified for a seat in the Fifa Council because of an ongoing formal investigation by Fifa Ethics Committee.

The four eligible candidates are also contesting to succeed Ahmad as Fifa vice-president.

Also cleared by the Fifa Review Committee are 13 candidates vying for six of Caf's member seats in the Fifa Council. 

They include Nigeria's Pinnick, Sierra Leone FA president Isha Johansen, Zambia FA president Andrew Kamanga, the Gambia FA president Lamin Kaba Bajo, Kenya FA president Nicholas Mwendwa, Tanzania FA president Wallace Karia, Equatorial Guinea FA president Gustavo Ndong, Morocco FA president Fouzi Lekjaa, Mali FA president Mamoutou Toure, ex-Egypt FA president Hany Abo Rida, Malawi FA president Walter Nyamilandu, ex-Burundi FA president Lydia Nsekera and Benin FA president Mathurin de Chacus. 

The election for the membership seat is scheduled to be held on the same day as the Caf presidential election in Morocco.

Yanga SC have confirmed the appointment of Nizar Khalfan as the club’s new assistant head coach.

Khalfan, a former player with the record Mainland Premier League champions, returns to the Jangwani club to replace Juma Mwambusi.

The club, through a post on the social media pages, stated they are hopeful of good times while the tactician serves them.

“Welcome at Timu ya Wanachi Nizar Khalfan, our new assistant head coach,” Yanga announced on Wednesday. “We are expecting so much from you.”

Mwambusi tendered his resignation just after Yanga won the Mapinduzi Cup against archrivals Simba SC in Zanzibar citing health issues.

Khalfan has been working with African Lyon before he was approached and finally appointed by Timu ya Wananchi who have been in good condition since the 2020/21 season began. Yanga are unbeaten after playing 18 games and have started preparations for the second round of the league already.

The Tanzanian tactician will work under Burundian coach Cedric Kaze who was appointed to take charge of the team when Zlatko Krmpotic resigned just after 38 days at the helm.

Yanga explained why they had to approach their former player in order to fill the vacancy at the technical bench.

“After a thorough assessment of our former players who took up coaching lessons at some point of their career, an exercise which consumed at least two days, the judges recommended Khalfan to fill the assistant coach void,” Hassan Bumbuli, the club’s spokesperson, said in an earlier interview.

“Coaching slot is very tactical and requires a person who is serious with his works. All those who were shortlisted for the post conducted interviews but in the end, a group of judges were impressed with Khalfan to fill the vacuum.”

The 2017 league champions also confirmed the arrival of Edem Mortotsi as the new physiotherapist.

“This is the right time for the players to show how good they are,” Yanga’s caption that accompanied Mortotsi’s appointment read.

Meanwhile, Simba have appointed Culvin Mavhunga as their performance analyst.

“We have another professional to join our technical bench,” Simba announced. “His responsibility is to analyse and assess the performance of our team and our rivals as well in order to know their abilities.”

The Zimbabwean has arrived at the club after his compatriot Perfect Chikwende was signed from FC Platinum to strengthen the attacking department.