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India U16 beat UAE U16 1-0 in a friendly match at the TYAEB AWNA on Sunday, courtesy of a goal from second-half substitute Suhail Ahmed Bhat.

In the previous encounter, the Blue Colts were outclassed 3-0 but they showed strong character to make a comeback and win the next game. However, it was the hosts who started on the front foot and made several inroads into the Indian defence.

It was one-way traffic in the first half, but the defenders showed grit and determination to weather the storm and kept the scoreline unchanged as both teams headed towards the tunnel. 

Bibiano Fernandes' team talk must have spurred the boys as after the break,  the visitors began to dominate the proceedings.

The coach brought on Suhail Ahmed Bhat in the 55th minute in place of Himangshu Jangra. Around the hour-mark, he was almost through on goal but his effort sailed wide of the post. Three minutes later, Ebindas' effort also missed the target. 

However, in the 79th-minute, the deadlock was finally broken and India were rewarded for their persistence. After Tyson Singh latched on to a through ball from midfield on the right wing, he burnt his pace to leave behind his marker and drilled in a low cross inside the penalty box. Suhail was waiting for the delivery and the striker made no mistake to dispatch the ball into the net to give India the lead. 

It was his first strike in national colours and the youngster dedicated his goal to his teammates. 

"I'm very happy to have scored my first international goal. I would like to dedicate this goal to my teammates. It was a result of pure team effort and nothing else," said the Kashmiri striker.

Fernandes was also ecstatic after the result and praised his team's mentality as they were coming back from a 3-0 loss. 

"I'm happy with the boys' performance. We could have done well in the first match but we regrouped well and got the result tonight. This victory will provide the boys with the belief and the boost that we're looking for. That'll be very helpful for the future," Fernandes expressed. 

Pep Guardiola admitted that Eric Garcia could leave Manchester City this summer as the manager said he doesn't expect the defender to sign a new contract with the club.

Garcia has been heavily linked with Barcelona for months, and the Spanish centre-back has reached an agreement regarding personal terms with the Catalan club, Goal can confirm.

Any move for Garcia would be delayed by Barcelona's election, though, with the club's presidential candidates set to meet on Sunday to discuss a potential move.

Barca will offer only €5 million (£4.4m/$6m) for Garcia, whose contract with City runs out in the summer, although City hoped to receive a larger fee for a player who has been at the club since 2017.

And, when asked about Barca's interest in the defender, Guardiola revealed that he doesn't expect Garcia to stay in Manchester past the expiration of his contract.

"I’m pretty sure he’s going to leave at the end of the season," he said. "And [whether he leaves] now in this transfer window will depend on the clubs. We’ll see until the end of the transfer window."

Garcia has featured just eight times this season, having battled both injuries and a positive coronavirus test throughout the first half of the campaign.

However, Garcia, Aymeric Laporte and Ferran Torres have recently returned to full fitness, featuring in a 3-1 win over Cheltenham Town in the FA Cup.

With Nathan Ake and Kevin De Bruyne among the current injuries at the Etihad, Guardiola was thrilled to welcome Garcia, Laporte and Torres back to the squad as Manchester City set their sights on silverware yet again.

“I will see next week but two important players are back to compete with the other ones,” he said when asked if Laporte and Torres will be ready to play against West Brom this week.

“We were lucky to survive this period with only two centre-backs and we win 10 in a row but it is so important we have Aymeric, Ferran, Eric and hopefully Nathan soon.

“We need them all for the amount of games. It means we can rotate important players and it is so important they came back and played so well.”

Manchester City, who sit two points back of rivals Manchester United with a game in hand, will face West Brom on Tuesday before then hosting Sheffield United on Saturday

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer set a new Bundesliga record with the 197th clean sheet of his career in Sunday’s thumping 4-0 win against Schalke.

The 34-year-old eclipsed the record set 13 years ago by Bayern and Germany legend Oliver Khan.

But while Kahn needed 557 Bundesliga matches, for Bayern and Karlsruher, to reach the old mark, Neuer needed just 423 league games for Bayern and former club Schalke.

Neuer is into his 10th season at the Allianz Arena having signed a new deal last summer keeping at the club until the summer of 2023.

When asked whether he was expecting trouble from Khan, who is now a Bayern board member, after taking his record, Neuer joked: "I won't let myself be done down here. We're on an equal footing. Let's see how he reacts. But I think he's happy for all of us."

Switching attention to the game, Neuer felt his side should have led by more than just one goal at half time, but was pleased they converted their dominance into goals after the break.

A Thomas Muller double and one goal each from Robert Lewandowski and David Alaba secured a third successive league win as Bayern moved seven points ahead of RB Leipzig at the top as they seek a ninth successive Bundesliga title.

"The first half was good, like against Augsburg. Unfortunately, we only led 1-0. It was more difficult against Augsburg because we had to fight until the end,” added Neuer.

“Today we were able to add to the score and still had one or two chances to score more. If you'd offered us a 4-0 win before the game, we would have certainly taken it.”

Goalscorer Muller, who is the only player to have started every game in the Bundesliga for Bayern this season, added: “We laid siege on our opponent's goal in the first half and created a few good chances, but the final ball right at the end was lacking.

“It was a game in which there were a few lapses of concentration. Overall, you could see that when we picked up the tempo and played our passes, we were always able to get into good finishing positions.

“We did well through the week, won all three games and took a huge step forward in the table. That's what counts."

Chennaiyin take on leaders Mumbai City in a 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) clash at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, on Monday evening. Should Sergio Lobera's side win or draw, they will set a new record of the longest unbeaten streak as they are currently unbeaten for 11 games - joint best with Bengaluru in the 2018-19 season under former Blues' gaffer Carles Cuadrat.

TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM

The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL in India.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

TEAM NEWS

Chennaiyin Possible XI:

Injured - Rafael Crivellaro     
Quarantine - Manuel Lanzarote  
Suspended - None

Key Players - Isma, Memo

Mumbai City Possible XI: 

Injured - None  
Doubtful - None
Suspended - Mandar Rao Dessai

Key Players - Hugo Boumous, Adam le Fondre

Moses Simon was in action, John Boye provided an assist while Farid Boulaya found the back of the net as Metz secured a 2-0 victory over Nantes in Sunday’s Ligue 1 game.

Simon last featured for Raymond Domenech’s men against Rennes on January 6 after suffering a thigh muscle strain.

The forward made a return for the Canaries at Stade Saint-Symphorien and gave a good account of himself, although his effort was not enough to save his side from defeat.

Ghana international, Boye, meanwhile, was afforded a starting role and delivered an impactful performance along with Algeria midfielder Boulaya to help Metz secure all three points.

Boulaya inspired the Maroons to victory when he set up Aaron Leya Iseka to open the scoring in the 35th minute.

In an effort to try and avoid defeat in the encounter, manager Domenech brought on Simon for Randal Kolo in the 46th minute and made his contribution in the outing.

The Algeria international then sealed the victory moments before the full-time whistle after receiving a fine assist from Boye.

With the result, Metz moved to the eighth spot on the league table after gathering 31 points from 21 games.

Nantes, meanwhile, dropped to the 17th spot on the table following their defeat at Stade Saint-Symphorien after accruing 18 points from the same number of matches.

Boulaya featured for the duration of the game and has now scored four goals and provided four assists in 17 appearances this season.

Boye also featured throughout the game for the Maroons in his 19th league appearance this campaign, along with Mali’s Boubakar Kouyate and Algeria goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja.

For Nantes, Mali forward Kalifa Coulibaly and Algeria midfielder Mehdi Abeid played for the entirety of the game.  

Simon will hope to return to the starting lineup for Nantes when they take on Monaco in their next league game on January 31.

Boulaya and Boye will be expected to continue their impressive performances when Metz square off against Brest.

Brazilian star Roberto Firmino has now assisted Mohamed Salah on 18 occasions across all competitions for Liverpool since they first played together in the 2017-18 season.

This after Firmino aided the Egypt international twice as the Reds surrendered a one-goal lead to crash out of the FA Cup following Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

In the five-goal thriller, settled by Bruno Fernandes' sumptuous freekick with 12 minutes left, Salah gave Jurgen Klopp’s men the lead in the 18th minute.

The former AS Roma man dropped away from Victor Lindelof on the edge of the box, and Firmino played him in. While in a one-on-one situation with Dean Henderson, he smartly chipped his effort over the goalkeeper and into the net.

Although Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side clawed back to take the lead through strikes from Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford, the 28-year-old completed his brace in the 58th minute with his Brazilian teammate the provider once again.

Firmino was played in by James Milner on the left of the box before teeing up Salah, who made no mistake in beating a helpless Henderson.

This is the most one player has assisted another for all English Premier League sides in all tournaments in that time.

Thanks to the two-time African Player of the Year’s double, he has now scored 19 goals in all competitions in the 2020-21 season, the joint-most of any Premier League player along with Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane.

With the game looking destined for extra-time, Fernandes stepped up to take a free-kick that curled into the far post, out of the reach of Allison Becker, in the 78th minute.

Liverpool have had a lot of success over the last few years with the duo, whose chemistry keeps waxing stronger in each passing game, having helped the Anfield Stadium giants win the Champions League, Premier League, Uefa Super Cup and Fifa World Club Championship.

With this result, Manchester United will now face West Ham United in the fifth round at Old Trafford. Before then, they face Sheffield United in the Premier League on Wednesday.

For Liverpool, who are without a win in their last three outings, they face a tough test versus Jose Mourinho’s Spurs as they look to bounce back into reckoning.

Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp says his side did not play at the level required to beat Manchester United as the Reds suffered a 3-2 defeat in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday.

The visitors led early on thanks to Mohamed Salah's opener, with the Egyptian's second of the game bringing the Reds level after Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford had put the Red Devils ahead.

Bruno Fernandes settled the tie after 78 minutes with an excellent free-kick that beat Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson at the far post.

Klopp was happy with many aspects of his team's performance, but feels they made too many mistakes in key moments.

"There was a lot of good things and some mistakes around the goals. If you want to win here you have to be absolutely top and we were not," he told BBC Sport.

"For the first goal we had no protection, we wanted it too much. Things like this should not happen but they can happen. We had too many players in a receiving position.

"We can take things out of this game, we try to learn from every game."

Salah's double takes his goal tally up to 19 in 28 appearances in all competitions.

"It's good for Mo Salah, good for the confidence," Klopp said of the Egypt international's double.

"It was a tough game. We want it hard but tonight it was not enough. If you win a game there are negatives, if you lose a game too but I saw the boys really, really wanted it.

"We had problems on the counter-attack, it was intense, but there were positives."

He later told reporters at a press conference: "We scored two goals, we had other situations here we could have scored as well, we had other situations where we created really well against a deep defending block, so there were a lot of good things."

The reigning champions have won just one of their last seven matches - a 4-1 win against Aston Villa in the previous round of the FA Cup - and will be looking to get back in form on Thursday when they face Tottenham in the Premier League.

The German coach hopes his side can use what they learned from Sunday's defeat in the clash with Jose Mourinho's men.

"I saw a lot of steps in the right direction, that's good preparation for the Tottenham game, with their counter-attacking threat, so we know exactly what we have to do," he said.

Asante Kotoko suffered their second defeat of the season following a 1-0 home loss to Aduana Stars on matchday 10 of the Ghana Premier League on Sunday.

Samuel Bioh’s 75th minute effort proved the difference at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The result has left the Porcupine Warriors fifth on the league table, tied on points with Aduana, who sit a place above due to a better goal difference.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Bechem United’s hopes of possibly moving top of the table were crushed by a 2-1 away loss to Elmina Sharks at the Nduom Sports Stadium.

Moro Salifu’s goal in the second minute of injury time looked to have salvaged a point for the Hunters after Justice Mensah shot the home side in front in the 85th minute, but Ishmael Hammond struck a sensational winner in the 99th minute to win all three points for his side.

Medeama have moved to ninth on the league table following a 2-1 home triumph over relegation-trapped Inter Allies at Tarkwa’s Akoon Park. Abass Mohammed’s double propelled the Yellow and Mauves to victory, with Suleman Nafiu netting a consolation for Allies late in the game.

Dreams FC found their scoring boots against Liberty Professionals in Dawu. Joseph Esso added to an Agyenim Boateng Mensah hat-trick for the hosts while the Scientific Soccer Lads scored through Daniel Antwi. Dreams are 11th on the table, three places ahead of Liberty.

In Techiman, Prince Okraku’s goal proved the separating factor in securing Eleven Wonders a 1-0 win over bottom-placed King Faisal. Wonders are 12th on the log.

At the Cape Coast Sports Stadium, Wafa held Ebusua Dwarfs to a 1-1 draw. Daniel Owusu put visiting Wafa in the lead in the 13th minute but Albert Hammond hit back for the home team in the 51st minute to ultimately share the spoils.

Earlier on Saturday, Hearts of Oak held Berekum Chelsea to a 0-0 draw away at the Golden City Park, leaving the two teams second and 15th on the standings, respectively.

At the Accra Sports Stadium, league leaders Karela United similarly held their own to ensure a 0-0 stalemate with Great Olympics who hold the seventh position.

On Friday, Legon Cities picked up their second win of the season with a 5-2 triumph over third-positioned Ashanti Gold. Nasiru Moro, Jonah Attuquaye, Baba Mahama and David Cudjoe (2) were on target for the Royals, who nonetheless stay in the relegation zone. Yaw Annor and scored twice for the losing side.

Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood is to have a scan on a knee injury suffered during Sunday's 3-2 FA Cup victory against Liverpool.

Greenwood, who was among the scorers in an entertaining game at Old Trafford, was seen limping down the tunnel at full time.

When asked about his condition, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed there was an issue that would need further investigation.

"His knee was bothering him so [he will have a] scan tomorrow and see where we are,” the Norwegian told BBC Sport.

Solskjaer also praised the spirit of his side after they fought back from going behind early on thanks to a goal from Mohamed Salah.

Greenwood levelled before half-time when he latched onto a searching pass from Marcus Rashford, becoming the youngest Manchester United player to score against Liverpool since Wayne Rooney 16 years ago.

Greenwood then returned the favour at the start of the second half, with his through-ball teeing up Rashford to put United in front.

Salah’s second of the game brought Liverpool level once more but, with extra-time looming, substitute Bruno Fernandes smashed home a stunning free-kick with 12 minutes remaining to send United through to the fifth round.

“You know when you go a goal down the reaction of everyone was really good,” added Solskjaer. “We played some really good stuff, scored some good goals, we have to defend well against them and we managed to react well and of course towards the end there were some moments but we kept them away.

"Marcus [Rashford] has played up front, down the right and left and we felt if we could switch the ball early today we could attack them because Liverpool defend on the front foot so we have to be quick on the ball, we did that well."

Solskjaer also revealed that Fernandes had practiced free kicks in training on Saturday despite being told he was not going to be in the starting XI.

"Great goal, good free kick. When you leave him out like I did today, he stayed about 45 minutes after training yesterday shooting free kicks so I was pretty confident he could score one if he got the chance,” said the Red Devils boss. “He's never happy with me when I tell him to go inside after training when he's playing the next day so he got some practice yesterday.”

Ghana attacker Patrick Twumasi was among the scorers as Hannover 96 registered a 5-2 away win over Nurnberg in the Bundesliga 2 on Sunday.

On his 10th substitute appearance of the season, the winger boosted his push for a place in Kenan Kocak’s starting XI with his third goal of the term, to ensure three points for his side at Max-Morlock-Stadion.

The game was his 13th appearance for the German side since sealing a transfer from Spansih fold Deportivo Alaves in September last year.

The win has taken Hannover to sixth on the league table, sixth places above Nurnberg.

Marvin Ducksch put the visitors in front in the match week 17 fixture in the 19th minute, converting a penalty after referee Florian Lechner pointed to the spot.

Five minutes later, Timo Hubers made it 2-0 for the Reds after some good work by Domink Kaiser to set up the goal.

The hosts, however, would not receive two blows without launching a punch of their own, with Manuel Schaffler finding the back of the net to halve the deficit in the 35th minute.

After the half-time break, Valmir Sulejmani set up Japan international Genki Haraguchi, who made no mistake with his final effort to restore Nurnberg’s two-goal cushion in the 58th minute.

Sulejmani then made way for Twumasi in the 65th minute before Florent Muslija netted to make it 4-1 for the Reds in the 72nd minute.

Four minutes to full-time, the Ghana winger made his presence count with a cool finish to peg the score at 5-1.

The hosts, however, did not give up despite falling heavily behind. A minute to full-time, their resilience was rewarded with a consolation goal as Johannes Geis’ effort beat goalkeeper Michael Esser.

Twumasi will be hoping to be rewarded with a starting spot when his side face Karlsruher in their next Bundesliga 2 fixture.

The winger also has hopes of earning the attention of Ghana coach CK Akonnor, having been left in the international wilderness since earning a call-up for a 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe in 2019.

Mason Greenwood ended his recent goal drought in impressive fashion on Sunday, firing home against Liverpool to match a mark set by Wayne Rooney in the process.

Greenwood fired in Manchester United's opening goal on Sunday, helping lead the way in a 3-2 win over Liverpool at Old Trafford.

He was joined on the scoresheet by Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes, with the Portuguese star's stunning free-kick in the second half proving the winner.

Greenwood's goal, which levelled the game at 1-1 following a Mohamed Salah opener, was his first in 11 appearances for Manchester United, his longest run of games without a goal for the club.

The teenager's goal also saw him level Rooney, the legendary Manchester United striker recently named Derby County's permanent manager.

At 19 years and 115 days, Greenwood is the youngest Manchester United player to score against Liverpool since Rooney, who fired a goal past the Reds at age 19 years and 83 days in January 2005.

While Greenwood's goal against the Reds was his first, Rashford continued to display his knack for haunting Liverpool.

Rashford's goal was his fourth career finish against Liverpool, which is more than he has scored against any other opponent at Old Trafford.

Fernandes continued his own hot streak, as the Portuguese star has scored more goals in all competitions than any other player for Premier League clubs - 28 - since making his debut for the Red Devils.

Manchester United were once again the architects of Liverpool's FA Cup demise, as they have been frequently in this competition.

In total, Manchester United have eliminated Liverpool from the FA Cup on 10 occasions, the second-most in competition history. Only Liverpool themselves have knocked a particular side out more times, having taken down local rivals Everton on 12 occasions.

Liverpool currently sit fourth in the Premier League, and the Reds will face a short turnaround before taking on Tottenham on Thursday. Manchester United, meanwhile, will move on in the FA Cup but will now turn their focus towards Sheffield United on Wednesday.

The Red Devils currently sit top of the league, two points ahead of second-place Manchester City, who have a game in hand.

Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick says his side have regained stability by securing a third straight Bundesliga win as they hammered Schalke 4-0 on Sunday.

The reigning champions suffered disappointing results this month when they were beaten 3-2 by Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga followed by a shock penalty shoot-out loss to second tier side Holstein Kiel in the DFB-Pokal.

The Bavarian side have recovered over the last week with wins against Freiburg and Augsburg ahead of Sunday's trip to Gelsenkirchen.

A Thomas Muller double and one goal each from Robert Lewandowski and David Alaba secured the three points as Bayern moved seven points ahead of RB Leipzig, while Manuel Neuer set a Bundesliga record with his 197th clean sheet.

"After two defeats it was important that we got some stability back. We've now kept two clean sheets in a row," Flick said after the game. "Of course I'm happy that we were able to pick up nine points this week. We're happy with the result today, but we can still do one or two things better, especially how we position ourselves in possession.

"We took advantage of league results around us. We now have a cushion of sorts, but it's still important to approach every game the way we approached the last few games, that we want to perform at 100 percent.

"We'll take two days off now. It's important to clear our heads. From Wednesday, we'll then do some intensive preparation ahead of the Hoffenheim game."

Muller, who now has nine goals and nine assists to his name in the league this season, feels his side could have done better in attack despite the scoreline.

"We laid siege on our opponent's goal in the first half and created a few good chances, but the final ball right at the end was lacking," he said. "It was a game in which there were a few lapses of concentration. Overall, you could see that when we picked up the tempo and played our passes, we were always able to get into good finishing positions.

"We did well through the week, won all three games and took a huge step forward in the table. That's what counts."

Ronald Koeman praised Marc-Andre ter Stegen for a crucial save in Barcelona’s battling 2-0 victory against Elche on Sunday, saying the club is "lucky" to have a goalkeeper of his quality.

The Catalan giants were 1-0 up thanks to Frenkie de Jong’s strike when Ter Stegen denied Elche forward Emiliano Rigoni at the start of the second half.

Barca would seal the points late on thanks to a goal from Riqui Puig, but Koeman was quick to highlight the contribution of his goalkeeper at what was a pivotal time in the game.

“They didn't have chances - they only had one chance and it came from a big mistake from our defence,” said Koeman.

”But Ter Stegen was very good in the one-on-one [chance]. Luckily we have a good goalkeeper, because they could've equalised there.

"Defensively, apart from that mistake, we did well. The best thing about today was our pressing and our performance without the ball. We deserved to win.”

The result means it is a happy end to a breathless week for Barca, which saw them play extra-time twice against Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup and Cornella in the Copa del Rey.

"I'm very happy with how we won [the game]," added Koeman. "We've had lots of matches in the last few days and we've kept focus.

"We were better than our opponents. We were patient. We won possession. It was difficult to score because they had lots of men behind the ball. But we pressed well.”

The Dutchman was also pleased with the contribution of De Jong, who has not always hit top form in a Barcelona shirt since his high-profile move from Ajax two years ago.

With Lionel Messi suspended, Ousmane Dembele, Martin Braithwaite and Antoine Griezmann played up front, though Koeman was keen to highlight the importance of goals being scored from other sources.

"The three forwards aren't enough; we need the midfielders to score too," he said. ”It's good that he's [De Jong] scoring and assisting. He's improving. We want the midfielder to get into the box and get up there.”

Despite the win, Koeman played down the prospect of Barca claiming the La Liga title, with leaders Atletico Madrid seven points ahead of his side with two games in hand.

"We'll try [to challenge for the title], but Atletico are still strong," he said.

Former international Boniface Pawasa believes Yanga SC will soon have the best strike force in the Mainland Premier League following the signing of Fiston Abdoul Razak.

The Burundian striker arrived at the Jangwani giants during the mini-transfer window which closed on January 15, and will now partner with his countrymen Saidi Ntibazonkiza as they strive to wrestle the league title from rivals Simba SC this campaign.

It a partnership that has caught the eye of former Simba defender Pawasa, who insists Yanga will be unstoppable with the combination of the two players.

“I can already see there will be a deadly strike force at Yanga with the arrival of Razak since they had already signed Saidi,” Pawasa said as quoted by Sokalabongo.

“I can predict a very good strike force between the two players and teams in the league should now start to get worried.

“We have already seen what Saidi [Ntibazonkiza] can do, the ability he has since he has played a few matches for Yanga since signing and even managed to score goals and create some and when he links up with Razak, I think they will form a deadly partnership.

“Yanga also have a good coach in Cedric [Kaze], he is yet to lose a match since he signed for them, 13 matches now for the coach he has gone unbeaten, they are building a good team and I foresee a great future for them.”

In a recent interview, former Yanga striker Amissi Tambwe hailed the signing of Razak, saying he will make an instant impact for the club.

“Yanga snatched the best transfer target during the mini window since the arrival of Fiston will help the club score a lot of goals as they were lacking someone who can do it in the first round of the season,” Tambwe, who also played for rivals Simba in the Mainland league, said as quoted by Sokalabongo.

“From the way I know him I know, he will do a lot of great things that will give success to Yanga bosses as well as fans.

“It's a matter of waiting for the way he will work and be able to respond to the new system of his team that he is going play with but in terms of finding the back of the net, he knows that much better and he will help the squad.”

Razak joined Yanga from Egyptian club ENPPI, becoming their second signing during the window after they had signed defender Dickson Job from Mtibwa Sugar.

Simba SC CEO Barbara Gonzalez has exuded confidence new coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa will help the team achieve their targets for the 2020/21 campaign.

The veteran coach from France has been appointed to fill the space that was left by Sven Vandenbroeck, who resigned a day after leading the Msimbazi club to the group stage of the Caf Champions League in early January.

The official is optimistic the new coach will make the club's fans proud.

"Welcome to Simba Didier," Barbara tweeted on her official Twitter handle on Sunday.

"We have so many hopes on you. Our target [this season] is to successfully defend our Tanzania Mainland League title, reach the quarter-finals of the Caf Champions League and defend the FA Cup.

"I am confident you will ensure Simba fans will continue walking heads up and proudly be associated with the team."

After his appointment, the tactician insisted his players will have to adapt to his philosophy in order to stand a chance of helping the team meet their targets.

"My philosophy is the passing game and it will not be a problem because Simba are good at that," Da Rosa told Goal.

"Then we must also press because if you want to contest or win, you have to put your opponents under high pressure. 

"It is important especially now that we are ready to start the group stage of the Caf Champions League. I believe we have the players who can help us do that. I am very demanding in this because we must be very solid if we want to go far [in the Champions League]."

Wekundu wa Msimbazi have won the Tanzania Mainland League for the last three seasons and Frenchman has explained why it is important for him to win it again this season.

"We want to push to win the league because it is the most important competition," Da Rosa continued. 

"It will help us play in the Champions League, so it is good to prepare for that."

In the league, Simba are facing what promises to be a tight race against archrivals Yanga SC. Timu ya Wananchi are at the top of the table and are unbeaten with the league still in its mid-season break.

Simba have lost two matches but have three in hand and would want to beat their Kariakoo rivals in order to maintain the dominance they have built in the recent past.

Mbwana Samatta’s father Ally Pazi Samatta has explained why the Super Cup organised by the Tanzanian heavyweights Simba SC is important for their development.

Ahead of their Caf Champions League group stage fixtures against AS Vita, El-Merreikh and reigning champions Al Ahly, Simba have organised the tournament that will start from January 27 and will involve DR Congo’s Tout Puissant Mazembe and Al-Hilal of Sudan.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi will first play against the Sudanese giants before ending the cup tournament with a game against rhe Ravens.

“Simba are at a level where they must play such clubs because they have achieved a lot in the Champions League,” Samatta told Mwanaspoti.

“What is important is for the players to learn from them so that they can grow and hit such high levels.”

Samatta’s sentiments were supported by former Simba defender Martin William, who said TP Mazembe’s encounter will help Simba get a rough idea of what to expect from AS Vita during their first Group A fixture.

“Although TP Mazembe and AS Vita might differ in how they play, one cannot rule out similarities between them especially given that they play in the same league,” William said.

“Leave even that alone, TP Mazembe are a big club and have got experience in the Champions League and it is a perfect way for Simba to play against them before the real games in the Champions League.”

Former Yanga star Godian Mapango said the Super Cup will expose Wekundu wa Msimbazi to great experiences as they rub shoulders with the best teams.

“They [Simba] have shown how tough the league should be,” Mapango stated as he hailed the initiative taken by the Kariakoo club.

“Simba must always play against TP Mazembe and Al-Hilal as they are high-level outfits, have been doing good in the Champions League and thus Simba players will get the necessary exposure while interacting with players from these clubs.”

Simba will be led by a new coach during the Super Cup and in the Champions League games since they have appointed Didier Gomes Da Rosa.

The Frenchman – who was unveiled on Sunday -  has filled the void that was left by Sven Vandenbroeck, who left just after helping the Tanzanian heavyweights seal a place in the group stage of Africa’s premier club competition.

Odisha failed to bag three points despite leading for most of their Indian Super League (ISL) match against Bengaluru on Sunday.

Diego Mauricio gave Odisha an early lead but Erik Paartalu salvaged a point for the Blues with eight minutes left on the clock. The Kalinga Warriors missed easy chances to double their lead and coach Stuart Baxter suggested that his team should start finishing off games and not commit silly defensive errors.

"I am frustrated," said Baxter. "Frustrated with many things like our inability to put the game to bed, our inability to defend the full 90 minutes without making elementary mistakes. Set-pieces decide many games and it brought them (Bengaluru FC) back in the game. I was disappointed that we didn't do a great job in not giving away silly free-kicks and silly throw-ins or corner. The team has to learn from it. We are playing well on a regular basis to win games but we are not winning."

The British coach explained what he thinks is going wrong for his side as they have been squandering chances.

"It (scoring) is probably because of the situation we are in. When Jerry (Mawihmingthanga) goes one on one with the goalkeeper and lashes it to the bottom corner and he (Gurpreet) makes a save the thought must have gone through in people's mind that it is not going our way and I think that pressure and the pressure of where we are, is causing some anxiety in front of the goal. It is not an easy situation where the front players are getting into but they are getting there and showing composure."

Baxter introduced first and only substitution of the match in the 89th minute of the game as Nandhakumar Sekar replaced Daniel Lalhimpuia. Explaining why he did not use too many substitute players, the Odisha coach said, "It wasn't a planned move (no substitution till the end) but it was due to how the game developed. They were getting set-pieces and we had our biggest players on the pitch.

"Of course, we could have brought Sajid (Dhot) on and take out one of our smaller players but then it would have seemed that we are running the game out. I didn't think that we needed to that. We still had a second goal in us."