Looking for Soccer News?

Kerala Blasters have made it a habit of shooting themselves on the foot with slow starts to matches in the Indian Super League (ISL). It was the same syndrome on display against FC Goa on Saturday.

Like their previous tie against Bengaluru FC, Kibu Vicuna's side conceded a goal in the first half and only came back into the match after the break. But unlike their last match, Blasters were not able to score a second goal had to remain content with just a point despite playing against 10-men for better part of the second half.

It could be said that Kerala Blasters looked shaky and unsettled in the first 45 minutes. In the second half, though, Vicuna's men improved and showed intent which yielded them the equaliser. Rahul KP once again rose to the occasion and turned hero for his side just like he did against the Blues.

Kerala Blasters have shown improvement as the season has progressed. They look confident and a far better outfit from what they were in the beginning. But unfortunately, they do not start their matches well. They wait until the opponents inch ahead before deciding to show their ability. 

At present Kibu Vicuna's team are unbeaten in the last four matches and have managed to collect eight points in the same period. But this cannot be a long term thing if they want to make it to the play-offs. 

Another glaring issue in this Kerala Blasters side is Gary Hooper. The former Norwich City striker's move to the Yellow Army had generated a lot of hype as the fans expected the experienced forward to change the fortunes of the club this season but unfortunately the English striker is yet to live up to his reputation.

The 32-year-old forward has managed to score only two goals in 11 ISL appearances so far. These are not the stats you expect from a top striker. Hooper, specifically, looked frivolous against Goa. He had his opportunities against Goa but his first touch on several occasions was extremely poor and so was his decision-making.  

Vicuna too rued all the missed chances as he felt that his team could have easily got the three points in the end if not for poorly executed final passes in the attacking third.

For FC Goa it was a mixed bad experience. Unlike their previous matches, they scored early against Blasters and looked like a team that meant business right from the off. But their strong start did not yield them much as they managed to score only a goal despite creating numerous chances. Profligacy has been an issue for Juan Ferrando's side ever since their star striker Igor Angulo has stopped featuring in the starting lineup due to a prolonged illness.

The Spanish coach has tried deploying Jorge Ortiz as a number 9 but the former Atletico Madrid 'B' player is not a natural striker and that has reflected in his performance. It has to be mentioned though that it was Ortiz who had scored the solitary goal for Goa in the match, in a somewhat fortuitous manner.

Vicuna has to work on the approach of his team and start matches on a better note while FC Goa need to capitalise on their strong starts and finish off games quickly.

Aurelien Tchouameni believes Monaco can challenge for this season’s Ligue 1 title if they maintain their winning form after a 3-1 comeback victory over Olympique Marseille.

The Cameroonian descent is upbeat about the Monegasques’ chances after he scored his first goal for the club at the Stade Louis II on Saturday.

Tchouameni fired the hosts ahead in the 75th minute after Guillermo Maripan cancelled out Nemanja Radonjic's first-half opener for Marseille.

Second-half substitute Stevan Jovetic sealed maximum points for Monaco with his stoppage-time effort which made it four wins in their last four league outings.

When asked whether Monaco are contenders for the Ligue 1 title, Tchouameni told the club website: “Yes, if we keep delivering this type of performance. We have to be ambitious.

“We are looking ahead but also behind us, everything can change very quickly. As I told you, it will depend on our form. We struggled in December, but right now everything is working fine. We must continue to take points.

“It’s a big win for sure tonight. This is the fourth in a row, which is good for us. But it’s only three points, we have an important trip to Nantes next week. We must continue this good run."

Senegal’s Krepin Diatta, who completed a permanent switch to Monaco from Club Brugge on Thursday, made his Ligue 1 debut after replacing Sofiane Diop in the 68th minute and Tchouameni is full of praise for his quality.

“He had a great spell on the pitch, it’s not easy to come on for a game like this after only arriving only two days ago,” the 20-year-old added.

“He only had one practice. He is of high quality and a very intelligent player. It is therefore easier for him to join a side like ours.”

Saturday’s goal was Tchouameni’s maiden Ligue 1 goal and the Cameroonian descent was relieved to have broken his goal drought on his 48th league appearance.

He said: “At last, it’s a real pleasure! A midfielder must be able to do his defensive work but also to put in work further up the pitch, with results. I hope this is not the last. It’s all the more satisfying as it’s the goal that allowed us to take the lead.”

Orlando Pirates midfielder Thabang Monare has commended his side’s “hard work and exceptional teamwork” as he feels they are on “the right path” after edging Maritzburg United 1-0 in a Premier Soccer League clash on Saturday, to recover from dropping points in two prior matches.

Pirates arrived in Kwa-Zulu Natal on the backdrop of winning one match in five previous games, a run which earned them just five points out of a possible 15.

But after more questions started being asked about their title credentials, especially in their last two games in which they lost 2-0 to relegation candidates Black Leopards and drew 0-0 with Golden Arrows, the Buccaneers responded with an away win.

“Credit to the boys, we worked as a team. We do have those games where it gets ugly and if it get ugly we match it,” Monare told Pirates’ media.

“I feel like we are on the right path and once again credit to the boys for the hard work that we put in and exceptional teamwork. I don’t really have much words to say about the hard work we put in but it was just brilliant.”

From the recent matches where they struggled for three points, there were fears that Pirates could continue on a downward spiral and lose track of leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who are now six points better off than them.

“It was very important [to win] especially after dropping two points [against Arrows] at home. Sometimes I honestly feel like we do need the luck,” added Monare.

“Obviously luck comes with hard work. Work for your luck, the harder you work, the luckier you become.

"So I think in our previous games we just didn’t have a little bit of luck. I feel we created more chances than Golden Arrows but today we got a chance and we buried it and we got three points and now going back home.”

Saturday’s victory saw Pirates climbing two rungs up to fourth spot but could slide a place down if the match between Cape Town City and Golden Arrows produces a winner on Sunday.

Josef Zinnbauer’s Bucs now prepare host TS Galaxy in their next league match on Tuesday.

Zambia national team head coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic has described their African Nations Championship encounter against Guinea as a clash of titans.

The Group D encounter ended in a 1-1 draw and now the nations are jointly the leaders of their group after two games.

Spencer Sauta was the hero for the Chipolopolo after he equalised late to deny Guinea a second victory in the ongoing tournament in Cameroon. Syli National had grabbed an opener in the 58th minute through Victor Kantabaduno’s effort but the tie ended on an equal footing eventually.

“We wanted to win but managed a draw against a strong Guinea team,” Sredojevic told Caf Online in his post-match press address.

“I am happy that we created more scoring chances than we did in our first game against Tanzania and the small details basically decided the match. It was a clash of titans.”

On his part, Guinea’s Mohamed Kanfory Bangoura admitted Zambia countered their strategy effectively, but he is nonetheless satisfied by the outcome.

“We got into the game with the strategy of dominating possession, but Zambia played well,” Kanfory said.

“I am satisfied with the draw because it places us in a good position going into the last group game against Tanzania.”

Namibia were eliminated from the competition after going down 1-0 against the Taifa Stars in Limbe in the second game of the group.

Young Africans’ Farid Musa scored the goal in the second half that saw the Brave Warriors ejected as Tanzania picked up their first victory after the opening 2-0 defeat to Zambia.

Namibia will face Zambia in the final group game while Tanzania and Guinea will clash in what will be a very decisive encounter.

Meanwhile, after being alert for the entire game against the Brave Warriors, Tanzania’s Aishi Manula has now emerged as the goalkeeper who has made the most saves in the tournament with his record standing at eight.

His Ugandan rival Charles Lukwago and Pavelh Ndzila of Congo have made seven saves each.

Libya’s Ahmed Azzaqa is third with six while Moussa Camara of Guinea, Haschou Kerrido of Cameroon and Simbarashe Chinani of Zimbabwe all have five saves so far after playing two games.

Oladapo Afolayan has described his goalscoring debut for West Ham United in their 4-0 FA Cup win over Doncaster Rovers as a reward for the hard work he has put in over the last three years.

The 23-year-old has been at the London Stadium since February 2018, but he featured dominantly for West Ham U23s and had loan spells at League Two clubs Oldham Athletic and Mansfield Town.

Prior to his West Ham debut on Saturday, Afolayan played for 63 minutes in the Hammers' 2-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur U23 on Friday.

The following day, he replaced Tomas Soucek for his maiden outing at the London Stadium in the 70th minute and eight minutes later, he sealed their progress to the fifth round after goals from Pablo Fornals, Andriy Yarmolenko and Andy Butler's own goal.

He recalled how he started his nomadic football journey with seven years at the Chelsea academy before he moved to Toronto between 2013-15, and then returned to England to join Barnet in 2015.

Afolayan, in his reaction, told West Ham TV: “It’s been a long time coming. I’ve worked my socks off for the last three years, had a few serious injuries and just worked to get back to full fitness and full sharpness. I’ve been able to do that this season and I’m just happy it’s paid off.

“One thing my family have always shown me is openness and that there are lots of different paths you can take to a place and after I left Chelsea as a schoolboy I wanted to do my GCSEs, so I went to Barnet as it was closer to me.

“We then moved abroad and I went to Toronto, then I came back home and went to university just trying to get a degree and play football at the same time. Solihull Moors came in for me and that was an opportunity to play at another level for me. I kept on playing and ended up getting the move here!”

The Nigeria descent narrated the emotions at home and the joy he felt after making his family and friends proud with the memorable strike.

“I know my family would have been at home watching," he continued.

"When I told them I was involved they were very happy for me and when I left this morning my Dad was just sat in the front room with nothing on the TV – I think he was more nervous than me!

“It’s a good moment and I can’t wait to see my family and share it with them. I’ve got a lot of friends out there who have been there for me through my long journey so to get to this moment shows that hard work has paid off.”

Vihiga United head coach Sammy Okoth has stated he was sure his side will get maximum points against Gor Mahia if they manage to frustrate them.

The financially troubled side managed to get maximum points against the reigning Football Kenya Federation Premier League champions after recording a 1-0 win at Kasarani Stadium on Saturday.

Despite dominating the game, K'Ogalo failed to break down their visitors' defence, and with five minutes to go, Denis Wafula managed to get the ball in the back of the net to hand his team their second win of the season.

"I have been studying how Gor Mahia are playing this season and we prepared well for the match," Okoth told Goal on Sunday.

"Yes, Gor Mahia dominated, but we denied them spaces to be comfortable. We had a plan of frustrating them and I am glad our objective was achieved since they did not break our defence and we kept a clean sheet.

"We finally got them late into the game and scored the winning goal."

The former Zoo FC coach believes the win is what they needed to boost their confidence ahead of their forthcoming assignments.

"We have been having off-pitch issues that are financially related, and during times like these the players need something to boost their confidence and morale," Okoth continued.

"The win against one of the top teams in the country is a plus to my team because it has pushed our confidence levels to another point. It was a deserved win for us."

Okoth has further revealed his target for the team in the ongoing 2020/21 season.

"It is not good to be fighting relegation because it means a lot of stress especially in the latter stages of the season," he continued.

"This time around, we are going for a top 10 finish. It is possible for us; if we put up a positive fight and get good results consistently, we will achieve our target. We have good players who can help us finish in the desired position."

Vihiga's win put them in the 14th position with eight points from nine games, coming from two wins, as many draws, and five losses.

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has disclosed that Jean-Philippe Gbamin will not be rushed back to action in order to avoid a relapse of his injury problems.

Gbamin first suffered a thigh injury after making his second Premier League appearance in the Toffees' 1-0 win over Watford on August 17, 2019.

The injury kept him out for eight months but in May 2020, he ruptured his Achilles tendon in training while trying to recover to full fitness, which subsequently made him go under the knife and has extended his spell on the sidelines by another 10 months.

He is gradually recovering to top fitness with an individual fitness programme at the Finch Farm training centre.

Although the 25-year-old has been ruled out of Everton's FA Cup clash with Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, Ancelotti is ready to wait on him and he was quoted as saying by Liverpool Echo: “I think Gbamin has been out for a year and a half, he had really bad luck and he will be back when he will be ready to train to avoid injuries and to be at his best but also avoid injury because another injury would be really, really difficult to recover from.

"So we are showing patience with him because we need to be patient with him. We don't want to force him to be back when he is not 100%."

The Ivorian midfielder has not enjoyed his spell on Merseyside since he moved from Mainz 05 in August 2019, with just 135 minutes of football played so far before he suffered the thigh injury.

However, Ancelotti said he has seen some clips of Gbamin’s games and he considers him as a key player in his team.

"I saw him not live but in videos," he added.

"He is a modern midfielder, a powerful midfielder with quality, he can play in all the positions in midfield.

"He can be a box to box midfielder. He is a midfielder that I think every team needs for his characteristics."

Namibia were eliminated from the African Nations Championship after going down 1-0 against Tanzania on Saturday in Limbe.

Farid Musa scored the goal that eliminated the Brave Warriors in the second half as Tanzania picked up their first win after losing the opener against Zambia.

The win kept the Taifa Stars' hopes of advancing to the knockout stage alive as they are now third in Group D while Zambia and Guinea top the group with four points each. Winning the final match means Namibia will not finish in the second place and that means they have bid the tournament goodbye.

All the officials of the match were females and that means the Tanzania-Namibia encounter became the first African senior men’s game to be officiated by women officials.

Lidya Tafesse of Ethiopia, assistant referees Bernadettar Asimenye Kwimbira of Malawi and Nigeria’s Mimisen Agatha Iyorhe, were the officials for the game.

Musa scored when Namibia’s goalkeeper Kamaijanda Ndisiro was unable to effectively deal with a cross from Ayub Lyanga in the 65th minute and that invited the Yanga SC forward, who slotted home the opener.

The Brave Warriors came close to equalising in the 77th minute when Isaskar Guribab tricked Tanzania’s goalkeeper Aishi Manula but his effort went wide.

Meanwhile, Zambia and Guinea recorded a 1-1 draw in their second game of the tournament.

Spencer Sauta got Zambia the equaliser late after Victor Kantabaduno had given the Syli National a lead. Kantabaduno scored in the 58th minute while Zambia fought and made sure the tie ended in a draw when Sauta found the back of the net with a header in the 87th minute.

Guinea were lucky not to concede late in the first half when Moussa Camara left his line but ended up punching the ball into Emmanuel Chabula’s path. The Zambian striker slipped and that gave Guinea’s Mohammed Traore a chance to clear the danger.

The game, which was defined by physicality, ended with either side unable to get a goal to separate them. Namibia will face Zambia in the final group game while Tanzania and Guinea will clash in a very decisive game.

The Taifa Stars’ win gave a glimpse of hope to the East African fans especially after Uganda fell 2-1 to Togo on Friday.

Sofapaka president Elly Kalekwa has come out to explain why he has continued to pump in money to sustain the club in the FKF Premier League.

Batoto ba Mungu earned promotion to the top-flight in 2009, a season they went on to win their first league title, and since then they have never been relegated from the top tier.

In 2016 Sofapaka survived relegation after they finished 14th on the table and this was after their title sponsors Blue Triangle pulled out support, but this did not stop Kalekwa from financing the team to keep them afloat.

The Congolese businessman has now explained the reason he has kept supporting the team financially insisting his passion for football has pushed him to spend a fortune on the team.

“I can’t really tell the exact amount of money I have spent on the team, but what I know is it runs into billions of shillings,” Kalekwa said as quoted by Standard Sports.

“And if you have a good product you can recoup that money, but you must be passionate about football for you to heavily invest into it.

“Just like you have found me today talking to the players after coming from work explains how much I love this team. I used to even train with them before I suffered a life-threatening injury. Club chairman is not just a title; we are the servants of these players.

“Football is a business but it is also something that brings people together and that’s why I’m not in a rush to make money; money comes later. Money is not everything, but sponsors are the most important thing because without them you can’t do anything.

“Football business is like farming; you can’t harvest where you have not planted. That means, first you must have a brand and make it strong before starting to sell players like what we did with Burundian striker Abdul Fiston Razak.

“We bought Fiston for Sh4 million but sold him for Sh20 million to South Africa after six months, that means we did a good business just after six months.

“Once we realise football is a business, then it will drive you to make money, and this can only work well with business-oriented players who know their valuation well. Just look at how Mariga [McDonald], Wanyama [Victor], Olunga [Michael], and other foreign-based players have made a living out of it.”

Sofapaka became the first team in Kenya to make huge money from selling a player after they allowed Razak to sign for Mamelodi Sundowns for Ksh20m in 2015, and Kalekwa says he is more than determined to keep doing business hence the reason they have partnered with an England-based international player transfer company to handle their transfer activities.

"You can make mistakes when signing players as per the coach’s demands but sometimes you can make one good signing and you recoup from his transfer fees,” Kalekwa continued.

“At the moment, we have signed a partnership deal with an international transfer company that will be dealing with all our transfer businesses. Right now, I can’t sign a player without their consent. It’s based in England and we are their [Sofapaka] representatives in East and Central Africa.

“There is no player they can bring on board from this region without our knowledge. Sofapaka is now more of a business entity than a football club and that’s why I have partnered with this company which handles more than 32 percent of Manchester United players.”

Sofapaka are currently eighth on the 18-team table with 10 points from eight matches after they managed to beat Nairobi City Stars 1-0 on Saturday.

Who does Jurgen Klopp turn to now after new unwanted records tumbled following Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat at the hands of Burnley at Anfield on Thursday night?

A goalless stalemate against Manchester United on Merseyside on Sunday will have been accepted had they found a way to beat the Clarets at their fortress a few days later. Instead, what happened shook the entire league and surprised observers who believed the Reds will finally end their winless run against the relegation-threatened side.

Sean Dyche masterminded Burnley’s first win in Liverpool since 1974, as Klopp’s team lost their first game at Anfield in 1369 days. The last side that walked away with three points in the Premier League were Crystal Palace in April 2017, and no side had managed to get the better of the German’s Mentality Monsters in 68 games.

Since Sadio Mane’s opener against West Bromwich Albion, Liverpool have failed to hit the back of the net. Four games on the trot mean this side have equalled an unwelcome record set by Gerard Houllier’s team in May 2000. Nobody will have seen this happening…not this season, at least.

As Mane yet again toiled for 90 minutes and Mohamed Salah fail to inspire the home side off the bench, their own personal droughts continued. The Senegal star was the last Liverpool player to score in the league having opened the scoring in that home draw against The Albion in late December and has been frustrated since.

The sight of Africa’s best player blazing his 64th-minute attempt high, wide and not so handsome after Salah’s pass underlined his recent struggles.

The Egypt star, surprisingly left out from the XI by Klopp, had failed to tuck away his own chance four minutes earlier following a brilliant lung-busting Georginio Wijnaldum run—expertly thwarted by the impressive Nick Pope in the visitors’ goal.

According to StatsBomb data, the Reds have accumulated expected goals of 7.7 without winning in their last five, scoring only once in that time.

In their four fixtures without any luck in front of goal, their xG of 6.1 suggests they’ve created chances but are being let down by poor finishing.

Salah was culpable against Newcastle United, while Mane bore the brunt of the criticism after missing the defending champions’ best chances against old side Southampton.

Neither really played well enough to sniff chances against a resolute Manchester United team on Sunday but missed presentable opportunities on Thursday night—the sort they’d have tucked away last season or two years ago.

Egypt’s talisman has now had xG of 1.6 since scoring that brace in Liverpool’s 7-0 annihilation of Palace, greater than Mane’s whose expected goals of 0.5 in the last four matches pales in comparison.

Their struggles in front of goal have been analysed recently, where it was established that the former Saints star’s alarming drop off was disturbing and unexpected.

Feast has definitely turned to famine for the club’s principal frontmen and Klopp badly needs them to rediscover their shooting boots.

The former Borussia Dortmund boss's selection seemed to have an eye on their FA Cup encounter vs the Red Devils at Old Trafford this weekend, the second meeting between both clubs in a week.

Despite the non-stop run of games in a testing season, the manager’s starters prompted some raised eyebrows as the more pressing need for three points to keep pace with the unrelenting sides from Manchester, far outweighed a cup competition Klopp hasn’t particularly taken seriously in his time as Reds boss since 2015 anyway.

It was Divock Origi’s first league start of the season and the striker’s rustiness probably told when he somehow contrived to hit the bar after a Ben Mee error put him eyeball to eyeball with Pope for what resembled an eternity. To be honest, that chance should have been tucked away, rustiness or otherwise, which only magnifies the need to secure a result at the Theatre of Dreams.

It remains to be seen if the Liverpool trainer picks misfiring Mane and Salah from the off against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team, especially after unwittingly heaping added pressure on this game due to his poor judgement against the Clarets, which ultimately ended in defeat.

Both players didn’t exactly pull up trees at Anfield less than a week ago, with the Senegalese expertly silenced by the impassable Aaron Wan-Bissaka, while Salah huffed and puffed with little success. Interestingly, players from the two sides felt they deserved the win on the day, but United looked to fashion out the more memorable ones, with Alisson Becker stopping Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba after half-time.

The Liverpool pair can find encouragement in the fact United have somehow found it challenging to beat supposedly top sides in any competition this season despite their unforeseen ascent into title contention. Still, you get the feeling they’ll smell blood going into the meeting vs an unrecognisable Reds side that can’t buy a goal at the moment.

Who does Klopp turn to now? Unless Mane and Salah retrieve their shooting boots in Manchester, the mounting pressure will get even more intense. It’s about time they came up trumps, too, with the Reds in need of someone to desperately bell the cat.

An issue that has nagged at Orlando Pirates this season - a lack of fit strikers - is a still proving problematic for the Soweto giants.

With a 1-0 win over Maritzburg United at the Harry Gwala Stadium on Saturday evening, thanks to a Deon Hotto goal a few minutes before half-time, Pirates managed to end a two-match streak in which they have failed to net.

With Gabadinho Mhango back on the injury list - the Malawian was in the process of building up his match fitness after missing the first three months of the season, as well as Tshegofatso Mabasa and Zakhele Lepasa missing through injury, coach Josef Zinnbauer started with Thembinkosi Lorch and Vincent Pule against Maritzburg.

Lorch and Pule usually operate as wingers, although they also tend to be allowed to drift across the forward line as they please, and are certainly adept in the striker or number 10 positions.

However, what is notable about their selection is that both Terrence Dzvukamanja and Jean-Marc Makusu Mundele were left on the bench and did not feature at all.

The former Bidvest Wits man has been given quite a lot of game-time by coach Josef Zinnbauer, but has not really grabbed the opportunity and so it was perhaps telling that he was left on the bench on Saturday.

Mundele, meanwhile, has barely played for Pirates, despite arriving at the club with a fair amount of expectation having previously played in Belgium for Standard Liege as well as other stints in Hungary, Algeria and Egypt.

The DR Congo marksman arrived at the club about in early November last year but has played a total of 20 minutes.

Zinnbauer went some way to explaining the situation last week, telling the media:

“Mundele has not been here for long. He needs information in terms of tactics and conditioning. Before he came here he was out for a while. We need to manage these situations well."

It still seems strange, though, that the experienced Mundele has taken so long to settle and one would have thought that with the current injury list, it could have been the perfect time for the player on loan from AS Vita to grab his opportunity.

Especially when considering that he was only signed on a season-long loan.

East Bengal are set to rope in goalkeeper Subrata Paul from Hyderabad FC while Sankar Roy is set to play for The Nizams, Goal can confirm.

While Paul's move to East Bengal is permanent, Shankar Roy will play on loan at Hyderabad.

Subrata, 34, made six appearances for Hyderabad this season and kept two clean sheets. Subrata then suffered an injury that saw Laxmikant Kattimani start in his place for the last five games. Hyderabad coach Manuel Marquez had confirmed that the India international had a problem with his knee. He has recovered since but has not made it into the starting XI.

The Tata Football Academy (TFA) product has kept as many as 28 clean sheets in his ISL career with 91 appearances with clubs such as Mumbai City FC, NorthEast United FC, Jamshedpur FC and Hyderabad.

Having started his senior career with Mohun Bagan, this will be Subrata's second stint with East Bengal after the 2008-09 season in which he won the Federation Cup.

Interestingly, Subrata has never managed to make it to the play-offs with all the four ISL clubs he represented in the past.

On the other hand, Roy played a crucial role last season with Mohun Bagan as they clinched the I-League title. He conceded only nine goals in 14 I-League matches and also kept six clean-sheets and was preferred as the number one by then manager Kibu Vicuna.

Roy was then signed up by East Bengal and was a back-up to Debjit Majumder. The only match that the 25-year-old custodian played at the Red and Golds under Robbie Fowler was against Jamshedpur FC in which he kept a clean sheet as a 10-man East Bengal had held the Men of Steel to a goalless draw. 

Hyderabad are currently fourth on the ISL standings table with 17 points from 12 games while East Bengal are second from bottom with 12 points from 13 games. 

Former Brazil captain Lucio is not a stranger to World Cups. A veteran of three World Cup campaigns with the Selecao, Lucio has had an illustrious career adorned with silverware aplenty. He has won the World Cup, Champions League, Confederations Cup, Bundesliga, Serie A and more. 

Considered one of the best defenders in the world during his prime, Lucio was one of the key players in the Brazil team which won the 2002 World Cup, the first-ever World Cup to be held in the Asian continent (South Korea/Japan). 

Now the quadrennial extravaganza is returning to Asia, with Qatar playing hosts in 2022, and Lucio feels the tournament will be a huge success. Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), the organisation responsible for delivering the 2022 World Cup, has already unveiled four world-class venues for the tournament with work progressing on schedule in the rest. 

More interestingly, all eight planned venues for the 2022 World Cup are located close to each other, with every stadium within an hour's travel of another.

Lucio drew on his experiences from 2002 while highlighting that the compactness of Qatar's World Cup will be beneficial to the players who can avoid tiredness that stems from travel between venues.

"It was a very different World Cup (2002) because there were two countries hosting it - South Korea and Japan. So there was tiredness caused by the travels. But the Brazilian team's structure and planning were good so that we could have the necessary rest between the games and training sessions," he told Goal.

"Now, the 2022 World Cup being hosted in Qatar. There is comfort to all teams (since they are) closer to the hotels, stadiums and training centres. (This) will avoid tiredness and for sure this will help all the teams. To be a world champion, you need to have quality and a strong team.

"And this scenario with all the facilities close to each other will make things easier, but this is not the (main) factor that will decide the world champion," Lucio explained. 

The 2020 Club World Cup, which will be held in Qatar in February 2021, is set to be one of the preparatory tournaments for the 2022 World Cup instead of the traditional Confederations Cup. Lucio, who has won the Confederations Cup in 2005 (Germany) and 2009 (South Africa), feels the compact nature will help the players get to know Qatar better. 

"Confederations Cup is a short tournament, but all the teams involved took it seriously because it was preparation for the World Cup. In Qatar, the Club World Cup will be different compared to Germany and South Africa thanks to the short distances. So this benefits the teams now."

He went on to state that his former side Bayern Munich have an advantage in the 2022 World Cup since they regularly conduct their winter training camps in Qatar. 

"Bayern has an advantage because they know Qatar and the facilities, but everything will be decided on the field. Since when I was a Bayern player, the pre-season preparation was often in Qatar and UAE because they had a very good structure. It’s a small advantage to know it more than others. These are very important tournaments so this won't be a significant advantage."

Lucio also felt that Qatar national team, which will make their debut in the World Cup in 2022, will receive a lot of support from the neutrals. He felt the team's footballing credibility will also receive a huge boost.

It must be noted that the Maroons, who had a dedicated long-term program to build a squad for the World Cup, are one of the best teams in Asia right now. They are also the current Asian champions, having won the Asian Cup in 2019.

"A team hosting the World Cup gets more confidence and has more credibility and hope, and Qatar will count on that for sure. Playing at home, Qatar wants to leave a good impression. And due to respect and consideration for the country that is hosting the World Cup, many people will support Qatar."

France youth international of Cameroonian background Aurelien Tchouameni scored his first Ligue 1 goal with a second-half header as AS Monaco defeated Olympique Marseille 3-1 at Stade Louis II, in the process ending a three-year wait to find the back of the net in the French topflight.

In the keenly contested affair, it was the visitors who drew the first blood after twelve minutes of play through Nemanja Radonjic. Receiving a pass from Duje Caleta-Car, the Serbian midfielder raced into the Phocaeans’ goal area before a slotting the ball past goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte.

Andre Villas-Boas’ men held their nerves to take a slim 1-0 lead into the first-half break despite pouring attacks from the hosts.

Three minutes into the second half, Guillermo Maripan levelled matters for Monaco after a corner kick taken by Aleksandr Golovin found the Chilean defender, who shrugged off Alvaro Gonzalez before sending a header into the top corner of Steve Mandanda’s goal.

In the 75th minute, Tchouameni put his side ahead for the first time in the four-goal thriller after heading Golovin’s corner kick past Mandanda.

Substitute Stevan Jovetic rifled home a superb free-kick — arrowing a rocket of a shot across into the far top corner of the visitors’ goalkeeper – to complete the comeback and helped them secure their 12th win of the 2020-21 campaign.

Tchouameni, 20, was in action from start to finish alongside Mali prospect Youssouf Fofana, while Senegalese forward Krepin Diatta - who moved to France on a five-and-a-half-year contract from Belgian First Division A side Club Brugge – was handed his maiden appearance after replacing Sofiane Diop in the 68th minute.

For the visitors, Tunisian star Saif-Eddine Khaoui came in for Michael Cuisance with 14 minutes left to play, while Cameroonian goalkeeper Simon Ngapandouetnbu was not considered for selection by manager Villas-Boas.

Thanks to this result, Monaco climbed to fourth in the French elite division log having garnered 39 points from 21 outings, while 10-time league champions Marseille dropped to sixth with 32 points, albeit, they have played a game less.

Despite representing France at U16, U17, 18, and U19 levels, Tchouameni remains eligible to represent the Indomitable Lions at senior level.

Simeon Nwankwo was on target as Crotone continued with their stuttering start to life in the 2020-21 Serie A campaign following Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Fiorentina.

Having defeated Benevento 4-1 their last time out with the Nigeria international among the goalscorers, the Pythagoreans went to Stadio Artemio Franchi with the ambition of making it two wins on a bounce against Cesare Prandelli’s team that were humiliated 6-0 by Napoli.

However, they were pegged down by the Violets who got all their goals within the first 45 minutes.

Both teams put up a strong display in the opening minutes of the encounter, nevertheless, it was the hosts who took the initiative after 20 minutes through Giacomo Bonaventura.

Profiting from a poor clearance by Arkadiusz Reca, the Italian midfielder picked up the ball and fired a right-footed shot from the edge of the box past goalkeeper Alex Cordaz.

In the 32nd minute, the hosts doubled their advantage through Dusan Vlahovic who scored from close range after collecting a pass from Frenchman Franck Ribery.

Crotone stepped up their game in the second-half but it was Prandelli’s men who kept creating goalscoring chances. Gaetano Castrovilli assisted Vlahovic twice, but the Serbian failed to bury the ball inside the net.

In the 65th minute, Nwankwo reduced the deficit for his club after positioning himself well to head a Pedro Pereira cross past goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski. That was the Super Eagle’s seventh level goal in 19 appearances so far.

Fiorentina, in danger of playing a draw, made a double change in the 69th minute to fortify their team - throwing Christian Kouame and Martinez Quarta for Igor and Vlahoic respectively.

Despite pushing harder for a late equaliser, Giovanni Stroppa’s team were unable to get the much-needed goal as they returned home with heads bowed low.

Alongside Cote d’Ivoire defender Koffi Djidji who is on loan from Torino, the Nigerian was in action from start to finish for Crotone, while Libya’s Ahmad Benali replaced Milos Vulic on the hour mark.

For the hosts, Sofyan Amrabat saw every minute of action as they climbed to 12th in the log after garnering 21 points from 19 outings. They are guests of Torino on Friday.

Manchester United head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed he has open and honest conversations with Paul Pogba.

The France international has been the subject of plenty of media attention this season, mainly down to the comments of his agent Mino Raiola, who has said he wants to get Pogba out of Manchester United.

Since Raiola made his explosive comments in December , Pogba’s form has improved.

He has been influential in games and has been scoring goals, and now looks settled in a United side that is top of the Premier League.

Solskjaer has earned praise for getting the best out of the former Juventus man, and he suggested frank conversations have played a part in the upturn in form of the 27-year-old.

“Paul’s job is to get himself fit and play football,” Solskjaer said. “My job is to be open and honest with him and give him my advice and I’ve never had a problem with him.

"I talk openly and directly with Paul. I’m not going to tell anyone what my advice to him is but I have always had a good relationship with him.

“He comes from a great family, he’s very understandable, he’s a very sensible boy and he knows what I’m talking about when we speak.”

Pogba has been criticised for not contributing enough to United, but Solskjaer says that is not the case - and that the multi-lingual Frenchman works behind the scenes to help move the club forward.

“He’s upfront and honest with me too,” Solskjaer said. “And what people don’t see with Paul is even when he isn’t playing he’s contributed loads in the background.

“Sometimes he’s even acted as the interpreter – even when he isn’t playing.

“He always respects my decisions and we’ve always had a very good working relationship.”

Pogba has scored winning goals in two of United’s last three games, against Burnley and Fulham, and he is likely to play a big part when the Red Devils play host to Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

The two sides played out a 0-0 draw in the Premier League at Anfield last weekend .