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Nigeria's Sekidika opens Galatasaray goal account as Belhanda and Feghouli complete Denizlispor rout

Three African stars were on song as the Lions bounced back to winning ways in the Super Lig after Sunday's defeat to Besiktas

Nigeria forward Jesse Sekidika scored his maiden Galatasaray goal on Wednesday while Algeria's Sofiane Feghouli and Morocco's Younes Belhanda grabbed a goal each in their 6-1 victory over Denizlispor in a Turkish Super Lig game.

Sekidika came off the bench in the 84th minute and he was assisted by Ryan Babel in sealing the Lions' emphatic result at the Turk Telekom Stadium with his effort in the stoppage-time.

The goal ended the 24-year-old's 11-game drought in the Super Lig since he joined Fatih Terim's side from second-tier club Eskisehirspor in January 2020.

Although he is yet to start a league match since he arrived in Istanbul, the Port Harcourt-born attacker has made five substitute appearances this campaign.

Earlier in the encounter, Belhanda assisted Emre Akbaba to open the scoring in the sixth minute before Feghouli doubled their lead in the 17th minute.

Ryan Donk made it 3-0 just before half-time while Belhanda found the back of the net in the 64th minute, four minutes after Muhammet Ozkal turned the ball into the back of his team's net.

Super Eagles midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo who is currently on loan from Stoke City, was introduced in the 69th minute while his compatriot Valentine Ozornwafor was an unused substitute for Galatasaray.

West Bromwich Albion reported transfer target Mbaye Diagne was not listed for the encounter but Togo's Mathieu Dossevi saw 63 minutes of action for Denizlispor before he was replaced by Egypt's Ahmed Yasin.

Wednesday's victory fired Galatasaray to third in the Super Lig table with 36 points from 18 matches - two points behind leaders Besiktas and second-placed Fenerbahce who have a game at hand.

Denizlispor, meanwhile, are rooted to the bottom to the table with 14 points after 19 games.

Original author: Taiye Taiwo

Smeda's Famalicao edge Torreense to Portuguese League Cup semi-final

The top-flight newcomers continued their search for domestic success as they subdued their hosts at Manuel Marques Stadium

Leandra Smeda's Famalicao pipped Torreense 2-0 to reach the semi-final in Wednesday's Portuguese League Cup quarter-final tie.

Following a 2-2 league draw at Sporting CP last Sunday, the Famalicenses were eyeing a spot in the last four of the competition against the hosts, who lost 7-0 at SL Benfica at the weekend.

Following her second-half appearances against Gil Vicente and Sporting CP, the South African featured for the third time in a row as a substitute but ensured her side maintain their unbeaten form.

Despite creating many chances, both teams could not be separated at half time at Manuel Marques Stadium.

After the break, Daniela Silva broke the deadlock with her fantastic finish in the 61st minute before Victoria Almeida struck late 10 minutes later to seal a quarter-final triumph for the visitors.

The result saw Famalicao progress to the semi-final of the competition, joining SL Benfica, Sporting CP and Sporting Braga.

Smeda was in action for the final nine minutes of the match on her third appearance against Torreense after she replaced Negrao.

The South African will be eager to gain more minutes when Marítimo comes visiting in their next encounter on January 24. 

Original author: Samuel Ahmadu

Cavani & Pogba step up to complete comeback at Fulham

Man United's title tilt continues, then, as their attention turns to their FA Cup tie against Liverpool. Fulham host Burnley. They might not be league games but both could prove decisive as far as momentum is concerned. Let's see what happens in those. That's all for now. Goodbye!

Man United's win takes them back to the top of the Premier League, two points ahead of Manchester City who beat Aston Villa earlier. City have a game in hand but United can only keep doing what they're doing. Fulham stay 18th. Again, Parker's team performed well. If they carry on like this they'll start winning games eventually.

Man United make it 17 away games unbeaten in their seventh away comeback of the season. Despite Fulham's bright start Solskjaer's team were able to wrestle the game back in their direction thanks to a poacher's goal from Cavani and a peach from Pogba. United's consistency is getting hard to ignore.

90' + 5' FULL-TIME: FULHAM 1-2 MANCHESTER UNITED

90' + 3' Mitrovic is so close to scoring for Fulham! The Serbian gets up in the air and nods a header against Bailly's thigh. The deflection off Bailly briefly looks like it will creep into the corner but it goes just wide. That might well be Fulham's last chance.

90' + 2' Lookman darts onto a ball over the top by Lemina and takes a great first touch. The Englishman shoots first-time but it's blocked by Wan-Bissaka and goes out for a corner. United clear it but they're still under pressure.

90' + 1' Kamara goes down clutching his face after a challenge but play continues. Rashford holds the ball up near the corner flag, wasting a few valuable seconds for Fulham.

90' Fulham have four more minutes to grab an equaliser. 

88' Fulham still have the ball. Tete tries to race onto a pass down the line and yells out in frustration when it goes out for a United throw-in.

86' Tete is caught offside from Kamara's throughball. Fulham are keen to create another scoring opportunity but they may well have had their chances.

83' Fulham blow a chance to equalise! Fulham counter quickly and a cross causes confusion in United's penalty area. The ball rolls to Loftus-Cheek who blazes over from 15 yards! That should have at least been on target.

82' Man United earn their eighth corner of the game. It's an in-swinger from Shaw this time and it lands to Fred who smacks it into a crowd of Fulham bodies.

80' Loftus-Cheek - Fulham's best player in this second half - gets taken out by Fred. Reed floats in a beautiful free-kick but he's let down by his attackers who don't make more of an effort to reach it.

78' It's another Man United corner. This time United decide to take it short before putting into the danger area. It goes out for a Fulham goal-kick but Maguire might have got there.

76' Bryan sends another pass into Man United's box with Lookman lurking. Bailly intercepts. Fulham come right back but Reed can't make the most of a throughball.

74' Fulham nearly make it 2-2! Loftus-Cheek slips into the box and forces De Gea to save with his legs at the near post. Tete fires back across goal but no one in Fulham colours can get on the end of it. The hosts are undoubtedly still a threat.

73' Shaw tries again as United get another corner. Maguire is being tracked by Loftus-Cheek now as Fulham recognise his threat. Areola claims this time.

72' Tete concedes a corner for Man United. Again, Shaw's delivery is cleared.

67' United nearly make it 3-1 with a quick one-two punch! Fernandes - who else? - sends another dangerous delivery into the box and Areola gets across to deny Cavani. The Uruguayan's movement has proven tricky for Fulham all game.

66' That's Pogba's sixth Premier League goal from outside the box. It's not a bad time for him to add to his tally as far as United are concerned.

64' Areola stops Martial's point-blank header from a Fernandes cross. United are beginning to look menacing again.

61' Man United huff and puff on the edge of Fulham's box until Reed intercepts and tries to send Loftus-Cheek away. Cavani, of all players, is on the scene to snuff the counter out.

60' Bryan finds some space down the left to fling a cross into United's box but it doesn't threaten De Gea and goes out for a goal-kick.

58' Lookman has had four of Fulham's six shots so far. The Englishman is central to all of Fulham's attacking play.

56' Man United can't really afford to drop points here with the title race hotting up. Solskjaer needs more from his team at the moment.

54' Fernandes's shot from outside the box is blocked, as is Shaw's. United keep possession and Pogba whips in a deep cross from the right. It bounces through to Fernandes whose header hits the legs of Areola. The midfielder's offside anyway.

52' Chance for Fulham! Lookman gets on the end of Loftus-Cheek's low cross from the right but fires straight at De Gea. United have got to be careful if they don't want to concede again.

50' Shaw's corner comes in and finds Maguire who heads over. The Man United captain is getting opportunities from set-pieces in this game.

49' Man United get their first corner of this half off Andersen. Let's see what the visitors can make of this.

47' Reed picks up a Cavaleiro pass and swerves a shot high and wide to the left from range. 

45' We're back underway for the second half. No changes at half-time.

Fulham's job is half-done but Man United are certain to go for the win in the second half. Solskjaer's team haven't picked up the most points and scored the most goals away from home this season for nothing. Will Parker be content with keeping United at bay or will Fulham push for a much-needed victory?

Fulham are holding their own at the moment. Lookman gave Parker's side the lead early on when Man United were still asleep. The visitors got their act together quickly after that and equalised through Cavani when Areola spilled Fernandes' cross. It's all to play for in the second half.

45' + 2' HALF-TIME: FULHAM 1-1 MANCHESTER UNITED

45' + 1' Man United knock the ball around searching for an opening as Greenwood has a shot blocked. Fred gets impatient and fires a pass forward. It's intended for Martial but goes harmlessly out of play instead.

45' There'll be two minutes added onto the end of this first half.

44' All in all, Fulham will be pretty pleased with how this first half has gone. They haven't threatened much apart from their goal but they haven't been under too much pressure either.

42' Martial checks that Fulham are staying alert, latching onto Shaw's high cross to head wide of Areola's left-hand post.

40' Lookman gets bundled over by Fred. Fulham get the free-kick. It's sent in and Adarabioyo heads into the arms of De Gea.

38' Fulham have managed to regain a foothold in this game after having a bit of a wobble. Man United aren't finding this easy.

36' Fernandes tries to plant his leg and accidentally catches Tete. The free-kick goes Fulham's way. Anguissa slips Cavaleiro into the penalty area but the Portuguese forward overruns the ball before he can shoot. Cavaleiro should have done better there.

34' The free-kick isn't actually that dangerous for Fulham at all. Fernandes steps up and skies it. That's disappointing from him.

32' Fernandes finds a pocket of space to the left edge of the box and Andersen charges in to bring him down. It's a Man United free-kick. This looks dangerous for Fulham.

30' Man United have had 64 per cent possession in this opening half hour. Fulham won't want their visitors to get too comfortable.

28' Man United win a corner down their left. Maguire rises high in the centre of the box to nod wide from Shaw's delivery.

26' Man United are starting to dictate the play now. Fulham are staying compact and can take heart from having scored earlier, even if they haven't had a shot since.

24' Fulham survive the corner. They're suddenly having to work now after their strong start to the game.

23' Fernandes tries his luck again! It's almost a carbon copy of his chance just a few minutes ago. This time Areola dives across to prevent it reaching the top left corner. It'll be a United corner.

22' Man United have conceded first in six league away games this season and won all six. This could easily be a seventh comeback win in a row.

20' Fernandes hits the post! The Portuguese midfielder picks up the ball on the edge of the box and spanks it towards goal on his left foot. Areola is beaten but it rebounds off the bottom of the upright and away! It doesn't matter though because...

19' Cavaleiro intercepts a United attack and Anguissa sends Lookman on the move down the left, winning a throw. Fulham really are a tougher prospect than they were at the start of the season.

17' Shaw takes the corner short. Nothing comes of it. Man United are going to have to approach this game patiently.

16' Shaw swings in a cross from deep and it bounces out of play. Aina got the last touch though so Man United get a corner.

14' Fulham are proving hard for Man United to break down right now. They're playing a 3-5-2 with Lookman and Cavaleiro up front. 

11' The free-kick sails straight into the arms of De Gea. Pogba tries to thread a throughball to Cavani but it rolls straight out for a Fulham goal-kick.

9' Martial goes down in the box under pressure from Loftus-Cheek but the referee isn't interested. Up the other end, Pogba gives away a free-kick with a lacksadaisical challenge on Aina.

7' Lookman's been involved in six goals in his last 14 Premier League games, more than any other Fulham player so far this season. The RB Leipzig loanee's proving essential to Fulham's survival hopes.

3' Fulham start brightly as Lookman's shot from outside the box is blocked. Cavaleiro hands Lookman the ball for a second try and De Gea makes a comfortable save.

1' And we're off here in West London!

The two sides are out on the pitch at Craven Cottage. Fulham are in their traditional white and black home colours. Man United are also in their famous red shirts and white shorts.

Fulham had a good home record against Man United around a decade ago but are winless against the Red Devils in their last 11 league meetings. United have won their last four visits to Craven Cottage by an aggregate score of 12-1. Will Solskjaer's team return to the top of the Premier League table?

Fulham make two changes from their 1-0 loss here to Chelsea. Bryan replaces the suspended Antonee Robinson at left wing-back while Loftus-Cheek comes in for Decordova-Reid. There are three changes to Man United from the draw with Liverpool. Bailly, Greenwood and Cavani start. 

SUBS: Donny van de Beek, Daniel James, Scott McTominay, Marcus Rashford, Axel Tuanzebe, Nemanja Matic, Alex Telles, Juan Mata, Dean Henderson.

MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): David de Gea; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eric Bailly, Harry Maguire (c), Luke Shaw; Fred, Paul Pogba; Mason Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes, Anthony Martial; Edinson Cavani.

SUBS: Neeskens Kebano, Tim Ream, Josh Onomah, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Denis Odoi, Mario Lemina, Michael Hector, Aboubakar Kamara, Marek Rodak.

FULHAM (3-4-3): Alphonse Areola; Ola Aina, Joachim Andersen (c), Tosin Adarabioyo; Kenny Tete, Harrison Reed, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Joe Bryan; Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ivan Cavaleiro, Ademola Lookman.

It's a sign of Man United's unexpectedly high ambitions this season that they can view their 0-0 draw away to Liverpool last time out as a missed opportunity. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United are the only side still unbeaten on the road this season and can regain top spot with a win. They'll be confident of doing just that.

Fulham will be looking to bounce back after their five-match unbeaten run was beaten by Chelsea last weekend. Scott Parker's team have shown they've got fight in them in recent games but have scored just three goals in their last seven games. If the Cottagers want to stay up, they need to start scoring and winning.

Hello! Welcome to our live text commentary of this Premier League match between Fulham and Manchester United at Craven Cottage.

Red-hot Boupendza scores, Akintola shines in Hatayspor defeat against Yeni Malatyaspor

The Gabon star and the Nigerian forward delivered sparkling performances but their efforts were not enough to save Omer Erdogan's men from a loss

Aaron Boupendza scored his 13th Super Lig goal of the season while David Akintola featured in Hatayspor’s 2-1 defeat to Yeni Malatyaspor on Wednesday.

Boupendza has been in sizzling form since he teamed up with the Star of the South permanently in the summer from French club Bordeaux.

The forward was afforded his 17th league appearance at Hatay New Stadium and utilized the opportunity to increase his tally this season.

Akintola, meanwhile, was also handed his 15th league start in the encounter and gave a good account of himself but could not save Omer Erdogan’s side from their sixth defeat of the campaign.

The game started with both sides aiming to find the back of the net but despite their efforts, the first half ended 0-0.

After the restart of the game, following the half-time break, Zeki Yavru broke the deadlock, hitting his effort beyond the reach of goalkeeper Akin Alkan to give Yeni Malatyaspor the lead.

Adem Buyuk then doubled the lead for Hamza Hamzaoglu’s men in the 77th minute, converting his effort from the penalty spot.

With three minutes left to full-time, Boupendza reduced the deficit for the Star of the South after receiving an assist from Liberia forward Mohammed Kamara.

Despite their effort to try and share the points with Yeni Malatyaspor, Hamzaoglu’s side held on to their lead to secure victory in the encounter.

Boupendza, Akintola and Ghana’s Isaac Sackey were on parade for the duration of the game for the Hatay New Stadium outfit while Mali’s Adama Traore played for 57 minutes before he was replaced.

The defeat ensured Hatayspor dropped to the fifth spot on the Super Lig table following their inability to add to their 31 points.

Boupendza and Akintola will hope to help Erdogan’s men return to winning ways when they take on Gaziantep FK in their next league game on January 24.

Akintola has four goals and one assist for Hatayspor in 18 appearances since joining the side from Danish club Midtjylland last summer.

The forward will be expected to deliver more eye-catching performances for Hatayspor to boost his chances of earning a call-up to the Nigeria national team.

 

 

 

Original author: Gbenga Adewoye

Zinnbauer laments Orlando Pirates' decision making following Golden Arrows draw

Bongani Sam caused the Abafana Bes'thende defence all sorts of problems, but he was surprisingly substituted on the hour-mark

Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer lamented his side's decision making following their clash with Lamontville Golden Arrows on Wednesday. 

The Soweto giants were held to a 0-0 draw by Abafana Bes'thende in a PSL match which took place at Orlando Stadium. 

Zinnbauer watched on as his charges were let down by some indecisiveness in the final third against Abafana Bes'thende. 

"Tough game, a lot of work but not the luck that we need, in the first half a lot of playing close the box," Zinnbauer told SuperSport TV. 

"But the final ball was not correct, a lot of turnover overload on the side, overload inside the box but the final pass not correct.

"The second-half both sides running, both teams looking for three points we tried we did not have the luck we need, we scored but offside.

"We also had a good situation to score from a cross but it's always a step too late, then you get a draw.

"We wanted three points, it's not a discussion for us, the team works but we did not get the results that we want."

Zinnbauer handed Bongani Sam his first start of the season in the league and the 23-year-old left-back was arguably Pirates' best player in the first half.

The German tactician explained why decided to withdraw the South Africa under-23 international after his impressive performance. 

"The subs - Sam had a good game but a lot of time [not playing], he was a little bit tired and we changed,"  the former FC St Gallen head coach added.

"We got a bit of freshness, with Hotto more power up front, the subs were okay but we didn't have the luck that we need.

"I cannot say the team is not working but we did not have the luck to get the goal for a win.

"You have to play, work on it, it's coming, it's football. You try it, you have chances and you don't score.

"The opponent had the same problem, they had opportunities. You have opportunities and you don't score you cannot win."

Pirates will be in action this weekend as they take on Maritzburg United at Harry Gwala Stadium in a PSL match on Saturday. 

Original author: Austin Ditlhobolo

Atletico Madrid close to signing Fluminense star Marcos Paulo

The 19-year-old winger is close to agreeing a five-year contract and will likely join the Spanish side ahead of next season

Atletico Madrid are close to signing Marcos Paulo from Fluminense, Goal understands.

The 19-year-old attacker is expected to join the Spanish side ahead of the 2021-22 campaign after agreeing a five-year contract.

La Liga leaders Atletico have been in talks with his agent, Lucas Mineiro, for weeks and the representative is currently in the Spanish capital to wrap up an agreement.

Marcos Paulo, who has has featured 25 times this season and scored three goals, is free to negotiate with other teams over pre-contract agreements as his contract with the Brazilian side expires at the end of the season.

However, he does not want to leave the club that gave him his breakthrough in 2019 after he progressed through the youth system. 

Atletico expect to finalise a deal this month before letting him finish the campaign at Fluminense before he reports for pre-season preparation in Spain.

The Portugal Under-19 international has been linked with a move to Inter recently and Fluminense president Mario Bittencourt said last week that Torino and a team in France approached him, too.

Bittencourt explained to reporters: “We made a proposal [last June], the staff and the player understood that it was better to wait for an offer from elsewhere.

“The player had contact with a club in France and his agents informed that a proposal with an interesting value would arrive, but it didn't.

“We reinforced the idea of renewing, we made a significant proposal with the increase we could. The player asked us to wait.

“When it got to the end of October, a proposal came from Torino. It was the only official proposal Fluminense received since I became president. It was a loan with a purchase obligation.

“We opened negotiations and the athlete did not respond to us about renewal because he wanted to go.

“Fluminense's counterproposal was for instalment payments only. Torino didn't answer us because they found another player in Europe.”

He continued: “We made another renewal proposal in December because we liked him and wanted him to stay for another two or three years.

“The athlete was to give us an answer and this counter has not yet come, he said he wants to wait for the end of the window to receive a proposal from Europe or from another club.

“He has no interest in staying in a Brazilian club. I talked to his agents yesterday and they said they are in Europe to look. I give credit to these people. We hope to make a good deal for us.”

Marcos Paulo has made 64 senior appearances for Fluminense overall, scoring 11 times.

Ronaldo fires Juve to Supercoppa glory with 760th goal

That's all for now though, goodbye!

Today's success means that Juventus have now won five of the last nine Italian Super Cups!

Juventus win the Super Cup after a brilliant display from Szczesny! After a tight first half, Ronaldo netted a record-breaking 760th goal of his career to give Juventus the lead. However, it wasn't an easy victory to hold onto. McKennie's clumsy foul gave Insinge the opportunity to equalise from the spot, but after his miss Napoli began to lose hope. Nevertheless, Lozano's stoppage time effort forced Szczesny into a sensational save to protect the lead - and it turned out to be crucial. Moments later, Cuadrado raced away to set up Morata to make it 2-0 and ensure that Juventus would lift the trophy!

90' + 6' FULL TIME: Juventus 2-0 Napoli

90' + 5' Incredible save from Szczesny! Politano wriggles towards the byline, before cutting it back to Lozano who diverts it towards goal where it deflects off Chiellini forcing Szczesny into twisting in the air to flick it away for a corner!

90' + 4' Politano chips a cross into a packed penalty area, but Chiellini climbs highest to fend off the attack.

90' + 3' Another Napoli attack falters as Arthur intercepts a pass before driving all the way towards the Napoli box to waste more time.

90' + 1' Five minutes of stoppage time are added as Napoli continue to search for an equaliser.

90' Ronaldo forces a brilliant save from Ospina but the flag is raised for offside.

88' Bernardeschi takes the ball to the corner as Juventus attempt to see this one out.

86' Napoli are throwing everything at Juventus right now, but the Turin club still carry plenty of threat on the break as we approach a thrilling finale.

82' That's a tough moment for Insigne. It was a definite penalty - McKennie had kicked through the back of Mertens and Napoli suddenly had an unlikely route back into the game. But Insigne's miss will really knock their confidence now as they chase a late equaliser in the Super Cup.   

78' Penalty to Napoli! Mertens goes down under a clumsy challenge from McKennie and - although the referee initially waved play on - VAR takes a look and decides to award a spot-kick!

77' Juventus hit Napoli with a counter-attack, but the move breaks down as Kulusevski hesitates and misplaces his throughball for Bernardeschi.

75' Ronaldo has been the driving force behind Juventus' lead today - the striker has taken six of their 10 shots.

71' Kulusevski gathers a neat pass from McKennie inside the box, before firing a deflected effort narrowly over the bar. However, Cuadrado's resulting set-piece amounts to nothing.   

69' Lozano surges past Danilo on his way to the byline, but his eventual cross is too strong and it evades all the attackers in the box.  

66' Well, Napoli have it all to do now. They've been steadily pushed back by Juventus in this half and after finally conceding, they now face a difficult task in finding an equaliser.    

63' Juventus continue to probe the Napoli defence with a series of crisp passes in midfield; they look much more likely to find an opener currently.

62' Ronaldo hits a speculative volley from 30 yards that deflects off Bakayoko and limply into the arms of Ospina.  

60' Juventus have already managed two shots from inside the box in this second half, as they begin to build the pressure on Napoli.

58' Ospina is now receiving treatment after colliding with Ronaldo during that opportunity, but it looks as though he'll be okay to continue.   

56' Chance for Ronaldo! The attacker capitalises on hesitancy from Ospina and Manolas, to nip in between the two and poke Arthur's throughball narrowly wide of the far post! That would have been an incredibly disappointing goal for Napoli to concede!  

54' Zielinski lets fly from distance but Chiellini bravely heads it away from goal.

52' Bentancur has a powerful shot from 20 yards blocked away by Manolas, but the move ends there as the linesman calls an offside against Bernardeschi.

50' That was almost an instant impact from Bernardeschi! Chiesa had endured a quiet opening 45 minutes, but his replacement has quickly managed to get involved with that chance.

48' Ospina claws one off the line! Juventus almost take the lead immediately as McKennie gets to the byline, before dinking in a cross that Bernardeschi stabs towards goal only for Ospina to scramble over and drag it off the line!

46' Juventus get the second half underway.

Unsurprisingly, Ronaldo was the bright spark for Juventus; but they'll need Chiesa and Kulusevski to step up in the second period if they're to win the Super Cup today.

It's 0-0 at half time, after a nervy first half in the Super Cup. Juventus have controlled the half, enjoying more possession and more shots than Napoli. But the best chance fell to Petagna who powered a header from close range that Szczesny kept out with a stunning, instinctive save. Both teams played in a risk-averse style though and you'd think that the second half will be a brighter affair.   

45' + 1' HALF TIME: Juventus 0-0 Napoli

44' Chiesa's quiet half continues as he slams a cross straight into Di Lorenzo.

42' Ronaldo is peeling onto the right-back Di Lorenzo at every opportunity, as he looks to target the mismatch and give Juventus the lead.

40' Ronaldo goes close! The attacker cuts inside and onto his potent right foot, before shaping a deft effort across Ospina and just wide of the far post!

38' Ospina firmly punches Cuadrado's corner away from harm.

36' Ronaldo darts inside and attempts to engineer space for a shot, but Manolas suffocates the attacker and blocks it away.

33' Bentancur overhits an angled throughball towards Ronaldo and suddenly Juventus are lacking fluency in attack.

31' Well, Petagna's header was the first shot inside the box all game, but it looked like it would be a certain goal! Szczesny has saved Juventus from conceding another morale-sapping opening goal.

29' Magnificent save from Szczesny! Demme scurries past McKennie and shapes in a devious cross from the byline that Petagna heads powerfully towards the far post, only for Szczesny to instinctively palm it to safety from point-blank range!

27' Napoli have responded well after a nervy start. Juventus had been dominating early on, but gradually, Napoli have settled and now they're beginning to look threatening in attack.  

25' Brilliant challenge from Koulibaly Ronaldo latches onto a diagonal from Bonucci and for a moment it looks as though he's clean through on goal! However, Koulibaly manages to recover and lunge in to poke the ball away from the attacker!

23' Chance for Napoli! Insigne darts inside from the left flank and drills a skidding, low cross into the box that flicks off Szczesny before ricocheting against Petagna and away to safety! If that had bounced differently, Napoli might be ahead!

21' Kulusevski clumsily fouls Mario Rui on the edge of the box, presenting Insigne with an exciting shooting opportunity. However, his resulting effort is tame and it drifts harmlessly into Szczesny's grasp.    

19' Juventus win another corner following Koulibaly's clearance, but this time Demme heads it away at the near post.

17' Napoli make a rare foray forward, but Di Lorezno's angled cross is glanced well wide by Petagna.  

14' Juventus have looked really bright early on. There were concerns that they would still be reeling from that defeat to Inter on Sunday, but the Turin club have quickly stamped out any worries so far.

12' Juventus sweep forward with another flowing move that ends with Ospina saving brilliantly from Chiesa! However, the linesman quickly raised his flag and a goal wouldn't have stood.

10' Kulusevski and McKennie work a clever interchange down the right flank, allowing the former to cut back a neat cross to Arthur who curls a decent shooting opportunity well over from the edge of the box.

9' Napoli struggle repeatedly to clear their lines from the resulting set-piece, until Lozano finally hooks it back over the halfway line.

7' Ronaldo jags past Bakayoko before slamming a deflected effort over the bar from 25 yards.

5' Both sides have started with a pedestrian tempo in possession as they look to avoid making any early mistakes in this final.

3' Bentancur snatches possession away from Zielinski and Juventus proceed to pass it around the back cautiously as they settle into the game.

1' Napoli get the first half underway.

The players are emerging from the tunnel and kick off is just seconds away! 

Juventus have featured in each of the last eight Super Cups, winning the trophy on four occasions.

Napoli, on the other hand, beat Fiorentina 6-0 on Sunday and they make just one change – Hysaj makes way for Di Lorenzo.

Juventus make four changes to the side that suffered a bitterly disappointing defeat to Inter last time out: Frabotta, Ramsey, Rabiot and Morata are the ones to drop out.

SUBS: Elseid Hysaj, Matteo Politano, Fernando Llorente, Antonio Cioffi, Nikola Maksimovic, Stanislav Lobotka, Eljif Elmas, Alex Meret, Faouzi Ghoulam, Amir Rrahmani, Dries Mertens, Nikita Contini.

NAPOLI (4-2-3-1): David Ospina; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Kostas Manolas, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mario Rui; Diego Demme, Tiemoue Bakayoko; Hirving Lozano, Piotr Zielinski, Lorenzo Insigne; Andrea Petagna.

SUBS: Carlo Pinsoglio, Federico Bernardeschi, Adrien Rabiot, Alessandro Di Pardo, Nicolo Fagioli, Gianluigi Buffon, Aaron Ramsey, Radu Dragusin, Alvaro Morata, Gianluca Frabotta, Filippo Ranocchia.

JUVENTUS (4-4-2): Wojciech Szczesny; Danilo, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, Juan Cuadrado; Weston McKennie, Arthur, Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski; Federico Chiesa, Christiano Ronaldo.

Juventus qualified for the final by virtue of winning Serie A, while Napoli’s Coppa Italia success has also led them to this prestigious occasion.

Hello and welcome to live commentary of the Italian Super Cup, between Juventus and Napoli.

Copa calamity as Madrid stunned by third-tier Alcoyano

That's all for now, goodbye!

Zidane will need to rally the troops and get Madrid back on track against Deportivo Alaves on Saturday, while Alcoyano have a home game against Orihuela to look forward to on Sunday. It's a truly amazing accomplishment from Parras' men, who saw goalkeeper Jose Juan make 10 saves and Solbes make important contributions at both ends - the second-half equaliser and a block at the death in extra time.

WHAT. A. RESULT! Madrid are eliminated from the Copa del Rey by 10-man Alcoyano of the Segunda B! Militao put LaLiga's champions ahead on the stroke of half-time but Solbes equalised for the third-tier hosts with 10 minutes of regulation time remaining. It looked like Alcoyano would have to hold on for penalties after Ramon was shown a second yellow card, but Juanan's goal following a swift break sent them into the last 16 at the expense of Zidane's men.

120' + 2' FULL TIME: Alcoyano 2-1 Real Madrid.

120' + 2' HUGE BLOCK! Vazquez floats a cross from the byline to the back post and it sits up nicely for Valverde. He drills an effort towards goal but Solbes gets his body in the way! He scored the equaliser and has now stopped Madrid getting one in the final stages!

120' + 1' Vazquez slides a pass down the right for Benzema and the striker attempts a quick turn to get into a crossing position. His control is poor though and he inadvertently knocks it straight out of play. Alcoyano are on the brink of something truly special here.

120' Molto is down but the referee signals for play to continue. There are going to be at least two minutes added on.

119' Valverde receives the ball on the left and looks to stick it into the box but he overhits his delivery. It goes harmlessly out of play for a goal-kick and Alcoyano can take some precious seconds off the clock.

118' Madrid look for Benzema in the box but he is too eager to get in front of his marker and commits a foul. Alcoyano have just two minutes to hang on here. But they appear to be loving it - after some clever triangle passes on the right Juli is released, though his cutback is dealt with easily.

114' ALMOST A PENALTY! Javi Anton dives in on Vazquez recklessly and it is right on the edge of the box on the right wing. The referee takes a good look before signalling for a free-kick, and it's the right decision.

113' Vazquez drills a low cross into the middle from the right and Jose Juan manages to get a hand to it. Asensio darts in to keep the attack alive for Madrid but they cannot test the keeper again.

112' ANOTHER GREAT SAVE! Jose Juan has brilliant tonight. The goalkeeper is almost wrongfooted by a shot from the edge of the box by Marcelo but adjusts well to get his feet to it and kick the ball to safety.

111' Vazquez dinks a cross in from the byline and Benzema gets up to challenge Primi to it. The ball loops up onto the roof of the net, though Jose Juan did not look sure where it would land. A corner is given but it comes to nothing for Madrid.

110' RAMON IS OFF! A second yellow card for a late lunge on Casemiro sees Alcoyano reduced to 10 men for the final 10 minutes. Will they be able to hold on?!

108' Madrid are showing a bit more urgency now. Valverde feeds Benzema in the box and he works his way to the byline before cutting the ball back towards the penalty spot. It goes straight to Diakite, who has time to control it, get his head up and pick out a pass to get Alcoyano moving forward.

107' Lunin again makes a meal of coming off his line to claim a long ball but Madrid deal with the danger. Vazquez tries his luck from distance after the visitors work the ball up the other end but it's an easy stop for Jose Juan.

106' We are go in the second half of extra time.

Both teams have a quick drinks break before changing ends. It looks like Benzema may be getting some new boots on.

105' HALF-TIME IN EXTRA TIME: Alcoyano 1-1 Real Madrid.

105' Asensio spots the run of Hazard into the box and tries to pick him out, but Solbes does well to steer the Madrid winger away from it with his body.

103' GREAT SAVE!! Benzema slides a pass into the path of Asensio, who shapes to curl a shot into the bottom-left corner with his left foot. Veteran keeper Jose Juan gets his fingertips on it to sap the pace from the ball, before scrabbling back to smother it at the second attempt.

102' Asensio goes down in the box and appeals for a penalty. Raul had an arm across him but there wasn't much in it. Vazquez tries to keep the pressure on but gives away a free-kick in the corner.

101' CHANCE! Angel takes the corner short to Juli, who uses the better angle to pick out Juanan. His header is too close to Lunin, who doesn't have to move to get two hands on the ball and hold on.

100' The ball drops kindly for Molto on the right and he tries to stick a cross into the box. It's deflected behind for a corner and Alcoyano have a good chance to test Lunin here.

97' Marcelo sends a lovely pass over to Vazquez, who slips Benzema in behind. He tries to check back inside of his marker but the ball gets away from him and Alcoyano boot it to safety.

95' Madrid are yet to create anything of note in extra time. Kroos and Hazard appear to be preparing to enter the game after warming up on the touchline.

93' Finally Lunin makes his first convicing claim of an aerial ball as Alcoyano pump a free-kick into the box. That will do his confidence some good and that may come in handy if the match goes to penalties.

92' Madrid continue to pump long diagonals towards Vazquez. The winger has been chasing them all night - often fruitlessly, as is the case with the latest pass sent in his direction.

91' The first additional period is under way!

We have another 30 minutes of football on the way at El Collao after substitute Solbes cancelled out Militao's opener in the 80th minute. Madrid really haven't been at it tonight and will need to up their game in extra time. They still have four subsitutions available, while Alcoyano have used all five available to them.

90' + 6' END OF 90 MINUTES: Alcoyano 1-1 Real Madrid.

90' + 6' Isco's free-kick is headed behind by Militao and that is it!

90' + 4' Madrid don't look keen on pushing for a winner. They work a free-kick just inside their own half all the way back to Lunin, before a stray cross-field pass from Militao perhaps gives Alcoyano one more chance.

90' + 3' Play restarts and Chust and Mourad return to the fray for the final minutes of regulation time.

90' + 2' There's surely going to be a few more minutes add as Chust and Mourad are down receiving treatment after a clash of heads. Both players are able to walk off the pitch.

90' There are going to be a minimum of three minutes of added time at El Collao.

88' PENALTY? NO! Isco curls it to the back post and Madrid are unable to get a clean effort at goal once it drops. Militao tries an ambitious overhead kick as the ball loops up and the visitors claim he is caught by Angel, but nothing is given.

87' Angel lunges in on Casemiro when it really was not necessary and gives Madrid a great chance with a free-kick 25 yards out on the right.

86' WHAT A SAVE!! Marcelo clips a cross into the box that Vazquez nods towards the bottom-right corner. Jose Juan parries brilliantly and Casemiro's square pass on the follow-up is cleared by Angel.

85' Diakite is caught in possession by Valverde and the Uruguayan looks to lead a quick break. His attempt to find Vazquez on the right is poor, with the ball ending up closer to Jose Juan than the winger.

83' Juli lifts it into the box and again Lunin gets a poor punch on the ball. It pinballs around before Madrid can finally hoof it to safety! Surely Alcoyano couldn't steal a winner with extra time looming?

82' Alcoyano have another chance to put the ball in the box after Vinicius fouls Diakite on the right.

78' JOSE JUAN SAVES! Madrid storm forward after Juanan goes down in a heap under a challenge from Casemiro. Jose Juan races off his line and outside his box to try to keep Vinicius at bay and he does so. A chip from the Brazilian there could have settled the game.

77' Militao plays Casemiro into danger and his wayward pass is picked up by Mourad. He drives forward but Alcoyano are again unable to make the most of a rare opportunity to do some damage.

75' A push on Juli from Isco gives Alcoyano a free-kick near the halfway line. It's sent long and kept in play at the byline, with Lunin again failing to convince as he tries to claim an aerial ball at his near post. He can only paw at it and may well breathe a sigh of relief as his defence mop up his mess.

73' A short corner fails to come to anything for Madrid, who are really labouring. The fringe players that have been given a chance to shine tonight have failed to do that.

72' Marcelo attempts an ambitious overhead kick but he mishits it straight to Raul. Fortunately for Madrid, the centre-back's clearance is skewed behind for a corner.

71' Madrid are still looking to play their way through a congested centre of the pitch 20 yards out. They manage to work the ball to Benzema but his attempt to feed Vazquez is cut out.

69' Mourad receives the ball on the right side of the box and his control loops it up into the air. After juggling it he tries to hook a pass over his head for the run of Juli, but Militao intercepts.

68' Casemiro runs at the Alcoyano defence in a bid to try to make something happen for Madrid. He ends up overrunning the ball and fouls Raul as the centre-back shepherds him away from it.

67' Mariano is penalised for leading with his arm in an aerial challenge and he's lucky not to receive a second yellow card.

66' Casemiro feeds Vazquez with a delightful pass but the winger is unable to bring in under control quickly enough and Alcoyano swarm upon him. Goalscoring chances continue to remain few and far between for Madrid.

64' The free-kick is sent long and nodded in behind the defence by Molto. Juli latches onto it but his touch is heavy and he is unable to get his cutback in before the ball goes out of play for a goal-kick.

63' Isco gives the ball away by trying to play it through an opponents legs. He chases back to atone for his error and commits a foul on Rubio, who has been a bright spark for Alcoyano on the right.

59' Benzema has been sent to warm-up by Zidane. He scored a double in the previous Copa tie between these sides.

58' A shanked clearance from Chust goes out of play for a corner. Jordan pings it to the back post and Lunin meets it with a hugely unconvincing punch. Jona tries to hook the looping ball back towards goal but lifts it over.

56' Alcoyano look to break from a corner but Mourad's ball out to Angel is overhit and runs out of play for a Madrid throw. They work it over to Vazquez on the right but he again fails to get the better of Carbonell, who does well to win possession and then a free-kick.

54' GREAT STRIKE! Vazquez pulls the trigger from almost 30 yards out and produces a powerful drive that arrows towards the target. Jose Juan springs to his right and palms it behind for a corner.

53' Marcelo looks to set Vinicius on his way with a clever ball around the back but it is too heavy for the winger. Alcoyano look to break but an offside call halts them in their tracks.

51' Mariano drops a bit deeper to pick up the ball and shifts the ball onto his left for a shot from 25 yards. He gets plenty of power on it but it bounces kindly for Jose Juan, who gets his body behind it to make the save.

50' Mourad is set free on the break and attempts to dart through a gap between Chust and Casemiro. The midfielder makes an important intervention to keep him at bay.

49' Alcoyano are in need of a goal to keep their hopes alive but they have scored just six goals in their 10 Segunda B games this season. No player has scored more than once in the league.

47' Mariano is a bit overzealous in an attempt to win the ball on the edge of the Alcoyano box and barrels Primi over, resulting in a free-kick for the hosts. The former Lyon striker is yet to take his chance to impress.

46' We are back up and running!

The pitch at El Collao was really starting to cut up in the latter stages of the first half and that could make life difficult for Madrid if they try to keep the ball on the deck. Alcoyano have nothing to lose but if they can avoid shipping more goals they may fancy their chances of stealing an equaliser.

Madrid dominated possession throughout the first-half and looked set to go into the break level, but Alcoyano's defence was finally breached when Marcelo picked out Militao on the stroke of the interval. The hosts will need to be a bit more adventurous in the second half. They forced one decent chance for Mourad, although it would have been ruled out for offside if he found the back of the net.

45' + 1' HALF-TIME: Alcoyano 0-1 Real Madrid.

44' Vinicius slides a clever pass towards the byline for Valverde through Jordan's legs and receives the cutback 12-yards out. He goes for goal with a first-time shot but it's deflected behind for a corner.

43' Another Odriozola cross from the right is repelled, this time by Raul. Mourad does well to hold the ball up on the left before turning his marker and bringing it inside to try to stretch the Madrid defence. Rubio is unable to make the most of it, though, and the move breaks down.

41' Some more great defending from Angel! He is on hand to stop Odriozola getting a cross in after he knocked the ball between the legs of Carbonell.

40' Alcoyano attempt a high press but Madrid are able to work their way out of it. Marcelo looks to change things up with a cross-field pass to Odriozola but Angel gets to it first and knocks it out of play.

38' Vinicius cuts back onto his right foot and looks to curl a pass in behind for Marcelo. There's too much on it and the left-back is unable to get there ahead of Jose Juan. Madrid are really struggling to create decent openings despite dominating possession.

37' Vazquez is down after receiving a late kick from Raul, who gets a stern talking to from the referee. Vazquez is soon back to his feet and able to continue without requiring any treatment.

36' Vazquez turns Raul brilliantly in the box but Primi gets across to cover and deflect his shot behind for a corner! Alcoyano manage to get it to safety and Jose Juan is on hand to claim the ball when it is pumped back into the box.

33' Isco floats a flat ball towards the back post but Jose Juan races off his line and claims it with ease. Alcoyano break well Jona picks out Mourad with a nice cross from the right that the striker steers goalwards with his head. Lunin tips it over expertly but the offside flag was raised.

30' Mariano tries to make room for a shot from 20 yards but he is closed down by three Alcoyano players and Mourad manages to pick his pocket. In his haste to regain possession, Mariano gives a way a free-kick that gives the hosts a breather.

29' Vinicius is double-teamed as he looks to dribble into the box from the left and is forced to recycle the ball. It ends up with Madrid attempting to release him again with another long diagonal but it's nodded out for a throw-in by Rubio.

27' Carbonell has been doing well so far at left-back, blocking a cross from Odriozola and following it up by shielding the ball from Vazquez in the corner. He can only clear as far as Casemiro, who has an audacious shot that rolls to Jose Juan at his near post.

26' Militao gets across to Madrid's left and manages to beat Mourad to the ball and win a free-kick in the process. Alcoyano have been feeding off scraps in attack, which is understandable given the stature of their opponents.

24' Lunin is making his Madrid debut and has had very little to do so far. At 21 years and 344 days old, he is the second-youngest goalkeeper to debut for Los Blancos under Zidane. The youngest was the coach's son Luca Zidane at 20 years and 232 days.

22' Odriozola surges forward on the right but nothing comes of his cross, with the ball going out of play for a goal-kick. He's been very active so far and will be keen to make an impression with his future at Madrid in doubt.

20' A lovely ball over the top finds Vinicius in behind but Jordan slides in with a brilliant tackle to dispossess the Brazilian and remove the danger! Alcoyano have done a fairly decent job of limiting the chances for Madrid so far.

19' Mourad gets a rare chance to stretch his legs down the right but he's bumped off the ball by Chust and his appeal for a free-kick brings no rewards. Madrid get down the other end but Marcelo loses the ball and is penalised for a late tackle on Rubio.

17' It's another low delivery to the near post from a corner and this time Casemiro is the player attacking it. He tries to glance the ball goalwards with the outside of his right boot but can only steer it into the side-netting.

16' Vazquez floats a cross into the middle but Primi nods it away. Madrid keep the pressure on with Vinicius and Marcelo combining with a one-two before Rubio steals in and sends it behind for a corner.

14' GOOD SAVE! Valverde has the first attempt on goal of the game, firing a powerful effort towards the bottom-right corner. Jose Juan gets down to it and turns it around the post, which it might have just snuck inside! The Alcoyano keeper stands his ground well from the ensuing corner and holds a header from Militao.

12' Casemiro breaks up an attack led by Rubio and then looks to exploit the space left by the Alcoyano man by picking out Vinicius on the left. He drives into the box before offloading to Marcelo, whose cross is punched away by Jose Juan.

10' Isco is dropping very deep to collect the ball off the centre-backs and hopefully look to spark an attack. A cross from Odriozola finds its way to Vinicius at the back post. He lays it back to Marcelo, whose attempt at a return pass goes straight out of play. He collides with Rubio in the process but the referee does not deem it to be a foul.

8' Casemiro launches a hopeful long ball from inside his own half, hoping to pick out Mariano in the box. He puts too much on it, though, and Jose Juan is able to collect comfortably.

7' Alcoyano look to release Angel with a high ball down the left but the winger shoves Lucas Vazquez as it drops and gives away a free-kick. You already get the feeling it is going to be very tough for the hosts to create anything in this match.

5' Madrid win a couple of throw-ins in quick succession on the right wing, but they fail to create anything from them and Odriozola switches the ball over to Marcelo on the halfway line on the opposite side of the pitch.

3' Isco swings the free-kick low towards the near post for Militao, but he is unable to make a clean connection and Alcoyano boot the ball to safety.

2' Alcoyano look happy to let Madrid control possession in deep areas, only beginning to press when they approach the final third. Isco tricks his way down the left wing and wins a foul following a challenge from Rubio.

1' We are under way at El Collao, with Madrid getting the ball rolling.

The teams are out on the pitch and kick-off will be upon us shortly.

This is the third time Madrid and Alcoyano have been drawn together in the Copa. Madrid triumphed 4-2 on aggregate in the 1945-46 quarter-finals and were 7-1 victors across two legs in the last 32 in the 2012-13 season.

Alcoyano boss Vicente Parras makes two changes from the 0-0 draw with Hercules at the weekend. Carbonell and Jona come in for Anton and Camacho. Captain Jony is the older brother of Atletico Madrid mifielder Saul Niguez.

Zidane has made nine changes, with Castilla player Chust handed a first-team debut after Nacho Fernandez dropped out of the squad after being deemed a close contact to a positive COVID-19 case. Sergio Ramos misses out through injury, while Raphael Varane and Luka Modric have been rested.

Real Madrid bench: Thibaut Courtois, Ferland Mendy, Antonio Blanco, Diego Altube, Toni Kroos, Marco Asensio, Eden Hazard, Karim Benzema.

Real Madrid (4-3-3): Andriy Lunin; Alvaro Odriozola, Eder Militao, Victor Chust, Marcelo; Federico Valverde, Casemiro, Isco; Lucas Vazquez, Mariano Diaz, Vinicius Junior.

Alcoyano bench: Jorge Molto, Javi Anton, Alejandro Satoca, Ramon Lopez, Ali Diakite, Jose Solbes, Juli, Victor Revert, Alejandro Camacho.

Alcoyano (4-4-2): Jose Juan Figueras; Jordan, Primi, Raul Gonzalez Valls, Pablo Carbonell; Alberto Rubio, Jony Niguez, Juanan, Angel Lopez; Jona, Mourad El Ghezouani.

Zinedine Zidane's team are back in action after their Supercopa de Espana semi-final defeat to eventual champions Athletic Bilbao. With just one win in their past four games in all competitions, Madrid will be keen to avoid a slip-up against Alcoyano. The Segunda B side are on a seven-game unbeaten run and defeated LaLiga Huesca in the previous round of the Copa.

Hello and welcome to live commentary on the Copa del Rey clash between the mighty LaLiga champions Real Madrid and third-tier side Alcoyano at El Collao.

Asante Kotoko pip Ebusua Dwarfs in Ghana Premier League 

The Porcupine Warriors added three three more points to their tally on the league table after an away win on Wednesday 

Christopher Nettey's goal handed Asante Kotoko a 1-0 win over Ebusua Dwarfs in the Ghana Premier League on Wednesday.

The second-half goal secured three points for the Porcupine Warriors in the postponed matchday seven fixture at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.

The win has lifted Maxwell Konadu's side to third on the league table, tied on points with second-placed Ashanti Gold and one point adrift of leaders Karela United.

Dwarfs, meanwhile, are left ninth on the league table after nine rounds of matches.

Coach Johnson Smith made two changes to the starting set-up which held Wafa to a 1-1 draw on Sunday while maintaining Ghana goalkeeper Razak Abalora and Brazilian sensation Fabio Gama Dos Santos.

Dwarfs coach Ernest Quartey predictably put faith in talisman Dennis Korsah to lead his side.

In the third minute, Imoro Ibrahim tested Dwarfs goalkeeper Razak Issah with a free-kick, the shot-stopper collecting on the second grab after spilling the first attempt.

Dangerman Kwame Opoku made his maiden attempt in the 26th minute but his shot went straight into the side netting before Gama's 35h minute header just missed the target after connecting with Patrick Asmah's corner.

Kotoko had a scare in the 41st minute after Yussif Mubarik lost possession to an opponent but goalkeeper Abalora was at hand to avert the danger.

Kotoko saw disappointment on the stroke of half-time after a penalty shout as the referee adjudged a foul on Gama to have occurred outside the box and instead awarded a free-kick. 

In the 71st minute, back from the break, Kotoko broke the deadlock through Nettey, who reacted quickly to head home Asmah's cross from close range.

Dwarfs unsuccessfully made an 88th-minute attempt for a late equaliser before the referee brought proceedings to an end after three minutes of injury time.

Kotoko’s win is the icing on the cake for the club following their big announcement of a partnership with Premier League side Southampton on Tuesday.

The 23-time champions will be hoping to add three more points to their tally when they host Aduana Stars at the Accra Sports Stadium in their next fixture.

Original author: Prince Narkortu Teye

Mendy suggests what Chelsea are missing after Leicester City defeat

The Senegal goalkeeper believes Frank Lampard's side are missing a key element after their latest Premier League defeat at the King Power Stadium

Edouard Mendy believes Chelsea are lacking consistency in their game after they conceded a 2-0 defeat against Leicester City on Tuesday night.

First-half goals from Wilfred Ndidi and James Maddison were enough to give the hosts maximum points at the King Power Stadium, which fired them to the summit of the Premier League table while the Blues dropped to eighth.

The result was Chelsea's third defeat in their last five league outings, however, Mendy summarised the team’s desire to build on Saturday’s win over Fulham before Ndidi opened the scoring in the sixth minute.

“We wanted to start well, but we put ourselves in danger from a free-kick we weren’t ready for and then a corner they scored the first goal from,” Mendy told the club website.

“We knew beforehand they were a team that it is difficult to come back against. We tried, but I think we were dangerous going forward on too few occasions to really worry them.”

After pointing out a fault in their consistency, the Senegal shot-stopper charged his teammates to get back to their top level and stay positive.

He continued: “What we are missing at the moment is consistency, being good for the whole match. We often have a bad patch, concede a goal and it makes it too hard to recover. We need to find more consistency in matches to be able to get past this level of team.

‘It’s difficult to explain because we were in good form and then we got into difficulty. It happened very quickly. We need to concentrate on the return phase now and getting near the levels we were at.

‘It’s up to us to rectify the current situation and above all show more. We have to stay together and stay as positive as possible during this delicate moment.”

Chelsea will be targeting a return to winning ways when they host Luton Town in a FA Cup fourth-round fixture on Sunday, before they welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to Stamford Bridge for their next Premier League fixture on January 27.

Original author: Taiye Taiwo

Former Bayern Munich star Ribery open to Bundesliga return

The Fiorentina attacker is thinking about his next move with his contract set to expire in the summer

Former Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery has indicated he is open to returning to the Bundesliga, though he emphasised that he is currently focused on current side Fiorentina

Ribery became a legend at Bayern after joining the club in 2007, winning the Bundesliga on nine occasions over 12 seasons with the Bavarians. 

The former France international joined Fiorentina ahead of last season and has become a key figure for the Viola, making 15 Serie A appearances this season.

Ribery's contract with Fiorentina expires at the end of the current campaign and even at age 37 he is thinking about playing on – potentially back in Germany.

“At the moment I only think about Fiorentina, I’m important for the team,” he told Bild. “But I don’t rule out a return to the Bundesliga when I’m finished here.”

Ribery also spoke out about some of the issues at his former club, including the status of summer signing Leroy Sane. 

Sane has started just half of his 14 Bundesliga appearances this season and his head coach Hansi Flick made headlines last month when he subbed Sane out of a game he had previously entered as a sub.

Ribery has backed Sane to succeed at Bayern, saying that he's not surprised to see more tenured players sometimes getting the nod ahead of Sane.

"I believe in Leroy because he is still young, has quality and talent," Ribery said.

“Players like Kingsley Coman or Serge Gnabry have been with the club longer and therefore know the coach's game philosophy better.

"Sane comes from Manchester City, a big club where he has already proven his quality in tough competition. 

"But football is not easy, there are many factors involved. Sane knows that there is competition at Bayern too. Since he knows this from Manchester, he will have no problem with it. 

"The four wingers at Bayern should support each other. Sitting on the bench shouldn't be a reason to hang your head – you can still make the difference in 20 minutes."

Ribery also opined on the saga of David Alaba, who looks likely to leave the club after talks over a new contract broke down.

“David is a Bayern guy, he won the treble twice," Ribery said. "David is intelligent and he's not a little kid anymore. He made a big name in the football world, won everything. 

"Bavaria has always stood behind David, the relationship was good. I think it would be best if both parties could find a solution. But sometimes it doesn't fit. This is life, this is football."

Original author: Goal

Masoud Juma: Harambee Stars forward set for Difaa El Jadida move from JS Kabylie - Reports

Should the former Kariobangi Sharks complete the transfer, he would replace Simon Msuva, who left for Wydad Casablanca in 2020

Harambee Stars striker Masoud Juma is reportedly set to complete a transfer to Moroccan side Difaa El Jadida.

Juma has been playing for JS Kabylie of Algeria and the reported move will see him serve the Moroccan top-tier side for two years. According to reports, Difaa El Jadida want the forward to replace Simon Msuva, who joined Wydad Casablanca in 2020.

Should the transfer be completed, the centre-forward will be the latest Harambee Star to make a move abroad.

After a stellar season with Kashiwa Reysol in J1 League Michael Olunga – who won both the Golden Boot and the Most Valuable Player awards – moved to the United Arab Emirates where he joined Al-Duhail Sports Club.

Juma’s international teammate Johana Omolo completed a move to Buyuksehir Belediye Erzurumspor from Cercle Brugge of Belgium. The 31-year-old midfielder left Brugge – where he amassed 60 appearances for the Belgian side over the last three and a half seasons – to join the struggling Super Lig outfit.

David Odhiambo switched from Zesco United – where he made name after stellar six seasons with the Ndola club – to Napsa Stars where he linked up with the former Sony Sugar and Gor Mahia goalkeeper Shaban Odhoji and ex-K’Ogalo and Tusker striker Timothy Otieno.

Juma has often been on the move both in the Kenyan league and on foreign soil. The striker won the Golden Boot in 2017 while serving the Football Kenya Federation Premier League side Kariobangi Sharks.

In June 2017, Juma trained with Swedish clubs AIK and Jonkopings Sodra, then with South African side Bidvest Wits in July, but he was signed by Cape Town City in January 2018.

On September 22, Juma signed for Dibba Al-Fujairah before he left to join Libyan champions Al-Nasr Benghazi but due to security concerns left in 2019 to sign for the Algerian side JS Kabylie.

He made his senior international debut for Kenya in June 2017, when he was named in the starting XI of a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Sierra Leone.

He earned his second cap during a friendly against Mauritania two months later, where he scored with a 58th-minute header.

Although his inclusion has often divided opinions, the former Bandari star was used during the Afcon qualifiers against Comoros – where he scored during a 1-1 draw in Nairobi, and when Kenya were defeated 2-1 in Moroni in November.

Original author: Kiplagat Sang

PSL wrap: More frustration for AmaZulu coach McCarthy, Swallows waste chance to go top with Chippa United draw

PSL wrap: More frustration for AmaZulu coach McCarthy, Swallows waste chance to go top with Chippa United draw

Just two points separate the top three teams, Mamelodi Sundowns, Swallows FC and SuperSport United

AmaZulu’s winless run was extended to four matches with a 1-1 draw against SuperSport United while Swallows conceded late against Chippa United.

Swallows 1-1 Chippa United

It took the Birds just 10 minutes to take the lead at the Dobsonville Stadium and it was that man again as Ruzaigh Gamildien kept up his blistering goal-scoring start to the season with a superbly-taken effort, when he chested the ball down before firing home with a sublime angled half-volley.

Chippa however, perhaps boosted by last weekend’s win over TS Galaxy, did not let the setback get them down as they played their way back into the contest.

And having limited the Birds’ chances, the Chilli Boys found an equaliser in the 75th minute through Kurt Lentjies.

The point allows Swallows to stay in the second spot on the standings, behind Mamelodi Sundowns on goal difference.

Swallows 1-1 Chippa United

Siphelele Mthembu had given coach Benni McCarthy's side a 33rd minute lead at the Lucas Moripe Stadium with a well-executed shot.

The Durban side could not, however, hold on for victory - with 14 minutes to go Bradley Grobler ensured a share of the spoils for the hosts when he netted his 11th league goal of the season.

The result leaves SuperSport in third spot, two points off the summit.

Black Leopards 0-2 Cape Town City

On a rainy evening at the Thohoyandou Stadium, the Citizens came away with maximum points for what was their first win in four games.

After Justin Shonga had gone close on nine minutes, Bradley Ralani gave the Cape side the lead in the 31st minute, picking out the top corner after being set up by Fagrie Lakay.

Ralani bagged his second of the match in the 84th minute after latching onto a Mpho Makola pass before taking the ball around the keeper and scoring.

Maritzburg United 0-3 TS Galaxy

The hosts found themselves on the back foot at Harry Gwala Stadium on the half-hour mark when they lost possession in midfield which resulted in Lindokuhle Mbatha crossing for Wayde Lekay to score.

Galaxy increased their advantage three minutes after the interval when Mbatha turned from provider to scorer, converting a pass from Mxolisi Macuphu. The result was put beyond doubt by Felix Badhenhorst's 83rd-minute goal.

Stellenbosch 2-3 Baroka

Stellenbosch staged a late comeback at the Danie Craven Stadium, but it proved too little too late.

The home team had largely enjoyed the better of the first half exchanges but found themselves behind in the 39th minute when Evidence Makgopa found the back of the net for Bakgaga.

Makgopa then completed his brace before Gerald Phiri seemingly wrapped up proceedings with an 89th-minute goal.

It wasn't quite over however as Stanley Dimgba and Ryan Moon (a penalty) scored for Stellies in added time to give Baroka a late scare.

 

LIVE: Manchester City vs Aston Villa

City have looked dangerous going forward but Guardiola will be expecting a much more clinical performance from his side if they want to get the three points from this game. As for Villa, Smith will be pleased with how they've played so far, especially at the back, but they need to improve in the final third.

It's goalless at the break between City and Villa. The hosts dominated the first half and have created some good chances so far, with Silva forcing a good early save out of Martinez. Villa have been solid at the back though with all of the defenders making important blocks to keep it at 0-0. Barkley is the only Villa player that tested Ederson, but it was a comfortable save for the keeper.

45' + 3' HALF-TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 0-0 ASTON VILLA.

45' + 1' GREAT CHANCE! City break quickly on the counter and De Bruyne drives into the box and squeezes his low cross through to Foden at the far post. He takes a touch before hitting his shot, but Cash makes a good block.

45' Watkins lays it off to Barkley and continues his run into the box, but the midfielder chooses to go for goal himself. He tries to send it across goal, but there's no power on the shot and Dias blocks it.

43' It's patient play by the hosts as they continue to pass it around in the final third and try to open up some space in Villa's defence. Rodri swings a good cross to the far post from the right, but Foden's header is straight at Martinez.

41' City are attacking down the left again, with Gundogan driving forward down the wing. He has Zinchenko making the overlapping run in support, but there's not enough on the pass and Cash is able to clear his lines.

39' De Bruyne swings a corner into the box and it's headed back into the middle by Rodri. Stones is waiting under it as Martinez comes out for it and he backs into the goalkeeper and gives away a free-kick.

37' Grealish cuts into the box from the left, but his run is blocked by Zinchenko, so he plays it back to Barkley on the edge of the box. He tries to curl his shot into the far bottom corner, but it's held by Ederson.

36' Villa are struggling to push forward into the final third at the minute and are giving the ball away in midfield a lot with sloppy passes which is making it easier for City.

34' McGinn gives the ball away in midfield and City work it out to Foden on the left again. He whips a dangerous cross into the six-yard box, but none of his team-mates have made a run and it goes straight out of play.

32' Foden cuts inside from the left again and he has time to pick his pass as he isn't closed down. He plays it to Rodri on the edge of the box and he drills a shot towards goal, but it hits Sterling before looping over the bar.

30' City are finding joy down the left wing again as Gundogan is given space to run into. He pulls it back to De Bruyne on the edge of the box, and he hits his shot first time, but it's well-blocked by Mings.

27' Grealish pulls away from Walker down the left and he lays the ball off to Traore in the box. He hits the shot first time from a tight angle at the near post and sends his effort into the side netting.

26' There are some half-hearted shouts from the Villa players for a penalty as they're claiming it hit Dias' arm when he blocked Grealish's cross. It hit him on his side though and the referee points for a corner.

24' City are still dominating possession and are patiently playing their way upfield as they try to open Villa up. Foden touches it onto Silva and he plays a first-time throughball into the box, but none of his team-mates have made the run.

22' De Bruyne flicks his header to Sterling who has a lot of space to run into down the right. He makes a run to the edge of the box as City get players forward in support, but his cross is blocked by Targett.

20' Walker has been struggling with a thy problem for a few minutes since he went into a challenge with Grealish. He tried to carry on, but he's gone to ground now to get some treatment. He's going to carry on though.

18' Since a 3-2 Premier League victory at Villa Park in September 2013, Villa are winless in their last nine meetings with City in all competitions (D1 L8).

16' City are still finding a lot of space down the left wing and Foden pulls it back for Cancelo. He plays a throughball forward for Gundogan to chase, but it's just overhit and he can't keep it in play.

14' City take a short corner and it's Gundogan that swings a cross into the box. Dias rises highest at the far post to head it back across goal, but he plays it behind Stones which gives Targett chance to clear it.

12' Cancelo does well to pull away from Cash on the left and he cuts it back to Foden from the byline. He takes a touch before hitting his shot across goal, but once again, he sees his effort blocked by Konsa.

10' Villa break on the counter and they have three against two City defenders. Watkins runs to the near post and nobody is picking up Grealish on the far side, but Barkley can't pick him out with his low cross.

8' De Bruyne fizzes the ball out to Foden on the left and it's a great run into the box as he dribbles past three Villa defenders. He keeps his shot low, but it's a good block by Konsa to deny him.

6' Barkley plays it out to Traore on the right and he goes around Cancelo and has space to run into. He cuts inside when he's closed down by three City defenders, but he overruns it in the end and Stones clears his lines.

4' GREAT SAVE! The corner is curled in for City and Rodri heads it back into the middle of the box. Silva hits it first time at the near post and Martinez blocks it from close range before Cash clears it off the line to stop Sterling having a tap-in.

2' City have kept the ball well since the kick-off and are patiently playing their way into the final third. It's worked out to Gundogan on the left who cuts inside to put the cross in, but it's cleared by Targett.

1' Silva gets the game underway for City!

The teams are out on the pitch now, with kick-off just moments away.

City have won 14 of their last 15 Premier League home games against Villa (L1), including each of the last 10 in a row by an aggregate score of 33-4.

Dean Smith makes just one change to the team that started Villa's last league match against United. Barkley comes in after returning from injury for El Ghazi who is on the bench.

Pep Guardiola makes three changes to the side that beat Crystal Palace on Sunday. Cancelo, Rodri and Foden all start, with Zinchenko, Fernandinho and Jesus dropping to the bench.

ASTON VILLA SUBS: Marvelous Nakamba, Tom Heaton, Keinan Davis, Anwar El Ghazi, Bjorn Engels, Jacob Ramsey, Neil Taylor, Ahmed El Mohamady, Frederic Guilbert.

ASTON VILLA STARTING XI (4-2-3-1): Emiliano Martinez; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa Ngoyo, Tyrone Mings, Matt Targett; Douglas Luiz, Ross Barkley; Bertrand Traore, Jack Grealish, John McGinn; Ollie Watkins.

MANCHESTER CITY SUBS: Riyad Mahrez, Fernandinho, Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ferran Torres, Eric Garcia, Adrian Bernabe, Zack Steffen, Benjamin Mendy.

MANCHESTER CITY STARTING XI (4-3-3): Ederson; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo; Kevin De Bruyne, Rodrigo, Ilkay Gundogan; Bernardo Silva, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden.

City have the chance to go top of the league with a win today and are on a 15-match unbeaten run in all competitions (W12 D3), winning the last eight on the bounce. As for Villa, this is their first Premier League game since New Year's Day after a coronavirus outbreak at the club meant their fixtures against Tottenham and Everton were postponed. They've lost just one of their previous six league games (W3 D2), but that came in a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United last time out.

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Premier League meeting between Manchester City and Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium!

Iheanacho can’t replace Vardy at Leicester City – Heskey

With the 34-year-old nearing the twilight of his career, the former Foxes star has urged the club to start looking for the forward’s replacement

Former Leicester City forward Emile Heskey believes Kelechi Iheanacho is not the right man to replace Jamie Vardy as the club’s first-choice attacker.

Vardy, 34, is nearing the end of his illustrious career and has been a key member of the Foxes squad since teaming up with the side in 2012.

The forward has scored more than 120 goals for the King Power Stadium outfit, including his 23 strikes last season which saw him win the Premier League top-scorer award.

Iheanacho, on his part, has struggled to fully establish himself with the Foxes since joining the club from Manchester City in the summer of 2017.

The Nigeria international has only scored nine Premier League goals in 81 appearances for the Foxes and in the current campaign, he is yet to open his account in the division.

Heskey has advised the Foxes to look elsewhere for Vardy's replacement as Iheanacho would struggle to fill the void of the 34-year-old if he leaves the club.

"When Vardy doesn't play you see a difference in the way they play and effectiveness of them going forward," Heskey told Premier League Productions.

"They haven't quite found someone who could actually fill that gap and this is what they are going to be looking at. Can Iheanacho be that next player? I can't see it so they have to go and get someone else.

"I don't know if there are any youth players that can actually take up that mantle now and play them in certain games so they have to go and look out for a new Jamie Vardy".

Iheanacho will hope to get some minutes under his belt when Leicester City take on Brentford in a FA Cup tie on January 24.

The Super Eagles forward has featured in 18 games this season for the King Power Stadium outfit and has three goals and four assists to his name across all competitions.

Leicester climbed to the top of the league table following their victory over Chelsea on Tuesday, where Iheanacho’s compatriot Wilfred Ndidi scored his first league goal of the season.

Notwithstanding his inconsistency at Leicester, Iheanacho remains a key member of the Nigeria national team.

The forward recently helped the Super Eagles move closer to qualifying for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations with his performances against Sierra Leone in November.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Original author: Gbenga Adewoye

Uganda have players to win Afcon U20 – Express FC’s Bbosa

The Hippos are set to start training in Lugogo on Thursday after a provisional squad of 38 players was picked

Express FC defender Richard Bbosa has said Uganda have the right players to win the African Cup of Nations U20 trophy in Mauritania.

Bbosa is among the 38 players who were selected by Morley Byekwaso on Wednesday to start preparations for the tournament, and he has affirmed he believes that they can win the competition.

“As a player, I am glad that the head coach [Morley Byekwaso] has trusted me again by summoning me and to be honest I am ready to create impact,” Bbosa told the club’s portal.

“But as a team, we all promised each other that we must win the title and I am sure we have the right players to do it. I know we’re going to face well-prepared teams but we’re more focused and determined.”

The Hippos will feature in the February-March tournament after winning the Cecafa U20 competition which doubled as the region’s Afcon qualifiers.

Bbosa played a critical role for the national side as they fought to qualify for the tournament in Tanzania and eventually earning a first-ever slot in the continental bonanza.

Kitaka Samuel Moses of Loughborough University and Odokonyero Nathan of Lincoln City are the new faces Byekwaso picked in a team that saw Premier League rivals KCCA FC and Vipers SC dominate.

Both Bobosi Byaruhanga and Abdul Aziizi Kayondo were included although they are currently in Cameroon with the senior national side engaging in the African Nations Championship.

Fufa stated the training would officially start on Thursday at the Omondi Stadium in Lugogo as the junior side will reside at Kisasi for the duration which the training will last.

Full Uganda Squad:

Goalkeepers: Komakech Jack (Ascent SA), Kiberu Ronald (Synergy FC), Oyo Delton (Busoga United FC), Ssenyondwa Denis Kaala (SC Villa), Ochama Daniel (Boro Boro SuperSport FC), Kato Peter (Super Cubs FC)

Defenders: Kizito Mugweri Gavin (SC Villa), Semakula Kenneth (Busoga United FC), Kayondo Abdu Aziizi (Vipers SC), Musa Ramathan (KCCA FC) Kafumbe Joseph (KCCA FC), Kitabalwa Robert (Vipers SC), Begisa James Penz (UPDF FC), Baligeya Simon (Kibuli SS), Bbosa Richard (Express FC).

Midfielders: Mugulusi Isma (Busoga United FC), Yiga Najib (Vipers SC), Sserwadda Steven (KCCA FC), Byaruhanga Bobosi (Vipers SC), Lutalo Umar (Aspire Academy), Alou John Kokas (URA FC), Okur Swamadu (Kataka FC), Eyamu Ivan (Mbarara City FC), Kawooya Andrew (KCCA FC), Asaba Ivan (Vipers SC), Ssekajja Davis (Bright Stars FC), Wabyoona Faisal (Big Talent SA).

Forwards: Bogere Ivan (Proline FC), Ssenyonjo Samuel (KCCA FC), Kakooza Derrick (PoliceFC), Basangwa Richard (Vipers SC), Odokonyero Nathan (Lincoln City FC U18-UK), Kitaka Samuel Moses (Loughborough University-UK), Bukenya Joseph Kizza (KCCA FC), Onyai Raymond (Mbarara City FC), Mulindi Ashiraf (Kataka FC), Mukisa Emmanuel (Kataka FC), Ssali Alpha Thierry (Proline FC).

Original author: Kiplagat Sang

Bengaluru's Naushad Moosa - Expected referee to stop the game after Gurpreet went down

The Blues boss suggested that his team was unlucky not to score another goal despite creating many chances...

Bengaluru's poor run of form continued as they suffered yet another defeat in the Indian Super League (ISL). They went down 2-1 to their rivals Kerala Blasters on Wednesday.

The Blues had taken the lead in the first half but Puitea's equaliser in the 73rd-minute brought Kerala back into the game. Bengaluru had raised concern in the manner in which Puitea had equalised as when he scored the goal, goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was lying on the ground after Gary Hooper's shot from point-blank range hit him on the chest.

Coach Naushad Moosa said that they expected the referee to stop the play after Gurpreet had gone down but also mentioned that his defenders should have cleared the ball.

"If we see the goals that we conceded, first of all, Gurpreet was down during the first goal and we were expecting that the referee would stop the game," said Moosa. "But again my defence should have cleared the ball. But I am happy with the way they played. They were really compact and did what I told them to do."

The Blues boss also suggested that his team could have sealed the game in the first half itself as they created a lot of goal scoring chances.

"We could have scored more goals in the first half, we created a lot of scoring opportunities. In the second half as well, the ball hit the post. Leon came on and could have scored. Towards the end, we were not lucky enough. But the boys are really trying and creating scoring opportunities."

Bengaluru's winless run extended to six matches after the Kerala Blasters tie and their coach suggested that his team his trying their best to win matches but they are just not able to bury the chances they are creating.

"We were not sitting back. We were attacking, we were keeping the ball around and we wanted to score more goals. Unfortunately, we couldn't score. We are trying our best, it is not that we are giving away games, it is just that we are not being lucky in getting the goals."

Original author: Ritabrata Banerjee

Simba SC should have signed defender instead of Chikwende - Hussein

The assistant coach reveals why he thinks the Wekundu wa Msimbazi made a huge mistake to sign the forward from Platinum
Original author: Dennis Mabuka

Chan 2021: Uganda skipper Lwaliwa set to return against Togo – McKinstry

The Cranes tactician reveals his skipper will be available to play their second match against the Sparrowhawks

Uganda coach Johnathan McKinstry has stated captain Halid Lwaliwa will be available to face Togo in their second match of the African Nations Championship in Cameroon.

The Cranes started the competition with a 0-0 draw against East African neighbours Rwanda in a Group C match played on Monday.

The 24-year-old defender, who turns out for Ugandan Premier League giants Vipers SC, missed the clash against Rwanda owing to injury, with coach McKinstry opting to start Paul Patrick Mbowa and Musitafa Mujjuzi, who captained the team.

The Northern Irish tactician is now hopeful Lwaliwa will be ready to face Togo on Friday, in a match Uganda must win to keep up their hopes of doing well in the competition.

“Halid [Lwaliwa] missed out through a small injury,” McKinstry said as quoted by Kawowo Sports. “He had a little strain on his hamstring a couple of days before the match.

“It was a small thing but we did not want to rush him. The decision we arrived at with the medical team together with the player was he misses the first game and be ready for the remaining games.

“We are hopeful in the upcoming games he will be ready. We are speaking to the doctors and he will be taking part in today’s [Wednesday] training session.”

In an earlier interview, McKinstry told Goal he was assured of getting a win against Togo if his players regain their confidence.

“We have got a big game in three days’ time now against Togo and it is a big game for them as well because obviously having lost to Morocco in their opening game, they will be hungry for points, so we got to put the players back together and make sure we have many people back to full fitness as possible,” McKinstry told Goal.

On whether the team picked up injuries from the match against Rwanda, McKinstry said: “Obviously our doctors will have to access Milton [Karisa], who pulled up with an injury after 12 minutes, we have to access his situation tomorrow [Tuesday], and see if he will be available for the next game.

“But it is all about putting the players back together, getting back to the training field, and really it is a case of removing the fear from the players because we know if they pass the ball.

“We know if they move it and play that one or two touch football and get it into our midfielders and get it into the feet of our wide forwards, we can be really effective but we didn’t do that enough today [Monday] and so we need to build on that and make sure the next two games we play that passing moving brand of football that can bring us success.”

Defending champions Morocco are topping the group with three points after their 1-0 win over Togo on Monday.

Original author: Dennis Mabuka

Chan 2021: Zambia far from playing their best despite Tanzania win - Sredojevic

The Chipolopolo are second in Group D after seeing off the Taifa Stars and will face Syli National in the second game

Coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic has claimed Zambia are far from playing at their best despite a 2-0 opening victory in their African Nations Championship against Tanzania on Tuesday in Limbe.

Collins Sikombe and Emmanuel Chabula scored the goals that gave Chipolopolo the opening win in Group D but the coach said although the match was good, his side is yet to play at their best level.

“No team wins the trophy after just winning the first game in the tournament. We have played against a good team [Tanzania] that put us under a lot of pressure especially in the first half,” the former SC Villa and Orlando Pirates coach was quoted by Caf Online after the game.

“Winning the opening match is a good step, but we are still far from playing our best.”

Tanzania’s Etienne Ndayiragije said the encounter was balanced and that his side was defeated because Chipolopolo were clinical with their chances.

“The game was basically a 50/50 and our opponents Zambia managed to capitalise and take their chances,” the Taifa Stars coach said in his post-match press conference.

“The two teams played good football and the fans enjoyed what they saw. We need to keep working hard because we still have two games to play in the group and we have a chance.”

The second Group D game for Zambia will be against Guinea who saw off Namibia 3-0 to go top of the group.

Although the West Africans looked solid against the Brave Warriors, head coach Mohamed Kanfory Bangoura said they must take every game seriously.

“I am very delighted with the 3-0 win in our first match. We must treat every game with a lot of seriousness because every team that is here is strong,” Kanfory said.

“Although we beat Namibia, we did not underrate them from the start, but only selected a team that reacted well to win the game."

As Guinea will face the former African champions, Tanzania’s game against Namibia is expected to be an epic one as both sides would fight for survival and desperately need points to stay in contention for a spot in the knock-out stage.

The Taifa Stars are the only Eastern African side to have lost in the tournament after Uganda and Rwanda fought to a 0-0 draw.

Original author: Kiplagat Sang

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