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North Carolina Courage have announced the signing of Ghana international Elizabeth Addo, on a one-year deal, with an option of a 12-month extension.

The 27-year-old, who enjoyed a spell at American outfit Seattle Reign before heading to China in 2018, joins the club following the expiration of her three-month contract with Apollon Limassol.

The midfielder featured in the Women's Champions League for the third time in her career during her short spell at the Cypriot champions after past stints with Spartak Subotica and Ferencvaros.

On her season-long spell at Reign, the Black Queens captain got 13 appearances at the Cheney Stadium before joining former African teammate Tabitha Chawinga at Chinese side Jiangsu Suning.

Following her unveiling on Monday, NC Courage coach Paul Riley explained the move behind the acquisition of the Ghanaian star.

“Elizabeth is skilful, clever, and has the pace to burn,” Riley told the club website. 

“She has the game-changing ability and has NWSL experience already which is important for her in adapting to our style of play. 

"Her good soccer mind and fabulous feet make her a handful for opponents. She will revel in the challenges of our training environment and the fans will have another individual talent to admire.”

The midfielder, who has 25 caps for Ghana, is the club's latest winter signing, following the arrival of United States trio of Rylee Baisden, Taylor Smith and Casey Murphy.

Having joined the two-time NWSL Champions, Addo will be eager to impress in the colours of Blue and Black ladies following her remarkable successes in China, Cyprus and Sweden. 

David Alaba's father has addressed reports linking the exit-bound Bayern Munich defender with Real Madrid.

Alaba has been tipped to close the book on his 12-year career at Bayern at the end of the season.

The German champions tabled a fresh contract offer for the 28-year-old early in the campaign, but he refused to compromise in negotiations with regards to an increased salary.

Goal has reported that Madrid have already tried to capitalise on the uncertainty surrounding Alaba's future by offering him terms at Santiago Bernabeu.

However, the Austria international's agent Pini Zahavi has reportedly made it clear that his client will only join the Blancos if they agree to make him the club's highest earner ahead of Sergio Ramos, who currently takes home an annual sum of €12 million ($15m/£11m).

Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United have also been credited with an interest in Alaba in recent months, but it has been suggested that the Bayern star would prefer a move to Spain.

Madrid continues to be touted as the most likely next destination for Alaba, who is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with any potential suitors now that the January transfer window is open.

However, George Alaba claims that his son has yet to make a final decision, with a possible switch to Madrid one of several options currently available to him.

The Bayern talisman's father told Sport 1: "A decision has not yet been made and David has not yet signed with Real. Besides Real, there are other clubs that are interested in him.

"For him what counts is that he wants to concentrate fully on Bayern and his performance."

While some club officials are resigned to losing Alaba later in the year, head coach Hansi Flick still believes there is a chance he could commit to fresh terms at Allianz Arena.

“He is very important to us, on and off the pitch. He is very popular and supports young players," Flick told Sky Germany after Bayern's 5-2 win against Mainz on January 3.

Alaba will be back in contention for a place in the Bayern starting XI when they take in a trip to Augsburg in the Bundesliga on Wednesday night. 

Jurgen Klopp has lauded the qualities of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson and talked up the value that a fully fit Xherdan Shaqiri could off the Reds during their Premier League title defence.

Injury setbacks have become alarmingly common at Anfield this season, with key men forced onto the treatment table at regular intervals.

Defensive options have been decimated by untimely knocks, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all stuck on the sidelines.

Klopp has had to get creative in his team selections as a result, but one constant over recent weeks has been Brazil international Alisson.

He has also sat out six games in 2020-21, with hip and shoulder complaints, but has remained a reliable option for the Reds when able to line up between the sticks.

His latest outing saw another clean sheet added to a remarkable collection of shutouts, with the South American’s reflexes helping to deny Manchester United in a goalless draw on Merseyside.

Klopp has told Liverpool’s official website of the stalemate with the Red Devils and the role his No.1 played in that: “It isn't the first time and won't be the last when if you don't use your early chances, it won't become easier in the game.

“They had two really big chances where we needed Ali. My god, what a goalie he is. Not a lot to do but then 'bam' 'bam' twice, it's really great.

“We had a really big one with Bobby [Firmino], I don't know exactly how that happened, how the ball did not go in.

“That is the situation at the moment. We just have to keep working and keep believing. We don't score enough goals at the moment.”

Having gone three games without troubling the scorers, Liverpool are looking to mix things up in their search for an attacking spark.

Swiss playmaker Shaqiri was handed a first Premier League start in 13 months against United, with Klopp confident that the 29-year-old can play an important role now that he is over his fitness issues.

The Reds boss added: “Shaq is in a really good shape. Maybe he could have played a little bit longer but I was not sure.

“It had been a long time without playing [from the start] but he was really good, especially in the first half-an-hour. Shaq was really there and helped massively.

“There were a lot of really good individual performances. If you think of the last two games, this was a massive improvement and that's important. It was much more us if not completely us.”

Liverpool will be back in action on Thursday when they take on Burnley, with Klopp’s side looking to snap their way out of a four-match winless run in the English top-flight.

AC Milan have completed the signing of former Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic on a contract until the end of the season.

Mandzukic has been available on a free transfer since leaving Qatari side Al-Duhail last July and his deal with Milan contains the option for a further year.

The 34-year-old will add even greater experience to Milan’s attack, which is being spearheaded by the evergreen, and in-form, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Why does the Mandzukic signing matter?

In joining Stefano Pioli’s side, Mandzukic will bring his vast experience to a team chasing a first Serie A title since 2011.

Mandzukic won the Scudetto four times during his spell with Juventus, while he also won the Bundesliga twice and the Champions League when he was at Bayern Munich.

Given Ibrahimovic has only just returned from injury, scoring twice on his return in Monday’s win over Cagliari, the presence of Mandzukic will provide Pioli with the opportunity to rotate his starting XI.

When will Mandzukic make his AC Milan debut?

Though it was July 2020 when Mandzukic left Al-Duhail, the Croatian has not played a competitive match since March last year, so Pioli will have a decision to make on whether to bring him straight into his plans.

Milan, who are three points clear of Inter at the top of Serie A, will face Atalanta in the league on Saturday before a Coppa Italia meeting with their city rivals on January 26. Mandzukic could be in the squad for both of those games.

What shirt number will Mandzukic wear?

Mandzukic will wear the No.9 shirt for Milan and will have to carry the burden that comes with it.

A vast array of strikers have struggled to make an impact wearing that shirt since Filippo Inzaghi scored goals for fun. The likes of Alexandre Pato, Mattia Destro, Andre Silva, Fernando Torres and Gonzalo Higuain have all failed to sparkle in the No.9 shirt.

What has been said?

Speaking after scoring both goals against Cagliari on Monday, Ibrahimovic said he was thrilled to see the club agree a deal for Mandzukic.

"I am very happy," the Swedish striker told Sky. "There will be two of us to scare the opponents now!"

Further reading

Thiago Alcantara doesn't play the Liverpool way, according to Dietmar Hamann, who has advised Jurgen Klopp to be "very cautious" with the £20 million ($27m) midfielder.

Liverpool snapped up Thiago on a four-year contract from Bayern Munich in September, in a deal which was seen as a major coup for the newly-crowned Premier League champions.

The two-time Champions League winner played a key role in Bayern's run to the treble last season, but chose to take up a new challenge at Anfield instead of signing an extension at Allianz Arena.

However, the 29-year-old's first few months on Merseyside haven't gone as smoothly as he would have hoped, with a bout of coronavirus and a serious knee injury limiting his contribution.

Thiago finally managed to return to fitness at the end of December, and has started Liverpool's last two Premier League matches, including a 0-0 draw against Manchester United on Sunday.

Despite the former Bayern star showing flashes of his quality in that game, Hamann does not think the Spaniard's style suits Klopp's current set-up and is concerned that the German head coach will have to alter a winning formula to accommodate him.

"He slows things down and doesn't really play the way Liverpool play," The ex-Liverpool midfielder told talkSPORT.

"Liverpool in the past have had hard-working midfielders, they were not as skilful as Thiago, but they gave the ball to [Sadio] Mane and [Mohamed] Salah early. 

"If you get the ball early on the wing, and these guys can run at players they are very hard to stop.

"I just feel with Thiago, everyone was raving about him coming to Liverpool, he's hardly played. He came on against Chelsea and had the most passes in the second half, against a Chelsea team that was down to 10 men.

"He came on against Newcastle in the last 25 minutes, Newcastle were dead on their feet, everyone was raving about how good he is.

"I can tell you, he's a good player, a skilful player. But there was never a time in Munich where people said, 'oh he's the first on the teamsheet'. So I'd be very cautious when it comes to Thiago.

"And the other thing is, as other people alluded to earlier, he plays a different style of football. He likes to be in possession. 

"Liverpool were always good when they weren't in possession, won it and played quickly forward. 

"He's not that type of player, so it will be very interesting when he does play more often now how it's going to change the dynamics of the team."

Harry Maguire has become a “top, top centre-half” for Manchester United and Luke Shaw is now the “first choice at left-back for England”, says Luke Chadwick.

The Red Devils have seen questions asked of their defensive unit in recent times after big money was invested in that part of the field, but value in those deals has taken a while to find.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is now delivering the kind of consistency at Old Trafford that has been missing for several years, with a Premier League title challenge being built on solid foundations.

United kept another clean sheet in their latest outing, as they shut out defending champions Liverpool at Anfield, and continue to top the table as a result.

Maguire and Shaw put in commanding performances against the Reds, with two international operators keeping Mohamed Salah and Co quiet.

Chadwick was impressed by the England duo, with Maguire justifying United’s record-breaking £80 million ($109m) show of faith while Shaw nails down a position that has been a problem in the past.

“Since the more defensive players have come into midfield (Fred and Scott McTominay), it’s given the defence more protection,” former Red Devils winger Chadwick told CaughtOffside.

“Harry Maguire has been brilliant for the last month or so, he’s looking like a top, top centre-half. [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka, we all know about his qualities as a defender.

“But I thought the pick of the bunch was Luke Shaw [against Liverpool]. He’s had good games against Mohamed Salah in the past as a wide centre-back in a back three, but as a full-back he dealt with him fantastically well and showed great energy getting up the pitch.

“He’s looking like the player we all wanted him to be when he had such a bright start at Southampton.

“I think a lot of that is down to the fact that he’s stayed fit, he’s had his injury problems but now he’s just showing the player he is and there’s every chance he can become first choice at left-back for England in the summer.”

Shaw has credited added competition for places at Old Trafford with bringing out his best this season, with the 25-year-old battling with Alex Telles for United’s left-back berth.

Sammy Ameobi has expressed his delight after Nottingham Forest extended their Championship unbeaten run against Millwall on Saturday.

The 28-year-old winger ended his goal drought against the Den, scoring twice to inspire the Reds to a 3-1 victory at City Ground.

The win helped Forest extend their unbeaten streak to seven games, having last suffered defeat against Brentford in December.

The Nigerian forward is impressed with the form of his side and hopes they can continue with these performances this season.

“It was a good win and keeps our momentum going for the team. Everyone works so hard so a strong game everybody and we’re really happy so hopefully, we can continue,” Ameobi told the club website.

“It has been difficult when you aren’t picking up points but we’ve really bounced back and shown the character of the squad.

“We’ve learned to work and obviously things in training are working out because it’s working on the pitch so hopefully that can continue.

“It was a real battle out there. We know what Millwall are all about; a strong-working team, very aggressive so we have to match that first and foremost.

“We can see that and once we did that our quality shone through. We got on the ball and started playing and that’s what we want to do. Not just play long balls, play football and I think we saw the best of it.”

Ameobi, who played from the right-wing against Millwall, is impressed with his contribution in the encounter and revealed how his fine combination with his teammates led to his goals.

“I really enjoy playing on the right. I like to shoot and most of the time it doesn’t come off but when it does it’s sweet so really happy with the contribution today from the team,” he continued.

“It was a great counter-attack from Brice [Samba] and it was a strong gallop up the pitch. A perfect lay-off from Alex Mighten so credit to everybody but really happy with the goal.”

Ameobi has now scored three goals in 25 appearances across all competitions this season for Nottingham Forest.

The forward will hope to continue his eye-catching display when the Reds take on Middlesbrough in their next league game on Wednesday.

Nottingham Forest are currently 19th on the Championship table after gathering 25 points from 24 games.

Bengaluru FC have been on a winless run of eight games in all competitions (D4, L4) once before. But that was way back in the 2016-17 season. 

Since joining the Indian Super League (ISL) bandwagon in 2017, Bengaluru went on to win the competition in just their second season after a runners-up finish in their debut run wherein they won the Super Cup.

But this is the first since then that they have been on a five-game winless run (D1, L4). 

"This is not what we're used to. So it's not easy for any of us. The only thing is, we have to be positive and work the way we are," Interim coach Naushad Moosa remarked.

Bengaluru are currently seventh on the table with 13 points from 11 games and face Kerala Blasters on Wednesday. Moosa is adamant that Bengaluru still have a chance to get into the play-off race. 

"We have not given up and we would like to get three important points against Kerala. We have nine more games. So let's hope that we do better and get some points which would really help us. If you see the table, only number one and two are very close. So things are still open and we don't want to give up."

The JSW-owned side had picked a 4-2 win over Kerala in their last meeting but former Air India coach feels that their opponents have since revived themselves. Kerala have picked two wins in their last five games.

"I don't want to think about the last game (against Kerala) that we won. We don't want the players to be relaxed. The way they (Kerala) are playing, they are more motivated and attacking now. So we have to be careful about it and we need to look for those small mistakes that we could capitalise on and work on it. It won't be an easy match for sure since they are high on confidence now.

"There is a lot of positivity in the [Bengaluru] camp now. We got five-six days for training which we didn't get for the last two matches. We worked on the things that were not going our way and hopefully we can have a better game tomorrow," he stated.

Bengaluru are short of personnel at the moment after Dimas Delgado left for Spain due to personal reasons. It is uncertain when he will be back for the team but Moosa feels a new signing is unlikely.

"With the quarantine rules, it will be difficult for him to come back to the team. So right now we're not thinking much about that but how we are going to move forward from there. Who will be the best player to fit in his position and try to make things work. I cannot just sit back and say that we don't have Dimas, we don't have Ashique. We have players who are professionals and they have to do their duties.

"Right now, with this Covid situation, it's difficult to get a new player and you don't have enough time in between games. So getting a new player, getting his visa arranged and the quarantine, by the time the matches will be over," he mentioned.

Meanwhile, new singing Xisco Hernandez has arrived in the country on Monday and will join the squad after a mandatory quarantine period of two weeks. Moosa also explained the club's decision to let Deshorn Brown leave on loan to NorthEast United for the rest of the season.

"When you talk about Brown, as a club we want to help the player. Now if you see Ajay (Chhetri), he is getting playing opportunities with East Bengal. Brown was not getting enough playing time (at Bengaluru). So for his development, we should allow him to go and play [elsewhere]. We thought we should help him get more playing time," he said.

Mason Mount has revealed the identities of Chelsea's biggest pranksters, while also naming the main colleague that he looks up to as a role model.

Mount has enjoyed a rapid ascent to stardom since returning to Chelsea from a successful loan spell at Derby County in the summer of 2019.

Frank Lampard made his way back to Stamford Bridge from Pride Park alongside the midfielder, having been appointed as Maurizio Sarri's replacement in the Blues' dugout.

The 42-year-old head coach put his faith in Mount and a number of other academy stars amid a FIFA-imposed transfer ban, and ended up guiding them to a fourth-place Premier League finish in 2019-20.

Mount has kicked on from there in the first half of Chelsea's latest campaign, contributing three goals and six assists in 25 appearances in all competitions, with his latest strike sealing a 1-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday.

The England international has held on to his place in Lampard's starting XI despite an influx of summer signings, and is now a key member of the dressing room at Stamford Bridge.

Mount says fellow countryman Ben Chilwell, who joined him in west London from Leicester City in August, has also quickly integrated himself at Chelsea due to his mischievous nature.

The 22-year-old also says Jorginho has a penchant for winding his team-mates up behind the scenes, with the Italian's painful go-to practical joke centring around heated studs.

Asked if Chilwell is the biggest joker in the Blues squad, Mount told the UMM Youtube channel : "Yes, he is up there. He recently joined. Jorginho definitely, he is always playing pranks. 

"We warm our boots up in like a microwave, like a boot microwave. And because he wears studs, obviously they are metal, so they get so hot. 

"So he will always just walk around with them in his hand and just tap it on your skin. He will get you in the back of the leg or something."

Mount also praised 34-year-old striker Olivier Giroud for his influence at Chelsea, admitting the Frenchman has been a source of inspiration at the beginning of his own career.

"Obviously he has played at the top of the game for a long time and all of us younger boys have learnt a lot off him - speaking to a World Cup winner," he said.

Asked if Giroud has ever brought his World Cup winners' medal to the training ground, Mount responded: "I think when he won it. 

"I wasn't there at the time but I think he brought it into training when he got back. 

"But his phone case has like world champions, and a little France flag and everything. He has a phone case like that, so I see it all the time."

Mount and Co will all be back in action when Chelsea take in a trip to high-flying Leicester City on Tuesday night.

Timo Werner remains “one of the best strikers in Europe” and his struggles at Chelsea can be explained by the Blues often using him in the wrong position, says Ralph Hasenhuttl.

Frank Lampard invested heavily on another proven frontman during the summer transfer window of 2020.

Amid rival interest from clubs across the continent, those at Stamford Bridge moved quickly to put a £47.5 million ($65m) deal in place with RB Leipzig.

Given how prolific Werner had been in his homeland, the 24-year-old was expected to hit the ground running in England.

He started positively enough, reaching eight goals by early November, but the target has been found just once through his last 14 appearances – and that solitary strike came in an FA Cup win over League Two side Morecambe.

Lampard has continued to back Werner throughout his wobble, as comparisons are made to big-money flops of the past, but Hasenhuttl believes the Blues need to start using a potential attacking weapon in his favoured role on a regular basis.

The current Southampton coach, who worked with Werner at Leipzig, told reporters: “I know Timo very well and I have seen him in situations where he was not good.

“Most of the time when I have seen this is because of the reason that the game doesn’t fit to him. The team didn’t play in a way where he can bring his best on the pitch, I think.

“He is definitely a player where you have to adapt your game to him. If you do this, he will give you everything you need from a striker.

“But, therefore, he has some qualities you really have to focus on.

"The good thing for him, I think at Leipzig when I was there, is we concentrated completely on his qualities. Our quick transitions after winning the ball, it was perfect for our game.

“Also, when he was with Julian [Nagelsmann], he was also scoring a lot of goals.”

Hasenhuttl added, with Werner having been asked to fill a wide role for Chelsea at times this season: “You really need to bring him into his best position so he can bring his strength on the pitch. For me, he is one of the best strikers in Europe.”

Lampard’s expensively-assembled squad, that has slipped off the Premier League title pace of late, will be back in action on Tuesday when they take in a trip to Leicester.

Ulinzi Stars coach Benjamin Nyangweso has admitted he will have to be involved in the transfer window when it opens so that he can help revive the team’s fortunes in the FKF Premier League.

The Soldiers have struggled to win matches since the season kicked off and have only managed one win from seven matches with five of them ending in draws.

The team’s latest fixture ended in a 1-1 draw against Nairobi City Stars and Nyangweso now believes he will have to strengthen the team’s attacking area when the transfer window opens.

“We will try and get players to boost our attack in the transfer window,” Nyangweso told the club’s social media pages. “We have looked at some, and we are still looking but then the dynamics of the transfer window mean sometimes you can’t get the players you want.”

On why the team is struggling to score goals especially in the match against the promoted side, Nyangweso said: “We played well like we always do. This time we managed to score but still, it ended in a draw.

“It is a bit disappointing but we are still going to give our all when we step out there on the pitch. We are still a work in progress and we will not give up; we will keep training and working hard on the attack.

“In the City Stars game, we made changes but still, unfortunately, we couldn’t get three points. I will still give the players a pat on the back for their performance because we managed to create good chances.”

On Monday, Football Kenya Federation confirmed in a signed statement obtained by Goal the mid-season transfer window will open on January 25.

“FKF wishes to notify all the [Kenya] Premier League clubs and other stakeholders the Second Player registration period [Transfer Window] for the league shall officially open on Monday, January 25, 2021, and shall run through to Monday, March 1, 2021,” read the statement sent to all the clubs

“The International Transfer window will open on the midnight of Monday, January 25, 2021, and close on Monday, February 22, 2021, at 2359hrs.

“Meanwhile, the domestic transfer window will officially open on Monday, February 1, 2021, at midnight and shall close on Monday, March 1, 2021 at 1700hrs.”

The Kenyan league started late owing to the coronavirus pandemic and so far seven rounds of matches have been played, with KCB still leading the 18-team table despite losing their unbeaten run to AFC Leopards on Sunday.

Chan defending champions Morocco took control of Group C after a slim 1-0 win over Togo at Stade de la Réunification in Douala on Monday night.

Yahya Jabrane scored the lone goal to hand the Atlas Lions maximum points in the biennial competition held in Cameroon.

North African heavyweights came into the match against the Sparrowhawks hoping to have an easier tie, but they could not beat their organized opponents especially in the defence.

After 27 minutes of hard work, their zeal finally paid dividends. A foul was committed in the danger zone giving Jabrane a chance to score his team's first goal of the tournament. 

Abdoul-Moubarak Aigba saved the initial spot-kick but the referee ruled the custodian had moved before the penalty was taken, giving the Morocco forward a chance to retake it, and this time around, he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.

Neither of the teams managed to get another goal despite a host of chances created especially in the last quarter of the game.

In the second match played at the same venue, Rwanda put up an impressive fight to hold Uganda to a goalless draw.

The two East African nations were meeting in the competition for the first time, but despite the many chances created, none managed to get the ball in the back of the net.

In the sixth minute, Rwanda had the first chance when the defenders let loose APR forward Jacques Tuyisenge just outside the 18-yard area. The skipper took a shot but Charles Lukwago was not troubled.

Amavubi settled earlier and their passes and patterns looked to trouble their opponents who looked to rely on counter-attacks earlier on.

It was Amavubi who came closest in the 30th minute. Muhadjiri Hakizimana picked a good ball about 30 yards from the goal and with the defenders reluctant to shut him down, he unleashed a rocket which came off the crossbar with Lukwago well beaten. 

Rwanda, again, hit the woodwork in the 40th minute courtesy of Tuyisenge.

The second half saw fewer chances as both teams, seemingly, were content with a draw.

Morocco lead Group C with three points followed by Cranes and Amavubi who are on a point each. Togo are at the bottom with no point.   

On Tuesday, Zambia will play Tanzania in Group D while Guinea will entertain Namibia.
 

Georginio Wijnaldum will view a move to Barcelona as a “dream”, says Danny Murphy, with the Liverpool midfielder looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow Dutchmen Johan Cruyff and Ronald Koeman at Camp Nou.

A summer switch to Catalunya appears to be on the cards for the Netherlands international midfielder.

Barca, with Koeman at the helm, have made no secret of their interest in the 30-year-old Premier League title winner.

Transfer options were explored in the summer of 2020, but no deal was done then and the Liga giants are having to play a waiting game.

Patience could eventually work in their favour, with Wijnaldum running down his contract at Anfield towards free agency.

Liverpool had been keen to put fresh terms in place with an important part of Jurgen Klopp’s plans, but those efforts have come to nothing.

Murphy believes that is because Wijnaldum has already taken the decision to head for Barca.

The former Liverpool midfielder told talkSPORT: “I understand it more, away from growing up as a Liverpool fan and Liverpool player in this kind of bubble where you’d think, ‘why would he want to leave Liverpool? They won the Premier League and Champions League etc’.

“He’s 30 years old, the manager of Barcelona was his national team manager, who he gets on with really, really well.

“We don’t know his aspirations and dreams as a young player.”

Murphy added on Wijnaldum’s desire to become the latest Dutch maestro at Camp Nou: “In Holland, for example, there are a lot of players who looked up to the likes of Johan Cruyff, Koeman, people like that.

“Maybe Barcelona is a dream [Wijnaldum] has always had. Maybe he feels at Liverpool with some of the signings, that he’s being a little bit edged out.

“That hasn’t shown in terms of selection, as he always seems to be in Klopp’s best team.

“I think he’s done a terrific job for Liverpool, and if he was to leave Liverpool fans would be very appreciative and thankful of the job he’s done in a Liverpool shirt rather than being critical of him for leaving.”

Liverpool signed Wijnaldum from Newcastle in 2016 and have seen him take in 211 appearances while helping them to Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and Premier League crowns.

In his pomp, Azman was one of the most feared strikers in the region and with him in the side, Malaysia were able to achieve a historic high of 75th spot in the FIFA rankings back in 1993.

Over the years since, there has been a gradual degradation with the quality of the national team that has seen the Harimau Malaya slipped all the way down to 178th spot.

Yet, Azman firmly believes that the current crop are on the right track having progressed to the final of the AFF Championship back in 2018 and are in a great position in the World Cup qualification campaign.

Speaking to Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), Azman took the opportunity to offer a rebuttal to Kelantan FC owner Norizam Turkiman who slammed FAM for a poor national team standing in recent times.

"It is better not to divert the topic to another matter like the national team when the dispute is between two bodies or with the governing body.

"One only need to prove themselves by taking their team or club to be champions first and produce good players for Malaysia, in essence take care of things within your responsibilities.

"What is important is that over the last two to three years, the national team's ranking has gone up from 178 to 153 in a short period of time.

"All of which I believe is a satisfactory effort and if everyone pull in the same direction, we can rise up even further," said Azman to FAM.

Under Tan Cheng Hoe and with a good batch of players to choose from, Malaysia has proven that they can overome Southeast Asian superpower Thailand and even caused United Arab Emirates a big scare in recent matches.

With the majority of the core players at the right age bracket, there's reason to be optimistic over the national team again, far removed from the suggestion provided by Norizam.

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Manqoba Mngqithi says he would rather have been meeting a Bloemfontein Celtic side who are winning games.

Celtic have already beaten Sundowns this season - in the opening match of the 2020/21 campaign when the Free State side recorded a 1-0 victory over Masandawana in Pretoria in the MTN8 quarter-finals.

Of late though Phunya Sele Sele have struggled in the league and are winless in their last five matches, three of which have ended in draws.

However, a Celtic side which has battled with off-the-field financial issues over the past few seasons, have shown themselves to be a very resilient bunch and seem to thrive when the chips are down. That's Mngqithi's concern as Sundowns head into Tuesday evening's clash at the Lucas Moripe Stadium (5pm kick off)

“We know it won’t be easy. They haven’t been doing exceptionally well in recent times, but they are more dangerous when they are like this. Celtic are a hard-running team," the Downs co-coach said, as quoted by the Sowetan.

“You would want them to come at you when they have a little bit of momentum, but when they’ve been struggling they have a tendency of coming up against bigger teams and cause a problem.

"It’s a very tricky affair," the Brazilians' tactician added. "They are the ones that took us out of the MTN8. We know the quality they present in their tactical play. Their structure is a little bit awkward, so it will be a fight."

The Tshwane side head into the match on the back of a 0-0 draw against SuperSport United last Saturday. Sundowns remain unbeaten in the league this term, along with Swallows FC and Golden Arrows.

With 25 points from 11 matches, the defending league champions are above Swallows only on goal difference. The Birds host Chippa United on Wednesday evening in Dobsonville.

Erling Haaland would be a dream signing for Manchester United, says Luke Chadwick, with the Borussia Dortmund striker considered to possess the ability that would carry the Red Devils over a title-winning line.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has put his side in contention for a Premier League crown this season.

United lead the way through 18 games, but few expected them to be scaling such heights and they are still viewed by many as a work in progress.

There is considered to be much room for improvement at Old Trafford in the attacking department, with questions still being asked of Anthony Martial’s ability to be a 20-goal-a-season frontman.

Haaland has shown across his career to date that he slots seamlessly into that category, with the Norwegian remaining a prolific presence in German football.

Chadwick would love to see the exciting 20-year-old in Manchester, but admits that a deal is unlikely to be done any time soon despite transfer talk raging around a special talent.

The former Red Devils winger told CaughtOffside when asked to pick his dream addition for United: “If I could choose anyone it would be Haaland from Borussia Dortmund.

“I know Solskjaer’s got history with him, working with him before at Molde.

“If you look at the volume of goals he’s capable of scoring he’d be someone to take the club over the line and win the Premier League.

“But I think the chances of that happening this January are quite slim.”

Chadwick added on the need for Solskjaer to add more firepower to his ranks: “I think it’s hard to say (if Martial could be replaced) because obviously the manager rates him hugely.

“He always selects him in the big games, he had a fantastic spell, his best spell he’s ever had last season. He’s shown what he’s capable of.

“He does seem to have the weight of the world on his shoulders when things go against him and not quite the same work ethic as someone like Marcus Rashford has out of possession.

“Everyone’s been saying for years that he has incredible qualities, he’s got pace, he moves well with the ball, he can finish.

“To win the league you need a striker who’ll score 20-plus goals and at the moment it doesn’t seem like United have that.

“I think they need to go out and find a player to win them the league, whether that’s a striker or a wide player, someone to give them more of an X-factor and help them kick on.”

United, who drew a blank in their last outing against Liverpool, will be back in action on Wednesday when they take in a trip to Fulham.

Tanzania head coach Etienne Ndayiragije has stated his charges are ready to 'burn their energy' to stand a chance of getting a win against Zambia.

The two nations will be playing each other in Group D of the ongoing Chan tournament on Tuesday night. The Burundian has further revealed how his charges will approach the games in the biennial competition. 

"The main target in this tournament is that we want to play each game like a final," Ndayiragije said ahead of the game.

"Our target in the [Tuesday] game is to burn all our energy to try to reach and achieve what we know and believe."

The team provided an update on the services of captain John Raphael Bocco who is nursing an injury. Defender Erasto Nyoni has joined the team giving the former Azam FC tactician options ahead of the Chipolopolo date.

"We have Nyoni and [Selemani] Matola with us, they have already joined the team in preparation for the game on Tuesday against Zambia," TFF Communications Officer Clifford Dimbo told reporters.

"We are not sure about Bocco's involvement, he has not been training with the team. We will wait for the doctor's report before deciding whether he will be involved or not."

In an earlier interview, custodian Juma Kaseja explained their preparedness to face Zambia at Limbe Omnisport Stadium.  

The veteran keeper said they are determined to start the tournament on a winning note saying they have prepared well to take on the best in Africa.

"As the day to our first match approaches, the mentality of players is growing and we are all eager to feel the glimpse of playing in such a high profile football contest on the continent," the experienced goalkeeper said.

"I believe that we are better poised to begin the competition positively by winning our encounter against Zambia which will help us a lot to boost our confidence prior to the follow-up matches."

Kaseja also revealed his inspiration to the young players in the squad, insisting he has told them to feel proud of fighting for their country and take each game seriously.

"The competition is here and they need to prove to people that they can do it and I strongly trust in them to do the commendable job for our nation," Kaseja continued.

"We just need to give them full backing and always aim to win the first game which will surely provide the way forward as far as the entire contest is concerned."