Looking for Soccer News?

Dejan Kulusevski urged evergreen Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic to come out of retirement and play for Sweden at this year's rearranged Euro 2020.

Ibrahimovic has not represented Sweden in more than four years after retiring from international football following Euro 2016.

The 39-year-old forward – Sweden's all-time leading scorer with 62 goals in 116 appearances – has hinted he is ready to end his international retirement ahead of the European Championship as he continues to light up Serie A with Milan.

Sweden international and Juventus attacker Kulusevski talked up an Ibrahimovic comeback following Sunday's 3-1 win over 10-man Sassuolo.

"We write to each other. He is an idol for me, as hardly anyone in the world can do what he does," Kulusevski told Sky Sport Italia of Ibrahimovic, who has scored 10 league goals this season and 11 across all competitions for Serie A-leading Milan.

"When he speaks highly of me, it makes me work even harder the next day in training, because I am so proud.

"I really hope he returns for international duty with Sweden at the Euros. It would be wonderful for me and all of Sweden. Come on, Ibra!"

Juventus recorded their third consecutive league win for the first time since July after overcoming visiting Sassuolo in Turin.

Goals from Danilo, Aaron Ramsey and Cristiano Ronaldo kept fourth-placed Juve in touch with Milan, after Sassuolo's Pedro Obiang was sent off prior to half-time – the defending champions are seven points adrift.

Ronaldo completed the scoring at the death as the five-time Ballon d'Or winner made it 15-plus goals in 15 different seasons in the top five European leagues.

Juve also conceded a goal in a Serie A home game while playing with a numerical advantage for the first time since October 2013 against Milan after Gregoire Defrel cancelled out Danilo's 50th-minute opener 13 minutes into the second half.

Kulusevski came off the bench to replace the injured Paulo Dybala before the interval and he added: "I had just one thing in my mind when I came on, which was to win the game. I could've done much better, but I am glad we got the points.

"I see myself at Juventus for many years. I see myself closer to the goal, where I can do a quick one-two with my team-mates. I enjoyed where I played this evening."

The absence of Selangor FC's star striker Ifedayo Olusegun from the club's 2021 pre-season training has understandably unnerved many of their fans.

Meanwhile, rumours are rife that one reason behind the 2020 Malaysia Super League top-scorer's non-appearance is that he is in the midst of obtaining his Bahraini citizenship, so that he will turn out for the Red Giants as an Asian slot player beginning this season.

On Sunday morning, he expressed his desire to return to action with Selangor, tweeting a photo of the club's training ground.

But hours later, he gave a more definitive answer, to Goal. In an exchange of texts between us and the Nigerian-born striker on late Sunday night, he confirmed the Bahraini rumour.

"I should be back [with Selangor] soon as a few things had to be tidied up first. We’ve done that already now.

"I’ve had a Bahraini passport for three years now, so Selangor think it’s better for them to utilise me as an Asian player. All is set now," explained the 29-year old player.

While he is one of the best foreign strikers in Malaysia at the moment, Olusegun has also made a name for himself in Bahrain, having turned out for three separate clubs in the country; Malkiya, Al-Hidd and Al-Riffa, between 2012 and 2019.

Cristiano Ronaldo's latest strike for Juventus has further written the Portuguese into the sport's history books as he set another goal-scoring mark.

The veteran striker struck late in Serie A to add some gloss to the Bianconeri's 3-1 victory over Sassuolo, helping Andrea Pirlo's side to close the gap on leaders Milan in their pursuit of another Scudetto crown.

Juventus saw Weston McKennie and Paulo Dybala forced out due to injury, but the Serie A champions were able to take the lead through a Danilo strike.

Gregoire Defrel provided the equalizer for 10-man Sassuolo, who were up against it after seeing Pedro Obiang sent off just before halftime.

Unfortunately for Sassuolo, they were unable to overcome their disadvantage, with substitute Aaron Ramsey, who replaced the injured McKennie, firing in the 82nd minute.

Ronaldo then sealed the three points in stoppage time, scoring his 15th goal of the season in the process.

While most goals for the 34-year-old are simply a case of adding another to his already remarkable tally, his latest is another reminder of the Portuguese star's longevity.

With Sunday's goal, Ronaldo became the only player to score at least 15 goals in each of the last 15 seasons in the top five leagues, having reached that mark in every campaign since 06-07.

Ronaldo and Juventus currently sit fourth in La Liga, seven points being league-leaders AC Milan with a game in hand.

Juve also sit four points before second-place Inter and one point behind third-place Roma, who have each played one more game than the defending champions.

Next up for Juve is a Coppa Italia clash with Genoa on Wednesday before focus turns towards a clash with Inter on Sunday.

Another cup clash will follow for Juve as they'll then face Napoli in the Supercoppa Italiana on January 20.

Juve will also be looking ahead to the Champions League knockout stages, where they will face Porto in February in the round of 16.

Percy Tau made a winning debut for Brighton and Hove Albion as the Seagulls dumped Newport County out of the FA Cup.

The 26-year-old was introduced for Alireza Jahanbakhsh with scores still tied at 0-0, and he put up a fine showing to help Graham Potter’s men scale the League Two side’s hurdle.

Solly March's goal in the closing stages of normal time appeared to have earned the Premier League side victory against Michael Flynn’s men, nevertheless, the hosts equalised in the sixth minute of stoppage time through Adam Webster.

During the extra time, Brighton fluffed several scoring opportunities with Lewis Dunk having his header getting saved by Tom King. The visitors had one last good chance when Neal Maupay teed up Tau 12 yards out, but he lowered his shot wide.

However, it was Brighton that reigned supreme during kicks from the penalty mark with Jason Steele making four shoot-out saves.

After completing loan spells at Belgian sides Union Saint-Gilloise, Club Brugge and Anderlecht, Tau was recalled to the Annex Stadium giants having scored four goals in 14 league games for the Purple and White in the Belgian elite division.

Before making his maiden appearance, manager Potter had expressed his desire to help the former Mamelodi Sundowns’ star settle quickly.

“I think he has made the most of his time there. He has had some fantastic experiences in Belgium," Potter told the club website.

“As a footballer, you have got a path and you want to go one way, but sometimes you are knocked off and you have to find another path and he has done that.

“He has made the most of his experiences in Belgium and now he is here with us and we are happy for him to be here.

“Percy is pleased to be here permanently and so are we. Now we have to help him settle in and help him enjoy his football.”

On his own part, Tau is delighted with the chance to make his mark in England.

“I am blessed to be here – it has been a long journey and I am grateful for the opportunity in front of me," said Tau.

“There has always been excitement back home since I signed for Brighton. I have been out on loan and now they're celebrating the fact that I am back and ready to play.”

He could be handed his Premier League debut when his team face Manchester City on January 13.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has warned Manchester United’s recent good run of league form could count for nothing unless they kick on and build momentum in a big week.

United sit level on points with Liverpool at the top of the table and could go into next weekend’s crunch clash with Jurgen Klopp’s side as league leaders if they win their game in hand against Burnley on Tuesday night.

Solskjaer’s side last lost in the league at the start of November and, despite being knocked out of the Champions League and most recently the League Cup, they have continued to grind out results to push up the table.

But, the Norwegian, who is dismissing any early chatter of a potential title challenge says it’s too early to get carried away and just wants his side to keep building momentum.

“We’re not even halfway through the season and every game in the Premier League is a challenge, they’re tests,” Solskjaer said. “Every game is a different test. Watford, they gave us a test, Burnley is a test, Liverpool is another, then you go to Fulham which is a different test again. 

“No-one will remember how the league table looked like on 12 January 2021. We have good momentum, started well again after the disappointment of [losing to Manchester] City, bounced back really well with a win [against Watford] and of course we want to build momentum again.

“If we can get a win on Tuesday then that's two games on the bounce and we can go into the next game confident. Every game in the Premier League is a chance to build more confidence.”

United travel to Turf Moor on Tuesday night to play their rearranged game from the opening weekend of the season, but could be without Victor Lindelof, Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw and Eric Bailly.

The latter went off just before the half-time whistle as United beat Watford in the FA Cup at Old Trafford, having collided with Dean Henderson’s knee, while Solskjaer confirmed the other three missed the clash through injury.

“I hope [they'll be ready] for Liverpool, definitely, but I'm not sure if they’ll make the Burnley one,” Solskjaer said when asked for an update on their condition. “It's light training on Sunday then we’ll see on Monday.”

Eduardo Camavinga says that he will not make any decision about his future until the end of the current campaign, as speculation continues to swirl over an exit from Rennes.

The France international enjoyed a breakout season with the Ligue 1 club last term, helping them to achieve a Champions League berth following a curtailed domestic campaign in 2019-20.

He has impressed once again this season for his club, while a raft of caps for Didier Deschamps's Les Bleus only further underlines his upward trajectory as a teenager and future star in the making.

Such performances have seen him catch the eye of bigger fish across Europe however, with Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Real Madrid all linked with a move for the Angola-born starlet in recent weeks.

Camavinga has however now put to rest rumours of his future - at least for the immediate remainder of the season - by pledging his current loyalty to Rennes, though he acknowledges that his career past the summer is up in the air.

"Of course it is nice when a big club is interested in you," the 18-year-old told Canal. "[But] me, I keep a cool head.

"I am at Stade Rennais. We will wait until the end of the season. We will meet around the table and we will weigh the pros and cons [then]."

Camavinga further reflected on how he came to take up football as a youngster, recalling his educational years where he first tasted the game.

"I had to have been seven, I think, or maybe six - I don't know anymore," he added. "We had matches between schools at noon.

"We had won a game and my mother came to get me. I saw that she was talking to the supervisor, who was called Fatima if I recall. I didn't know what they were saying to each other.

"Afterwards, my mother told me that she wanted to me to take up football. Today, I'm glad that the supervisor told her to sign me up for it."

Camavinga will hope to impress across the rest of 2021 as he looks to further integrate himself into Deschamps' plans for the rearranged Euro 2020 tournament, set to take place later this year.

As World Cup holders, Les Bleus are widely expected to be among the frontrunners to lift the trophy at Wembley Stadium in July.

Juventus earned a 3-1 win over 10-man Sassuolo as goals from Danilo, Aaron Ramsey and Cristiano Ronaldo kept them in touch with Serie A leaders Milan.

Sassuolo had frustrated the Bianconeri in the first half but their combative approach saw Pedro Obiang sent off moments before half-time.

Danilo put Juve ahead five minutes into the second half with a powerful long-range strike, yet Sassuolo equalised with a fine finish from Gregoire Defrel.

Sassuolo looked on course to take a point but late goals from Ramsey and Ronaldo secured the victory for Andrea Pirlo's side.

A slick Juve passing move opened up the Sassuolo defence early on but Gianluca Frabotta could only shoot wide following a clever backheel from Weston McKennie.

McKennie picked up an injury in the 19th minute and was replaced by Ramsey, while Ronaldo thumped the ground in frustration moments later when a strong challenge from Vlad Chiriches went unpunished.

Sassuolo seemed content to sit back and try to hit Juve on the counter-attack, with Francesco Caputo's speculative long-range effort the best they could muster early on.

Juve were dealt another blow before the interval as Paulo Dybala limped out with a knee injury before Obiang was dismissed for a lunge on Federico Chiesa following a VAR review.

Merih Demiral nudged the ball past Andrea Consigli in the Sassuolo goal in injury time at the end of the first half, but Ronaldo was unable to reach it in time to finish at the back post.

Pirlo's home team made the extra man count after the interval when right-back Danilo arrowed a low shot from around 25 yards into the bottom left corner of the net.

However, Sassuolo quickly hit back when Defrel latched on to Hamed Junior Traore's pass, deftly beat two Juve defenders and clipped the ball beyond Wojciech Szczesny.

Ramsey put Juve ahead again when he slid in at the back post to tap in Frabotta's low cross from the left with eight minutes remaining.

Ronaldo then put the gloss on the result in injury time with his 15th Serie A goal of the season after he latched on to Danilo's long ball and burst forward before coolly slotting past Consigli.

What does it mean? Juve keep pressure on Milan

Serie A leaders Milan beat Juve's city rivals Torino 2-0 on Saturday which heaped the pressure on Pirlo's side, but the defending champions dug deep here to earn victory late on.

It means Juve have won three Serie A games in a row for the first time since July 2020, and even though this performance was far from vintage they are seven points off top spot with plenty of games, including one in hand, to reel in their rivals.

Ronaldo drags Juve through

Ronaldo scored his first Serie A goals when his double helped Juventus beat Sassuolo 2-1 in September 2018 and he has now scored five goals against them in five meetings in the competition.

Even though Juve were below their best, the Portugal forward never stopped trying – his six attempted shots being more than any other player achieved – and he deserved his goal.

Obiang lets down his team-mates

In what was otherwise a disciplined display from Sassuolo, they were let down by the red card received by Obiang for a needless and reckless lunge.

Juve conceded a goal in a Serie A home game while playing with a numerical advantage for the first time since October 2013 versus Milan and it is hard to not think what might have been had Sassuolo kept 11 men on the pitch.

Key Opta facts

- Juventus substitutes have scored seven goals in Serie A this season, beaten only by nine from Atalanta's replacements.
- Juventus have scored at least two goals in each of their last nine Serie A games against Sassuolo.
- Ramsey has been involved in three goals in his last five Serie A appearances (one goal, two assists).
- Obiang's red card was the 11th for a Sassuolo player during the first half of Serie A games. Only Genoa (15 red cards) have had more first-half dismissals since Sassuolo’s Serie A debut in the 2013-14 season.

What's next?

Juve host Genoa in the Coppa Italia last 16 on Wednesday while Sassuolo are at home to SPAL in the same competition a day later.

ATK Mohun Bagan will battle it out against Mumbai City for top honours in Monday's Indian Super League (ISL) clash at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa.

TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM

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

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

TEAM NEWS

ATK Mohun Bagan Possible XI:

Injured - Michael Soosairaj 
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players - Roy Krishna, David Williams      

Mumbai City Possible XI:

Injured - None
Doubtful - None
Suspended - Ahmed Jahouh

Key Players - Adam le Fondre, Hugo Boumous

Percy Tau has made his debut for Brighton and Hove Albion following his appearance against Newport County in Sunday’s FA Cup game.

The South Africa international was brought in as a 71st minute replacement for Alireza Jahanbakhsh with scores still tied at 0-0.

On the back of an impressive spell at Mamelodi Sundowns where he won two Premier Soccer League titles, he joined the Premier League outfit in 2018 on a four-year contract for an undisclosed transfer fee.

Nevertheless, he was loaned out shortly after failing a UK work permit, as well as former manager Chris Hughton wanting him to gain European football experience.

After completing a two-and-half seasons loan spells at Union Saint-Gilloise, Club Brugge and Anderlecht, he was recalled to the Falmer Stadium, where he is expected to help Graham Potter’s men in their relegation battle.

Following his arrival, manager Potter is positive about the quality the 26-year-old would offer his team having scored four goals for the Purple and White in the first-half of the Belgian First Division A season.

"He's available. He's been training and playing in Belgium, so he's okay in terms of match speed and training time. It's just a case of him adapting to us," the tactician told  club website.

“It's exciting for him and it's exciting for us. Now we need to help him settle in. He needs to get to know his teammates and the team. We want to help him take the next step in his career and that's also the challenge for him.

"But I think he will adapt quickly from what I saw in training. He has a nice personality and has fitted into the group already.

“There's healthy competition in the team which you'd expect in the Premier League, but that's good for us, we need that.

“He's a left-footed attacking player. He plays in different positions, he attacks the goal, he progresses with the ball, he plays in spaces.

“He is able to find passes and dribble with the ball. It's just a case of us finding the best way to use him.”

Tau could also make his English topflight debut when his team travel to the Etihad Stadium for their clash against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on January 13.

Juventus stars Paulo Dybala and Winston McKennie was both forced off in the first half of the Serie A champions' crunch clash with Sassuolo on Sunday, stoking fears of an injury lay-off for the pair.

The talented attacker and the youthful midfielder both fell to challenges before the break at Allianz Stadium, forcing Andrea Pirlo into a pair of premature swaps.

27-year-old Argentina star Dybala has arguably struggled to match the exploits he achieved under Maurizio Sarri last term, when he was named Serie A's Most Valuable Player.

But he has still been an integral presence for Pirlo in attack, particularly given the various absences of Cristiano Ronaldo as the Portuguese has battled multiple bouts of Covid-19.

22-year-old McKennie meanwhile, who has emerged as one of the Bianconeri's young leading lights this season, was able to jog off the field without assistance but nonetheless retired from the game before it was a quarter old.

The Schalke loanee and USMNT star, who arrived in Turin at the start of the current campaign, built his reputation as one of the most exciting American talents of his generation in the Bundesliga, having originally spent his youth career at FC Dallas.

The playmaker has seen his maiden campaign at Allianz Stadium already disrupted once by his own brush with Covid-19 but, like his teammate, now he could be set for another spell on the sidelines following his knock against the Neroverdi.

It represents a blow to Andrea Pirlo's side as they look to mount another successful challenge for the Scudetto, with McKennie in particular having emerged as a big-game player in a campaign that has seen Juve underperform domestically.

Heading into their clash with Sassuolo - who sit one point behind them - they were adrift of leaders Milan by double-digits, raising serious questions about their ability to challenge for major domestic and European honours this year.

They will begin their Coppa Italia campaign against Genoa later this week, hosting Davide Ballardini's side in Turin, while they also remain firmly in the hunt for the Champions League , with a round-of-16 tie against Porto set for February 17.

Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer says his side should have been awarded a penalty against Swallows FC on Sunday afternoon.

The Buccaneers were held to a 1-1 draw by the Beautiful Birds in a Premier Soccer League (PSL) match which saw Zinnbauer's side denied what could have been the decisive opportunity to break the deadlock.

Frank Mhango sent a through pass to Fortune Makaringe‚ who bust into the Swallows box, but he was brought down by Tlakusani Mthethwa's challenge in the second-half. 

However, the match referee Jelly Chavani booked Makaringe for diving and Zinnbauer was disappointed by the officiating after Deon Hotto was also wrongfully ruled out for offside. 

"Clear penalty. Then Hotto in the last five minutes. Never, never offside. Then we had another chance for Hotto," Zinnbauer told SuperSport TV. 

"It was also unlucky. The weather. He was sliding. When you concede in the last minute, it's very disappointing."

The German tactician was also unhappy with the state of the playing surface as the two teams played on a pitch which was severely waterlogged throughout. 

"The first half was a problem with the field. It's very wet and it's not easy for the players," he continued. 

"We normally want more possession when we play at home. With this weather, it's not possible. The ball was stopping on the pitch."

Zinnbauer was also disappointed to see his side concede in stoppage time when Kamohelo Mahlatsi cancelled out Ben Motshwari's opener. 

"We had more opportunities. Swallows are a good team. I think we had to wait for a solution and possibilities to score. What's important is the result at the end of the day," he added. 

"The weather is not normal. It was not normal. You have to adapt to this field. I don't know how many times in the season you have such a field. I think it's not a lot of times.

"You have to adapt to this and then you can score. We scored first but we didn't defend enough in this moment and you give the points away."

Pirates will be in action on Wednesday as they take on Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) in a PSL match at Thohoyandou Stadium on Wednesday.

Abigail Kim was at her best for Fiorentina but they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Juventus in Sunday's Italian women's Supercoppa final at the Aldo Gastaldi Stadium.

The 21-year-old, who previously starred for NWSL outfit Orlando Pride, has not disappointed since she landed in Italy in September, scoring twice in four matches for the Serie A giants.

The Liberian-born American was handed a starting role in the final against the champions after she netted the opener in her side's 2-1 semi-final victory over Refiloe Jane's AC Milan last Wednesday.

Antonio Cincotta's side made a fine start to the contest, caging the Bianconere in the opening stages until Arianna Caruso set up Barbara Bonansea for Juve's opener five minutes from the half-time break.

Some 10 minutes after the restart, Bonansea doubled the lead for Juventus when she netted from the right corner, for her brace of the day.

Fiorentina, however, fought to come back into the tie thanks to attempts from Kim, Tatiana Bonetti and Valery Vigilucci but they could not beat in-form goalkeeper Laura Giuliani.

The result saw Kim and Fiorentina miss the chance to celebrate their first silverware this season at the expense of Juventus. 

On her fifth appearance, Kim was in action for 72 minutes of the game before she made way for Margherita Monnecchi but could not help her side avoid defeat.

Following the Supercoppa final defeat, Fiorentina will focus on their league campaign as they welcome San Marino on January 17.

Hearts of Oak came back from behind to snatch a 1-1 draw with Elmina Sharks on matchday eight of the Ghana Premier League on Sunday.

James Bissue broke the deadlock for visiting Sharks in the 22nd minute but Victor Aidoo drew the Phobians level in the 67th minute at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The result leaves Hearts fifth on the league table while the away side occupy the 11th position.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Ashanti Gold picked up a 2-1 away win over Great Olympics to move top of the table. Gladson Awako gave the home side a 14th-minute lead but Amos Addai and Yaw Annor hit back for the Miners at the Accra Sports Stadium.

At the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park, Bechem United were held to a 1-1 draw by King Faisal, denying the Hunters a chance to take a two-point lead at the top of the standings. Moro Salifu scored first for Bechem but Kwame Peprah fetched the equaliser for the visitors just a minute after half-time. Faisal sit bottom of the league table.

Karela United have fallen down to third on the log following a 3-1 away loss to seventh-placed Eleven Wonders. Diawisie Taylor was on target for Karela but goals at the other end from Mohammed Tetteh, Nana Kobina Osoh and George Amponsah ensured three points for the home side.

A Paul Atta Agyei 14th minute goal earned Berekum Chelsea a 1-0 home win over Inter Allies at the Golden City Park. The Blues are 13th on the log, three spots above relegation-trapped Allies.

Ghana U20 striker Precious Boah was the star of the show as Dreams FC handed Ebusua Dwarfs a 2-0 away defeat in Dawu. On the table, Dreams are just one spot above Dwarfs who sit one position above the relegation zone.

On Saturday, Medeama beat Aduana Stars 2-0 at Tarkwa's Akoon Park, thanks to goals from Agyenim Boateng in either half. The two teams are tied on points on the 10th and ninth positions, respectively.

The matchday eight action, however, started on Friday when Joseph Adjei's penalty gave Legon Cities a 1-0 victory over fourth-placed Wafa, the Royals' first win of the season.

On Monday, Asante Kotoko, 12th on the log, will host eighth-spotted Liberty Professionals in the last game of the match week.

South Africa international Percy Tau has been included directly in the Brighton & Hove Albion squad to face Newport County in the FA Cup on Sunday evening, only days after returning to the club.

The forward returned from his loan spell at Anderlecht on Thursday after the Seagulls decided they wanted him back in their squad to battle against relegation from the Premier League.

He had spent the last two seasons on loan in Belgium since joining Brighton from Mamelodi Sundowns in 2018, after being unable to secure a work permit to play in England.

However, the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union has changed the rules regarding players' ability to play in England despite not having the required number of caps as per the previous EU guidelines, prompting Brighton to recall Tau.

He was immediately registered for the Seagulls' FA Cup campaign and has been named among the substitutes for their Third Round tie against Newport.

Brighton boss Graham Potter has opted to lead the line with Andi Zeqiri, Neal Maupay and Alexis Mac Allister, with Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Solly March operating in wide areas against Michael Flynn's side.

Speaking ahead of Tau's potential debut, Potter talked up the attacker's time in the Jupiler League with Anderlecht.

“I think he has made the most of his time there. He has had some fantastic experiences in Belgium," Potter told the club website . “As a footballer, you have got a path and you want to go one way, but sometimes you are knocked off and you have to find another path and he has done that.

“He has made the most of his experiences in Belgium and now he is here with us and we are happy for him to be here," Potter added. “Percy is pleased to be here permanently and so are we. Now we have to help him settle in and help him enjoy his football.”

Tau also spoke excitedly about the prospect of finally making his mark with the south-coast club.

“I am blessed to be here – it has been a long journey and I am grateful for the opportunity in front of me," Tau told the club website. “There has always been excitement back home since I signed for Brighton. I have been out on loan and now they're celebrating the fact that I am back and ready to play.

“We don't have many South Africans playing in the Premier League. We used to in the past, but at the moment we don't so it gives them pride to see me with Brighton.”

Azam FC have sealed their place in the semi-final of the Mapinduzi Cup after labouring to a 1-0 win over Malindi FC at the Amani Stadium on Sunday night.

Captain Aggrey Morris scored the lone goal to help the Ice-cream Makers qualify to the last four.

The 2014 Tanzania Mainland League champions had collected a point from their Group C game against Mlandege after settling for a 1-1 draw. On their part, Malindi managed a goalless draw with the latter as well.

With Mlandege leading the group with two points, it meant Sunday's winner would automatically qualify for the semi-final. 

The Tanzanian heavyweights thought they scored in the second minute when Iddi Selemani tapped the ball on target, but the officials were not moved as they felt the ball did not cross the line while the replays suggested otherwise.

From that point onwards, both teams played cautiously to avoid conceding since it would have lowered their chances of making it to the next phase of the competition.

Seemingly, the match was headed for a goalless draw but Azam FC managed to get a penalty in the 60th minute.

Selemani managed to get into the danger zone, and in his bid to cross the ball to the teammate, it hit the hand of a defender and referee Nasri Salim had no option but to hand the 2018/19 FA Cup champions a penalty.

From the spot-kick, Morris managed to keep his cool to send Sheikh Abdalla the wrong way.

It happened to be the winning goal, and the Ice-cream Makers are now safely into the semi-finals.

Earlier, defending champions Mtibwa Sugar were eliminated from the competition by Wekundu wa Msimbazi after falling 2-0 on Saturday night. 

The Selemani Matola-led charges scored their goals through Dilunga and Miraji Athumani.

In the sixth minute, Sugar Millers' goalkeeper failed to keep out a good cross from the left and Hassan Dilunga headed the ball into an empty net to give his team a deserved advantage.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi doubled their advantage in the 37th minute owing to poor defending.

Kenya international Francis Kahata managed to pick out Chris Mugalu, whose poor touch gave the defenders a chance to clear it.

However, the defence failed to take their chance and the striker reclaimed the ball and Athumani converted from close range to double the advantage.

Azam will now play Yanga SC in the semi-final while Simba will play Namungo.

Vincent Aboubakar found the back of the net, Aaron Boupendza scored twice, while David Akintola and Rachid Ghezzal got assists as Hatayspor played out a 2-2 draw against Besiktas in a Turkish Super Lig game.on Sunday.

Cameroon international Aboubakar has been in scintillating form for the Black Eagles this season and continued to impress at Hatay New Stadium.

The centre-forward was handed his 12th league start and utilized the opportunity to register his ninth goal of the campaign.

Gabon international Boupendza increased his tally to 12 league goals for Hatayspor this season after joining the side last summer from French club Bordeaux.

Nigerian winger Akintola and Algeria international Ghezzal also gave good accounts of themselves in the encounter.

Aboubakar opened the scoring in the sixth minute of the game after receiving a sumptuous assist from Ghezzal, who made his 11th league appearance in the match.

Hatayspor levelled proceedings almost immediately when Boupendza fired his effort past goalkeeper Ersin Destanoglu after benefitting from Akintola’s assist.

In the 23rd minute, Boupendza gave his side the lead for the first time in the encounter after he was set up by Mesut Caytemel.

With four minutes before the first-half break, Ghezzal was again involved when he sent a timely pass to Cyle Larin, who hit his effort into the back of the net.

Despite efforts from both sides to score the matchwinning goal, the game ended with a share of the points at the end of full time.

Aboubakar and Akintola featured for the entirety of the match while Ghezzal was replaced in the 68th minute for Georges-Kevin Nkoudou.

Boupendza, meanwhile, played for 90 minutes before making way for Mirkan Aydın while Hatayspor and Ghana midfielder Isaac Sackey was brought on for Adama Traore in the 74th minute.

With the draw, Besiktas moved to the top of the Super Lig after gathering 35 points from 17 games while Hatayspor are sixth with 28 points from 17 outings.

The African stars will hope to continue their impactful contributions for their respective clubs in their next games.

Jose Mourinho singled out Dele Alli for special praise after Tottenham's 5-0 FA Cup third round win against Marine on Sunday and hinted he could make his return to the Premier League fold.

Alli was involved in each of Carlos Vinicius' three goals against the eighth-tier hosts, first teeing up for the forward and then playing a key role in the build up to the others. Lucas Moura and record-breaking 16-year-old Alfie Devine also found the net as Spurs secured a place in the next round.

Alli has been reduced to a bit-part role at Tottenham this season, having played just 75 minutes of Premier League football spread out over four matches, but the 24-year-old's attitude on his return to the starting XI on Sunday impressed his manager, who said he could feature against Aston Villa this week.

"I am really happy with his attitude in the game, of course we didn't want to risk much," Mourinho said, speaking to BBC Sport. "The pitch is a bit dangerous and their enthusiasm can put the creative ones in some risk, but I am happy - good professionalism, good dynamic from him and Gedson [Fernandes] to start trying to create, so really pleased for the performance.

"He was here today and of course it was not the match to measure the quality, but the professionalism and attitude and I am very happy with it, I will not be surprised if next Wednesday, Dele is playing with us."

Vinicius, who joined on a season-long loan from Benfica in October, had not scored for the north London club before Sunday and Mourinho was happy to see him play a crucial role, while he was proud to see Devine among the goals, too.

"It is nice for [Vinicius]," he said. "Of course, for a striker that doesn't play a lot because in front of him is the big one - every time he has a little chance to play, like in the Europa League, he is there for us and we are very happy.

"It is good for the kid [Devine]. This season we have managed to give minutes to young guys - Dane Scarlett youngest one to play in the Europa League, now for Alfie to come to his area, he is not far from here, to make his debut and score his first goal is good for him and a good feeling for everyone at the academy."

Spurs progressed to the Carabao Cup final on Tuesday when they beat Brentford and are now fourth in the Premier League, sitting four points behind Liverpool with a game in hand.

"Of course, in the Carabao Cup we reached the objective to be in the final. In the FA Cup this is a little first step," Mourinho said of their campaign so far. "In the Premier League the table is a bit fake, we have had some very good results and some disappointing ones, but not bad at all."