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Thembi Kgatlana made an impactful showing for Eibar after creating a penalty to inspire her side's 1-0 win at Athletic Club in a Spanish Primera Iberdrola encounter on Sunday.

The South Africa international earned her seventh start of the season for Iker Dorronsoro's team following her superb contribution in Eibar's 2-0 victory at home over Logrono in the midweek.

Having endured nine matches without a win, Athletic were hoping to end their disappointing run against the league newcomers but were held to a goalless draw in the first half of the contest. 

With the tie looking destined for a stalemate, Kgatlana created the opportunity that saw her fouled in the penalty box, earning her side a scoring chance from the spot. 

Sara Navarro, on her part, left nothing to chance, converting the winner from the spot for the visitors a minute from full-time at the Lezama Stadium.

The result saw Eibar moved to eighth position on the Spanish top-flight log with 20 points from 14 matches this season.

Besides her five goals this term, Kgatlana, who played from the start to the finish of the game, has nowed contributed in 11 goals scored by Eibar in 13 outings on her debut season in Spain.

Compatriot Noko Matlou lasted the duration in her second game, ensuring back-to-back clean sheets for Eibar along with Equatorial Guinea's Ruth Alvarez, but there was no action for Nigeria's Charity Adule. 

After two wins on the bounce, they will hope to maintain their highflying form against Real Sociedad at home on January 24.

Teenager Alfie Devine set a pair of club records for Tottenham Hotspur as Jose Mourinho's side delivered a comfortable defeat of non-league Marine in the third round of the FA Cup.

The 16-year-old, born on August 1, 2004, made his senior debut off the bench against the Northern Premier League outfit to become the north London side's youngest player in their history.

With a first-half hat-trick for Carlos Vinicius and an effort for Lucas Moura in the bag, Devine arrived as a half-time replacement for Moussa Sissoko, etching his name into the club's history books.

The central midfielder and England youth international made it a maiden appearance to remember just under a quarter-hour later when he stepped in off the left side and coolly slotted his side's fifth goal of the match past goalkeeper Bayleigh Passant at the near post on the hour mark.

His strike made him the youngest senior goalscorer in Spurs history, at 16 years and 162 days.

Devine also became the youngest player to score for a Football League or Premier League club in the FA Cup since George Williams for MK Dons netted almost a decade ago against Nantwich in November 2011, at the age of16 years and 66 days.

Vinicius meanwhile became the first player to score an FA Cup hat-trick for a side managed by Mourinho since Frank Lampard nabbed a trio of goals for Chelsea in January 2007, in a 6-1 demolition of Macclesfield Town.

Moura's goal meanwhile was his first from a direct free kick since October 2016, when he scored one against Nancy while playing for Paris Saint-Germain.

The performance reaffirmed not only Tottenham's skill under Mourinho this season but also the depth of talented youth in their squad, with Harvey White and Jack Clarke among other bright young starlets included by the Portuguese.

Spurs return to Premier League action on Wednesday with a game against Aston Villa, before they face bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United as they look to reignite their bid for the title.

They also are one step away from Carabao Cup glory for the first time since 2008, having booked their place in the final against Brentford earlier this month.

Ghana prodigy Mohammed Kudus completed his comeback from injury as a late substitute as Ajax and PSV played out a 2-2 draw in the Eredivisie on Sunday.

After three months out, the attacking midfielder joined the fray as an 80th-minute substitute in the matchday 15 fixture at Johan Cruijff Arena.

In the end, an Eran Zahavi double for PSV and goals from Quincy Promes and Antony Santos for Ajax settled the fixture.

On his Champions League debut, Kudus was hauled off the pitch after just six minutes after upsetting his meniscus following a challenge with Liverpool's Fabinho in their group stage opener in October.

Tests after the match revealed significant damage, prompting Ajax to announce the Ghanaian was set to spend "many months" in the treatment room.

After two months, however, the 20-year-old made a return to training ahead of the club's December league fixture with FC Utrecht.

The Lancers, however, resolved against using the Ghanaian in any of their three games before the Christmas break, instead opting to unleash him in the New Year.

Kudus joined the Dutch giants in a five-year deal from Danish outfit Nordsjaelland last July following a series of fine performances during the 2019-20 season.

He got his Ajax career off to a bright start, delivering three assists and one goal in five competitive outings for the club at the time of his injury.

His return will also be a huge boost for Ghana ahead of the resumption of the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in March.

Following a promising scoring debut against South Africa in the Afcon qualifiers in November 2019, Kudus was forced to pull out of the Black Stars' two friendly matches against Mali and Qatar in last October due to an injury.

He returned to action shortly after the international games, giving Ghana hopes of recalling the midfielder for November's Afcon qualifying double-header against Sudan.

The West Africans' hopes were, however, short-lived as the Accra-born picked up another injury against Liverpool.

The Black Stars are set to face South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe in their next batch of international assignments in March. 

Carlos Vinicius scored a first-half hat-trick as Tottenham cruised past non-league Marine in a 5-0 FA Cup third-round rout.

The Brazilian scored twice from a combined range of around three yards and added a sumptuous third following Lucas Moura's top-quality free-kick.

Alfie Devine was introduced at half-time to become Tottenham's youngest ever player and the teenager, at 16 years and 163 days, made a swift impact to drill home the fifth on the hour.

That completed the scoring at Rossett Park as eighth-tier Marine, who are 161 places below Spurs in the English league pyramid, inevitably succumbed against top-flight opponents.

Neil Kengni interrupted Spurs' early monopoly of the ball to crash a 35-yard dipping shot off the crossbar but, after surviving the heart-in-mouth moment, Dele Alli teed up Vinicius to jink past Bayleigh Passant and finish on the goalline.

Vinicius tapped in again on the rebound after Matt Doherty's side-foot volley from Alli's cross-field dink was parried into his path, and Lucas quickly made it three with a superbly executed free-kick.

More good work from Alli eventually led to Vinicius brilliantly looping home into the left side of the goal to complete his hat-trick.

With the game won, Jose Mourinho introduced Devine for the second period and he flashed a fierce shot past Passant at the near post from Lucas' pass on the hour mark.

From there, Spurs were able to take their foot off the pedal a little and coast comfortably into the hat for round four.

What does it mean? Job done for Spurs

Save for Kengni catching Joe Hart unawares to rattle the woodwork, Spurs were never troubled and completed the job with routine professionalism. They comfortably came through their first tie against non-league opposition since 1995 when they defeated Altrincham.

Alli and Vinicius enjoy run-outs

Alli has fallen way down the pecking order under Mourinho and his long-term future at Spurs still remains in doubt. His class was on display here, though, with the midfielder finishing with an assist, five key passes and 85.7 per cent pass completion.

Vinicius too is having to show patience as back-up to Harry Kane, but for strikers scoring is always fun. He missed a late chance but scored with all of his shots on target in a clinical display.

No shame for Marine

The FA Cup always produces surprises but this was never likely to do so. Having said that, Marine – playing in the third round for the second time having gone out to Crewe Alexandra in the 1992-93 season – left it all out on the pitch against opponents of vastly superior quality and were a credit to the competition.

What's next?

Tottenham have a decidedly tougher task at Aston Villa in the Premier League on Wednesday. Sadly for Marine, their domestic league remains suspended as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

Nigeria duo Joe Aribo and Leon Balogun, and South Africa's Bongani Zungu helped Rangers extend their unbeaten Premiership run to 23 games with a 2-1 win over Aberdeen on Sunday.

The victory stretched the Gers' dominance at the top of the Premiership table with a 22-point lead over second-placed Celtic, who have four games at hand.

Rangers had an early chance to gain the lead at the Pittodrie Stadium after Alfredo Morelos was brought down in the penalty area, but James Tavernier failed to convert from the spot in the 28th minute.

Aberdeen, unfortunately, were consequently reduced 10 men after Ryan Hedges was shown a straight for his challenge on Morelos.

Four minutes later, Morelos opened the scoring for Steven Gerrard's men after combining with Ryan Kent.

After the break, the Colombia striker made it 2-0 for the visitors but Matthew Kennedy halved the deficit for Aberdeen in the 62nd minute.

Aribo and Balogun were in action for 90 minutes while Zungu came off the bench to make his ninth substitute appearance for the Gers, after replacing Ianis Hagi in the 82nd minute.

The Bafana Bafana midfielder is yet to start a league game for Rangers since he completed a season-long loan move from Amiens in October.

Balogun has been a key fixture in Gerrard’s defensive set-up and he has played in 13 league matches so far, while his compatriot Aribo has made 15 Premiership appearances with four goals to his name.

The African trio will be aiming to help the Gers boost their push for a first top-flight crown since 2011 when they travel to Motherwell for their next league game on January 17.

Queens Park Rangers manager Mark Warburton has dismissed reports linking Bright Osayi-Samuel with a move away from the club.

The Anglo-Nigerian has been turning heads since he teamed up with the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium outfit in 2017.

In the last campaign, the 23-year-old forward bagged five league goals amid other dazzling displays for QPR.

Osayi-Samuel formed a productive partnership with his compatriot Eberechi Eze, who left the club for Premier League side Crystal Palace in the summer, to help the Rs finish in mid-table.

In the current season, the winger has found the back of the net three times and provided three assists in 22 appearances across all competitions.

The forward’s current deal with Queens Park Rangers is set to expire in the summer and he is yet to agree on an extension.

Osayi-Samuel has reportedly generated interest from a number of clubs including Scottish Premiership sides Celtic and Rangers as well as Fenerbahce.

QPR boss Warburton believes reports linking the forward with a move away from the club are mere speculation and he hopes the forward will not be distracted with the rumours by continuing his fine form. 

"Apparently he’s going to Celtic and Fenerbahce and Rangers as well. I hope he’s got a good passport," Warburton was quoted, as per West London Sport.

"It’s all rumours and it keeps the media going. My only concern is Bright working hard, training well and performing well."

Osayi-Samuel will be expected to help Queens Park Rangers return to winning ways when they take on Luton Town on January 12, following their recent run of poor results.

The winger has previously featured for Blackpool before leaving to team up with the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium outfit.

The forward was born in Nigeria which makes him eligible to feature for the three-time African champions and he is also qualified to represent England.

It is expected that Osayi-Samuel will join the likes of Ola Aina, Alex Iwobi, Victor Moses among players who ditched the European country for the Super Eagles.

Simphiwe Dludlu, the former Banyana Banyana defender, thought that Orlando Pirates should have been awarded a penalty in their match against Swallows FC at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The game ended in a 1-1 draw after Pirates scored first in the 85th minute, only for the Birds to equalise through Kamahelo Mahlatsi in the third minute of added time.

Overall, it could be argued that the draw was a fair reflection of a game in which Swallows enjoyed the upper-hand in the first half before Bucs came back strongly after the interval on a wet afternoon in Soweto.

"Sharing the spoils is a true definition of how they played this afternoon," Dludlu said in her role as SuperSport TV analyst.

"Because in the first half Pirates could not handle the pressure from Swallows. And in the second half, they really had a clear plan to say, 'let's change up how we add numbers forward'. Because you could see them playing with three at the back when they have the ball."

The match’s controversial moment arose in the 70th minute with the scores locked at 0-0.

The Sea Robbers engaged in an intricate build-up around the Swallows box which culminated in Fortune Makaringe charging into the penalty area and seemingly getting taken out by Birds defender Tlakusani Mthethwa, just as he was about the pull the trigger.

Replays certainly strongly suggested that Makaringe had been fouled. But after consulting with his assistant on the far side, referee Jelly Chavani decided the Pirates midfielder had dived and showed him a yellow card instead of pointing to the spot.

"I could have thought that was a penalty, honestly,” Dludlu said. “Because how [Makaringe] went in, he carried the ball close to him and did not show any simulation there. This really looks close, like a penalty.

"Because Mthethwa really lunged in there for Makaringe, and he didn't even know where the opponent was coming from. He [Makaringe] couldn't step trying to carry on forward to try and score.

“Definitely I could say its a penalty when you look at the different angles. It's wet, it's slippery, it's bound to happen and just unlucky that the referee didn't call it."

Bucs also appeared to have a harsh decision go against them in the 89th minute when a goal-bound Deon Hotto was called back for being off-side.

Sergio Aguero missed Manchester City's 3-0 victory over Birmingham City in the FA Cup after being forced to self-isolate.

The club's all-time top scorer was set for just his fourth start of the season in Sunday's third-round clash as he looks to put the after-effects of meniscus surgery behind him, but Pep Guardiola confirmed that someone close to Aguero had tested positive for Covid-19 and the striker was forced to quarantine despite testing negative.

The City boss has been careful with Aguero's recovery following his operation in June after a hamstring injury at West Ham curtailed his initial return in October.

Aguero, 32, could now be be forced to miss the clashes with Brighton on Wednesday and Crystal Palace on Sunday

"Unfortunately he was in contact more than usual with one person who is positive," Guardiola confirmed after the game. "He must isolate for a few days. I don't know exactly because he has been tested like all of us six times in the last 10 to15 days so it is negative.

"Today, I think he was negative too but the protocols say in some cases isolate, and in other cases we still play football. He was not able to play today."

Guardiola was able to start with Gabriel Jesus and Kyle Walker for the first time since they tested positive for Covid-19 on Christmas Day.

City are close to having a full squad available after the coronavirus outbreak at the club that forced the game against Everton on December 28 to be called off at short notice.

Ederson, Ferran Torres and Tommy Doyle have also returned to first-team training after positive tests and could be in contention for Wednesday's Premier League clash with Brighton at Etihad Stadium.

Aymeric Laporte missed the game with a minor hamstring injury, but Guardiola hopes to have him back soon.

"Laporte yesterday had a first session alone," he said. "So hopefully in one week, I don't know exactly but hopefully one week, ten days he will be OK."

City progressed comfortably with two goals from Bernardo Silva and a third from Phil Foden while academy yoingsters Felix Nmecha, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Liam Delap got valuable game time in the second half.

"Our first objective is done. Some young players were involved and we have qualified for the next round," Guardiola added. "If you follow the trajectory of our team since I arrived, we didn't drop one game. That's why we are in a fourth Carabao Cup final in a row, the FA Cup we won two seasons ago, and a semi-final last season.

"Players like Kyle and Gabriel came back. Rodri didn't play last game, Mendy for a long time didn't play. So for six, seven players today was good.

"Every game we play, we will try to win and if the players are more or less fresh, I will use them."

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Axel Witsel has suffered a torn Achilles tendon and will be out for an "extended period of time", the club confirmed on Sunday.

The Belgium international suffered an injury and had to be helped off during the first half of Edin Terzic's side's 3-1 win at RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Following an initial prognosis overnight, Dortmund confirmed the extent of the 31-year-old's injury, with the club refusing to set a timeline on a return for the playmaker.

However, it is highly likely that he will miss the rest of the season, with reports in Witsel's home nation suggesting that he may be a doubt for the rescheduled Euro 2020 tournament which is due to start on June 11.

With over a hundred caps to his name for Roberto Martinez's side, he was expected to play a major part as world No 1 side Belgium seek a maiden major competition success.

"Unfortunate news," the club confirmed in a statement on social media. "Axel Witsel suffered a torn Achilles tendon during yesterday's match and will be out for an extended period of time. We all wish Axel a speedy and successful recovery."

Witsel first arrived at Dortmund in the summer of 2018, having signed on a four-year deal from Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian, and on the back of featuring in Belgium's run to a third-place finish at the World Cup in Russia.

He previously spent time with Standard Liege in his home country, as well as Benfica and Zenit, winning major domestic honours with all three teams.

Since arriving at Signal Iduna Park, Witsel has emerged as a core senior player within the squad, helping to usher through a new generation of talents including Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland.

He starred in the club's 2019 DFL-Supercup victory over Bayern Munich as Lucien Favre's side claimed a convincing 2-0 win, although he has been unable to help Dortmund break their barren streak in the Bundesliga.

His injury means he will now miss a crucial second half of the 2020-21 campaign, as Terzic looks to steer the club back into title contention with champions Bayern five points ahead at the summit.

Antonio Conte has defended his decision to withdraw Lautaro Martinez, Arturo Vidal and Achraf Hakimi in the late stages of Inter's 2-2 draw with Roma on Sunday.

Inter were 2-1 up before star striker Martinez was taken off 77 minutes into the match and replaced by Ivan Perisic. Five minutes later, a double substitution saw Roberto Gagliardini take Vidal's place and Aleksandar Kolarov come on for Hakimi.

Roma went on to score the equaliser in the 86th minute, with Gianluca Mancini heading home to seal a point for the home side.

Asked if he could have avoided making the late changes, Conte said: "Vidal had picked up a knock and asked to be brought off. Lautaro was spent after 75 minutes of effort - off the ball too.

"Hakimi gave a lot too and these players have played a lot of football in the last seven days. We have a squad that’s big enough to make good changes so it’s normal to look to the bench."

He added: “[Vidal] performed really well. He had a slow start but then increased the intensity of his game. It was a positive display, as was the case for all the others. He came off due to a physical problem."

Despite the draw, Conte was happy with his side's performance, even though he felt they could have had the win wrapped up before the late equaliser. 

The result leaves them three points behind leaders AC Milan ahead of the Nerazzurri's match against champions Juventus next week.

"I think that we played well, in the first half too. Let’s not forget that Roma are fighting for the same thing we are and are just three points behind us," he said.

"Going away to the third-place team in the league and playing like this means we’re an organised and strong team. We had the chance to kill off the game but couldn’t manage it, and let Roma back into it late on - because we were out of energy. It’s a shame because, with two minutes two go, we were beating a strong side.

"I think that, at the end of the game, there was a bit of anxiety to get a result. On a mental level, this leads you to hold off somewhat.

"From the bench, we told the players to continue to press, because sitting deep isn’t a good thing. However, psychologically, it’s normal for the losing team to push forward and the team in front to try to hold on to the result. We’ll certainly continue to work to improve in this regard.

"We have our own identity and I’m pleased that opposition coaches have referred to this, there’s work that goes into achieving this. We’re an organised side, even if this isn’t often recognised.

"We often concede goals because we press high and leave space for the opposition to hit us on the counter, we’ve conceded too many in this way. Pressing high is a double-edged sword: it allows you to win the ball high up the pitch, but you’re left vulnerable if you make a mistake. Furthermore, you need to have the strength to play this way for the whole game.

"We’ve played three matches in seven days with more or less the same starting eleven, and it’s normal for a bit of energy to be missing at the end. Sitting back is an inevitable consequence."

Tusker FC condemned Kakamega Homeboyz to a 1-0 defeat in a Football Kenya Federation Premier League game on Sunday at Bukhungu Stadium.

Henry Meja scored the only goal that saw the visitors pick all three points from a side seen as their direct rivals in the title challenge.

Homeboyz would have broken the deadlock in the fifth minute when they engineered a counter-attack but David Okoth misplaced his shot and thus wasted a clear opportunity in the 5th minute.

Allan Wanga would have also scored in the 31st minute for Homeboyz but Eugene Asike did well to block his shot and saved Tusker one more time from the hosts’ attacks.

It is in the second half that Tusker showed determination and in the 47th minute they came close to registering an opener but Hashim Sempala’s strike hit the woodwork after he had received a short corner from Boniface Muchiri.

Robert Mboya was called to action in the 50th minute after Shami Kibwana attempted a low strike after he had found his way into the Tusker area.

In the 70th minute coach Robert Matano made three changes as Humphrey Mieno, George Odhiambo and Kevin Okoth came in and Apollo Otieno, Jackson Macharia and Boniface Muchiri were introduced.

The Matano changes brought an immediate impact as Meja scored the opening goal for the Brewers in the 72nd minute. The youngster received the ball from Luke Namanda while in the box, controlled it a little bit and fired into the bottom corner.

Meja was involved in another incident that almost doubled Tusker’s lead in the 89th minute. He delivered a cross from the left-wing and found Mieno who tried to volley the ball over the Kakamega Homeboyz goalkeeper David Juma but it ended up not troubling the custodian who made a calm save.

The win was a massive result for Tusker who have now narrowed the gap to four points with unbeaten KCB.

Meanwhile, at Sudi Stadium, Nzoia Sugar and Western Stima played to a 1-1 draw in their respective league game.

Western Stima took a seventh-minute lead when Baron Oketch beat Humphrey Katasi in Nzoia Sugar’s goal for the first goal of the encounter.

The Sugar Millers equalised in the 27th minute through Peter Wanjala’s effort and eventually picked a point from their home game.

Manchester City eased into the fourth round of the FA Cup thanks to a Bernardo Silva-inspired 3-0 win at home to Birmingham City on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola made the somewhat surprising decision to name what was essentially his strongest possible XI, and their superior quality was telling from the start as they quickly raced into a 2-0 lead.

Silva opened the scoring with a gorgeous volley and swiftly doubled City's advantage to cap off a fine move in the 15th minute, before Phil Foden effectively killed off any hopes of a Birmingham comeback before the interval.

City were less deadly in the second period as they failed to add to their lead, but it mattered little as they had no difficulty seeing out a comfortable victory.

Aitor Karanka and Birmingham will have been braced for a difficult day after seeing the line-up chosen by Guardiola, though nothing could have prepared them for the hosts' start.

Silva displayed remarkable technique to make it 1-0 as he unleashed a stunning volley just inside the box to punish a poor clearance, picking out the top-left corner.

He soon got a second with a simple close-range finish, guiding home Kevin De Bruyne's cutback after the Belgian had been well spotted by Riyad Mahrez.

City found their stride again after something of a lull, and Foden increased the lead just past the half-hour mark, rifling into the bottom-right corner from 20 yards after being picked out by Mahrez.

The hosts withdrew De Bruyne, Joao Cancelo and Ruben Dias at half-time, with youngsters Felix Nmecha and Taylor Harwood-Bellis entering alongside John Stones.

City remained dominant and thought they had a fourth goal just past the hour, only for VAR to confirm Mahrez had strayed offside when latching on to Foden's pass.

Silva passed up the chance to complete his hat-trick as he dragged wide when the ball fell kindly for him, and that proved to be his final opportunity as City settled for a three-goal victory.

What does it mean? City emphatic but Guardiola learns little

It is fair to say, Guardiola may have surprised a few by naming such a strong starting XI and it seemingly yielded the desired result as City went into half-time 3-0 to the good.

Nevertheless, Guardiola will have learnt very little about that first-half performance given his line-up was full of first-team regulars and they were facing a side struggling in a Championship relegation battle.

A few of the kids were sent on in the second half and did their chances of further opportunities no harm, though the game had become little more than a training exercise by that point.

Foden runs Birmingham ragged

There were several City stars who produced classy displays, but Foden was arguably the most enjoyable to watch. His goal was a great strike, while he had already threatened beforehand with his other two shots. The England international also made three key passes – one of those was particularly clever, as he chested down a long ball to tee up Silva for an effort that hit the side-netting.

Gabriel Jesus frustrated

City's Brazilian striker was by no means poor here – with three shots and a couple of key passes, he was actually quite bright. But he will likely be frustrated by the fact he could not get his name on the scoreboard, particularly given one of his first-half opportunities was a one-one-one situation that he spurned.

What's next?

It is back to Premier League action on Wednesday for City, who host Brighton and Hove Albion. Birmingham continue their quest to get clear of the Championship's relegation zone three days later when they go to coach Karanka's former team Middlesbrough.

Swallows FC showed courage as they fought back to hold Orlando Pirates to a 1-1 in a PSL match which was played at Orlando Stadium on Sunday afternoon

Ben Motshwari grabbed a late goal to hand the Buccaneers the lead, but Kamohelo Mahlatsi had other ideas as he netted in stoppage time. 

The Buccaneers were targeting nothing but a victory after suffering their first defeat of the season when they lost 1-0 to Mamelodi Sundowns away last weekend.

Paseko Mako and Thabang Monare were recalled to the starting line-up as coach Josef Zinnbauer made two changes to the team which faced Sundowns.

Meanwhile, Swallows were hoping to maintain their unbeaten start to the current season having edged out Cape Town City 3-2 at home in midweek.

Coach Brandon Truter made one change to the starting line-up which took on City with Fawaaz Basadien replacing Zaphaniah Mbokoma, who was sent off against the Citizens. 

The Birds were the better side in the opening exchanges and they threatened first through Thabo Matlaba, whose long-range effort was well-save by Pirates goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands.

Swallows were then forced to make an early change after former Pirates captain Matlaba picked up a hamstring injury and he was replaced by Sfiso Hlanti.

The visitors continued to attack and Ruzaigh Gamildien forced Sandilands into a fine diving save as the Birds pushed for the opening goal. 

The Bucs defence was then caught napping when Hlanti delivered a quality cross into the box, but Gamildien's effort was brilliantly saved by Sandilands from close range.

Pirates improved towards the half-time break as they began keeping possession and linking up well in the opposition's half, with Motshwari pulling the strings in midfield. 

However, Swallows keeper Virgil Vries made a smart save to deny Wayde Jooste at the near-post to ensure that the first-half ended with the two teams locked at 0-0.

Possession was shared evenly by the two teams after the restart, but the Birds looked more dangerous whenever they pushed forward.

Kgaogelo Sekgota's headed effort was blocked by Sandilands, who also came out to pull off a spectacular save to deny Gamildien in a one-on-situation.

Zinnbauer made a double substitution just after the hour-mark as he introduced an attack-minded duo of Frank Mhango and Siphesihle Ndlovu.

Pirates took control of the match towards the end of the game and Deon Hotto was sent through in goal, but Vries came out to deny his Namibia teammate from a one-on-one situation.

The Buccaneers thought they had snatched a late winning goal when Motshwari placed his effort into the top corner to make it 1-0 to Pirates with five minutes left.

However, they were denied a win by second-half substitute Mahlatsi, who scored for Swallows from close range in stoppage time to ensure that the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

The result saw Swallows remain second on the league standings - two points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, while Pirates remained sixth on the log.

Pirates will be away to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila on Wednesday and Swallows are set to travel to Limpopo to face Baroka FC on Saturday. 

Emile Smith Rowe is "top drawer", according to Ian Wright, who praised the Arsenal starlet for inspiring the team's victory over Newcastle on Saturday.

The FA Cup holders booked their place in the fourth round of the competition by seeing off the Magpies at Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal needed extra-time to overcome a determined Newcastle outfit though, with goals from substitutes Smith Rowe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sealing a 2-0 win.

The Gunners struggled for inspiration in the final third until Smith Rowe’s introduction early in the second half, with the 20-year-old adding a much-needed creative spark.

The English midfielder’s night looked like being cut short when he was shown a red card for a mistimed tackle on Sean Longstaff in the dying moments of normal time, but the referee overturned his initial decision after consulting VAR.

Smith Rowe responded by producing a stunning finish to open the scoring in the 109th minute, and also played a key role in the build-up to Aubameyang’s strike.

Wright was hugely impressed by the youngster’s latest performance, and credited him for making the difference in a tight game which required someone to pull something special out of the hat.

"He's [Smith Rowe’s] quality. Top drawer. He is a real player. Absolutely delighted for him,” the Arsenal legend told BBC Sport.

“It's what he deserved. In the first half we weren't getting enough midfield players joining and in the box and he's someone who does that naturally in his game.

"He's done well there. You want a calm, composed strike on target and he's done that.

"He's literally one of the only players we have in the squad who plays on the half-turn in there.

"He comes into that area of the pitch, we had [Granit] Xhaka and [Mohamed] Elneny and they're deep, they need someone in the middle of the pitch to lay it into who can link with the midfield and the forwards.

"He's the kind of person that wants the ball in there to progress it forward. That's what we didn't do in the first half and in the previous games to the ones we've won."

Wright added on the Gunners’ overall display and Mikel Arteta being rewarded for his faith in the club’s youth: "In the end, [Arteta] had to bring on his top guys because first half the guys he brought in to step up and do a job, they didn't do it.

"That was the opportunity for Newcastle to put a bit more pressure on Arsenal and maybe nick something and then the pressure would've been on.

"They didn't have the quality to do it. They defended very well but Arsenal's quality and the tiredness of Newcastle showed.

"I'm pleased for [Arteta] because he had to find a way.

"We brought the young guys in with their enthusiasm and energy and Smith Rowe's quality in that area of the field where we haven't got too many players that do what he does.

"It's coincided with the wins. Again, he's finished the game today with the team that's probably been involved in those wins. His problem is now is the depth."

Gor Mahia coach Carlos Manuel Vaz Pinto has promised to win trophies with the club after penning a deal to handle them.

The 47-year-old Portuguese tactician was unveiled on Sunday as the team prepared to face Kariobangi Sharks in an FKF Premier League match at Kasarani Stadium.

The former Saint George SC of Ethiopia and Angolan club Clube Recreativo Desportivo do Libolo coach has now revealed the reason why he chose to work for Gor Mahia and also promised to help them reach the group stage of the Caf Confederation Cup.

“I have a lot of experience in Africa. I worked before in two countries, Angola and Ethiopia I played Confederation Cup and Champions League and now I come to Gor Mahia because they are a big club,” Pinto told Gor Mahia TV during the unveiling ceremony.

“I am very proud to be the coach of Gor Mahia and of course I want to achieve big things and make history with the club. We start to work very hard to win games in the league and put Gor Mahia in the group stage of the Confederation Cup, that is my target here.”

On whether he has enough time to prepare the team for their Confederation Cup play-off fixture against Napsa Stars of Zambia, Pinto said: “Yes, of course, the time is not on our side, we don’t have enough time to analyse our opponents, analyse and study how they play, we want to put strong training sessions and give them [my players] a winning mentality, so I think together we can achieve group stage qualification.”

On what he targets to achieve with the team, Pinto explained: “I am a young and ambitious coach and I want my team to be ambitious, we must be ready to achieve goals and we must achieve our targets, I am ambitious and I want my team to be ambitious, to fight in every game, win every game and win trophies as well.”

Despite unveiling the coach as Brazilian Roberto Oliveira's replacement, Gor Mahia did not divulge the details of his contract.

However, a source, who did not want to be named, confirmed to Goal the coach, will sign a two-year contract when he lands in Kenya to take over the job.

“We have agreed on everything in regards to his contract and what I can tell you is he will sign for two years,” a source privy to the deal, told Goal on Sunday.

“He is supposed to arrive anytime starting today [Sunday] and thereafter, the club will do a big unveiling ceremony.

“He is a very experienced coach, and has also helped a team to reach the semi-finals of Champions League, he holds the required papers, he has a Uefa Pro and Caf A licenses, so he will help us a lot.”

Vaz Pinto also managed the FC Famalicao U23 side from September 2019 to June 2020, where he oversaw 26 matches, won four, drew 11, and lost 11.

He also worked as the Technical Director of Ghanaian side Hearts of Oak, where he served for only seven days, before he resigned after the club rejected his proposal to remove Edward Nii Odoom as assistant coach of the team.

Gor Mahia have already played two matches since the 2020-21 season kicked off – beating Ulinzi Stars 1-0 before losing 2-1 against Tusker.

Liverpool have held talks with three clubs over a potential loan move for young defender Sepp van den Berg.

The Reds want the 19-year-old to pick up first-team experience, and will therefore allow him to leave this month despite the club’s lack of options at centre-back.

Discussions have already taken place with clubs in Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, and sources have told Goal a deal is likely to be agreed this week.

Van den Berg moved to Merseyside from PEC Zwolle in June 2019, with Liverpool paying £1.3million ($1.75m) to secure his services.

He has since made four senior appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side, all of them in domestic cup competitions, but has not featured at all in the first team this season despite the Premier League champions’ ongoing injury problems.

Instead, Van den Berg has been with Barry Lewtas’ U23 side this term, with another 19-year-old, Rhys Williams, promoted to Klopp’s senior setup.

Billy Koumetio, another teenager, has also featured following injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, as has Nat Phillips.

Liverpool believe the progress of both Williams and Phillips, who have made 14 appearances between them this season, can be attributed to successful loan spells last season.

Williams was sent to Kidderminster in the sixth tier of English football, while Phillips spent the bulk of the campaign with Stuttgart in the 2.Bundesliga. Both have spoken positively about their experiences.

Liverpool hope for similar results with Van den Berg, who already has top-flight pedigree in the form of 23 Eredivisie appearances for Zwolle.

Goal understands that there is one Belgian Pro League club, one 2.Bundesliga outfit and one Swiss Super League side in the mix to sign him, and that the player has already held talks with all three via video link.

There has also been interest from clubs in England, with numerous scouts present at the Reds’ U23 fixtures this season. Blackburn, who have another Liverpool loanee in teenage star Harvey Elliott, are among those to have enquired.

A final decision will now be made, with Liverpool keen to ensure Van den Berg has the chance to play regular games at a level which will allow him to develop the key areas of his game.

The Reds allowed Liam Millar, the captain of their U23 side, to leave for League One side Charlton earlier this week, with the Canada international making his debut for the Addicks in their 2-0 defeat at home to Accrington on Friday.

They will also consider offers for left-back Yasser Larouci, who is into the final six months of his contract and is unlikely to sign an extension.