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KCB FC continued with their dream run in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League after defeating Bidco United by a solitary goal at Kasarani Stadium on Saturday.

Ronald Reagan scored the only goal to ensure the Bankers maintained their 100% winning record.

The promoted side came into the match hoping to get a positive outcome against their hosts. The Anthony Akhulia-led team had registered their first win against Vihiga United and were hopeful of getting at least a point against their opponents.

After a goalless first half, the hosts, deservedly, scored in the 48th minute.

A good ball to Brian Ochieng' found the Thika-based side off guard. The midfielder cut the ball back for Reagan to score what turned out to be the winning goal.

It was the Banker's sixth win in as many matches, and they are now on 18 points while Bidco are ninth on the log with seven points after as many matches.

At Wundanyi Stadium, Mathare United started their league campaign with a 4-2 loss against Sofapaka.

It took Batoto ba Mungu 12 minutes to take the lead when former Gor Mahia midfielder Juma Lawrence beat Job Ochieng from close range.

Moments later, the 2009 champions doubled the advantage when Nixon Omondi opened his account with a fine finish to pile more pressure on the Slum Boys.

The Salim Ali-led charges looked lost and it was not surprising when they conceded the third goal in the 18th minute. Juma capitalised on a concentration lapse to score from a volley. 

The 2008 champions started the second half stronger. However, they had to wait until the 71st minute to get a goal courtesy of Daniel Otieno.

In the 83rd minute, the Slum Boys scored their second goal to set up a tense finale, when Chris Oduor was at the end of a good move to give his team hopes of getting at least a point. 

Batoto ba Mungu recollected themselves and in stoppage time, Juma completed his hat-trick to ensure his team won the game 4-2.  

Meanwhile, Bandari FC and Zoo FC settled for a 1-1 draw in another league game staged at Mbaraki Stadium in Mombasa.

Ugandan William Wadri scored first in favour of the Dockers after 22 minutes before the Kericho-based team struck back in the 66th minute through Sammy Ggolola.

Mesut Ozil could have been the “the best player ever to play for Arsenal” if he had the determination of Kieran Tierney, says Martin Keown, but a divisive figure at Emirates Stadium is considered to have been “conning” supporters across his time in England.

There have been flashes of brilliance from the World Cup winner during his spell in north London, with there never any doubting his ability.

Inconsistency has, however, proved to be a problem, with Arsene Wenger, Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta struggling to bring the best out of the talented playmaker on a regular basis.

The latter, who has the reins at present, has taken to freezing Ozil out of his plans in 2020-21.

That has the former Germany international heading for the exits, as his lucrative contract continues to run down towards free agency, and Keown says a player snapped up from Real Madrid in 2013 will leave with his potential unfulfilled.

The former ex-Gunners defender told talkSPORT: “It hurts me that a player of that talent can’t get on the football pitch, it’s a crying shame.

“For me, he doesn’t go down as a legend, because he doesn’t match the energy and determination of legends that I’ve seen at that football club.

“If he had Tierney’s determination, coupled with that ability, he might’ve gone down as the best player ever to play for Arsenal.

“He’s become calculated in the way that he’s undermining the club with tweets, and I think it’s now time to go.”

Keown added on Ozil, having been critical of the 32-year-old throughout a seven-year stint at Arsenal: “Two-and-a-half years ago when Atletico Madrid knocked Arsenal out of the Europa League, I watched very closely and it felt like he was conning the fans.

“He wasn’t giving everything for the shirt; I accused him of crocodile tears, it felt like something was very wrong. That was two-and-a-half years ago, and my opinion hasn’t changed.

“There was a session of illnesses, a mystery back injury, away games he wasn’t available.

“Is there a problem with the player? Is he conning us? Eventually he’ll write a book and we’ll get to know the whole story.

“But if you’ve got that much talent and you’re not getting picked, you can’t be giving 100 per cent, and that was happening two-and-a-half years ago.

“He [agent Dr Erkut Sogut] accused me of jealousy and not being worthy; I think the 449 games for Arsenal qualify me, I’m not sure how many the agent has played.

“My eyes don’t lie. Statistics tell you an amazing story about Ozil, which I don’t think is convincing.”

Ozil’s last outing for Arsenal came back on March 7, 2020, with a humbling fall from grace seeing him slip out of favour in Project Restart and fail to convince former team-mate Arteta of his worth.

AFC Leopards dropped to fifth on the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League table after falling 1-0 to Wazito FC at Utalii Grounds on Saturday.

Former Mathare United midfielder Kevin Kimani scored the lone goal to hand his team maximum points.

The Francis Kimanzi-led charges came into the match aiming at making it two wins in a row after a morale-boosting 2-1 win in their previous win over Nairobi Stars.

Ingwe, on their part, were desperate to come back to winning ways after a shock 2-0 loss against Western Stima in their last outing.

The visitors came into the match on a high note and after just six minutes, Whyvonne Isuza almost punished his former team but his header missed the target.

Goalkeeper Benjamin Ochan had to be alert in the 10th minute when Musa Masika beat the defenders to set a one-on-one situation. The Ugandan, however, pulled off a fantastic save to deny him.

The 2018/19 National Super League champions were finally rewarded in the 20th minute when a defensive lapse allowed Kimani into the danger zone and Ochan had no chance of stopping him.

Marvin Nabwire was introduced five minutes to the break, taking the place of Musa Saad as the hosts tried their best to tame Wazito, who dominated the proceedings.

The substitute ended the first half on a high as Isaac Kipyegon's free-kick found him in a good area but his header missed the target.

Even after the resumption, there were no signs of Wazito slowing down and Ochan had to be at his best to deny Kimani his brace.

Dennis Ng'ang'a thought he had scored in the 49th minute but his effort hit the crossbar and bundled out for a goal-kick.

As the game petered out, neither of the two teams managed to create further clear scoring changed.

Wazito are now placed in the fourth position on the table with 11 points from seven games while Leopards drop to fifth with nine points from five games.

AFC Leopards XI: Benjamin Ochan, Yususph Mainge, Robinson Kamura, Collins Shichenje, Isaac Kipyegon, Fabrice Mugheni, Said Tsuma, Peter Thiong'o, Musa Saad, Jefari Owiti, Elvis Rupia

Subs: Jeff Oyemba, Washington Munene, Boniface Mukhekhe, Marvin Nabwire, Hansel Ochieng', Caleb Olilo, Bienvenue Shaka

Wazito FC XI: Fredrick Odhiambo, Dennis Ng'ang'a, Bernard Ochieng', Michael Owino, Boniface Omondi, Whyvonne Isuza, Fidel Origa, Dennis Sikhayi, Musa Masika, Kevin Kimani, Johnstone Omurwa

Subs: Bixente Otieno, David Otieno, Vincent Oburu, Joe Waithira, Joshua Nyatini, Amos Asembeka, Maurice Ojwang', Kevin Okumu, Ali Hassan.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic could feature for AC Milan for the first time in seven weeks when the Serie A table-toppers host Torino on Saturday.

Ibrahimovic suffered a hamstring strain after netting a brace in a 3-1 win at Napoli on November 22, before a calf injury in training last month further delayed his return.

Milan coach Stefano Pioli told reporters on Friday that he did not expect the former Sweden international to return but he was listed in a 24-man squad published on Milan's website on the day of the game.

What's been said?

“He has done his programme, he has done some work, but I don’t think he will be available tomorrow," said Pioli at his pre-match press conference on Friday. 

“We will have to grit our teeth, if two more injuries were to be added, we would have many absentees. 

“We must resist, we must do well. If there were seven, eight, nine players missing, it would be normal to face difficulty. But the players will soon return and we can increase the rotations.”

Why does it matter?

The 39-year-old produced scintillating early-season form, scoring 10 goals in six top-flight matches following a bout of coronavirus to establish Pioli's side as the pacesetters in the Scudetto race.

However, the Rossoneri's lead at the Serie A summit is down to a point after they suffered a first league defeat of the season at home to Juventus in midweek - the reigning champions running out 3-1 winners as Federico Chiesa scored twice.

How have Milan performed with & without Zlatan?

Milan's form without Ibrahimovic this season has held up very well, with a 70 per cent win ratio in the matches without him edging 66.7% from four wins and two draws with him on the field in Serie A.

However, Pioli's men average slightly more goals (2.3 to 2.1), shots (17 to 15.6) and crosses (12.8 to 11.2) per 90 minutes with Ibrahimovic as their attacking spearhead.

What is the Milan squad to face Torino?

Goalkeepers: A Donnarumma, G Donnarumma, Tatarusanu.

Defenders: Calabria, Conti, Dalot, Duarte, Hernandez, Kalulu, Kjaer, Musacchio, Romagnoli.

Midfielders: Calhanoglu, Castillejo, Diaz, Frigerio, Hauge, Kessie, Olzer, Tonali.

Forwards: Colombo, Ibrahimovic, Leao, Maldini.

Further reading

Four Asante Kotoko players have tested positive for coronavirus upon the team's arrival from the Caf Champions League trip to Sudan, the club have announced.

The Porcupine Warriors touched down in Accra on Friday following cancellation of the first round, second leg fixture against Al-Hilal Omdurman.

The game was called off when Kotoko were unable to present a minimum of 15 players required for the match, per Caf regulations, after seven members of their travelling squad tested positive for Covid-19 just before the fixture.

"Four players and four officials of Asante Kotoko tested positive for Covid-19 upon our arrival at Kotoko International Airport yesterday," Kotoko announced in a statement on Saturday.

"They are currently in isolation and are being treated by the Covid response team and supported by the Asante Kotoko medical team.

"It is however important to note that five players including Kwame Opoku and one official who was alleged to have tested positive from the first test in Sudan have all tested negative from the subsequent two tests in the Military Hospital in Sudan and at the Kotoko International Airport.

"The rest of the team with the addition of Danlad Ibrahim and fit-again Emmanuel Keyekeh, Mudasiru Salifu and Patrick Asmah are currently training at the Teshie Military Park in Accra as we prepare for our GPL encounter with Liberty Professionals on Monday, 11th January 2021."

With Kotoko unable to present enough men for the away tie, Al Hilal, per Caf rules, were declared winners of the game on a 2-0 scoreline, handing them a 3-0 victory on aggregate after the first leg fixture in Accra ended in a 1-0 away triumph for the visitors.

The Sudanese are, thus, through to the group stage of the Champions League while Kotoko have been relegated to the Caf Confederation Cup where they have been pitted against Algerian side ES Setif for a playoff showdown.

The Ghanaians, meanwhile, are contesting their elimination from the Champions League as they claim the positive Covid-19 results against their players in Sudan were falsified by Hilal authorities.

Having launched a protest at Caf, the 23-time Ghana Premier League champions are reportedly considering heading to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) should their protest prove unsuccessful at the continental level. 

David Moyes says West Ham did not expect to sell Sebastien Haller in the January transfer window and admits they are not ready to bring in new players.

The 26-year-old striker left the east London side after just 18 months at the club, returning to the Eredivisie to join Ajax in a deal worth €22.5 million (£20m/$28m).

The sale marks a significant loss for the Hammers, who bought Haller from Eintracht Frankfurt for a £35m ($48m) fee.

Haller scored 10 goals in 48 appearances in the Premier League, including just three in 16 this season, but Moyes says they did not plan on selling the Ivory Coast international until Ajax approached.

Despite making room in the squad, the manager feels it will take time for them to arrange new signings. 

"I think that the Seb Haller situation was simply that we got an offer, we didn't expect it, we weren’t planning to lose Seb this window," Moyes told reporters.

"He’s done great for us, he's won a few games recently with his goals, so we wish him well.

"I think it's a really good move for him to go to Ajax and it was something which maybe if we didn't take this offer now maybe we would not have got it at a later stage, so we just felt it was the right thing to do, but it certainly wasn't planned.

"You need to make sure that you have spaces to bring people in, if you don't have spaces then all you do is gather players and it becomes more difficult.

"So, part of the job is to create room for it, we have now created room that we can bring players in. Are we ready for that? No, not really. But we will go along and we'll do what we can and we will try and bring in what we think are the right players."

West Ham also allowed Robert Snodgrass to leave this month, seeing him join West Brom after making just three brief Premier League appearances this term.

"Robert Snodgrass was going to be out of contract in the summer and with us having Andriy Yarmolenko and Jarrod Bowen playing in a similar position, it made it something which we wanted to help him with," Moyes said.

"Snoddy’s been fantastic for the club, he is a great character, he’s great around the club, we didn’t want to lose him for those reasons. But also at this moment in time, I couldn’t guarantee him that I was going to give him another contract for next year. So we felt the right thing to do, the fair thing to do, was to allow him to move on."

Bryan Reynolds is closing in on a move to Serie A, with Benevento poised to sign the right-back from FC Dallas at Juventus’ behest.

A meeting is scheduled for next week to decide the 19-year-old’s future, with talks progressing well amid talk of an €8 million (£7m/$10m) transfer.

However, it remains to be decided if the Italian club will sign the player on loan with an option to buy him on a permanent basis at the end of the season.

Juventus have been linked with a move for Reynolds for several months, while it was reported in the United States last month that Roma made a bid for him.

Juve are leading the race to land him now, but they would not be able to register the full-back if they signed him this month because they have already filled all of the available places for players from outside of the European Union.

Instead, Reynolds is expected to join Benevento and then be sold to the Turin giants in June.

The deal would be similar to that which brought Merih Demiral to Juventus. The Turkey international had a brief spell at Alanyaspor before being loaned to Italian outfit Sassuolo in January 2019.

That summer, the central defender was signed by the Bianconeri in a deal worth €15m (£13m/$17m).

Reynolds came through the Dallas youth academy before signing for the club at the age of 15. He has made 31 first-team appearances for the club since making his senior debut in May 2019, 27 of which were in MLS.

Should he join Juve, he would become the second member of the squad from the United States, with Weston McKennie already there.

Benevento are currently 10th in Serie A after 16 matches, 16 points adrift of leaders AC Milan. Juventus, meanwhile, are fourth and seven behind the San Siro outfit, though Andrea Pirlo’s team have a game in hand.

Juve, who have lost just one game in Serie A this season, will face Sassuolo in the league on Sunday before turning their attention to the Coppa Italia, in which they will face Genoa. A derby match against rivals Inter will follow four days later.

Former Zesco United defender David Odhiambo has joined Super League side Napsa Stars on a two-year deal.

Since leaving Zesco United, the star has been training with Gor Mahia and has now been confirmed at the Lusaka-based side. At Napsa Stars, ‘Calabar’ as the Harambee Star is famously known, has linked up with Timothy Otieno and Shaban Odhoji.

Otieno joined Napsa Stars from Tusker in the last transfer window after he had won the Golden Boot with 15 goals in the cancelled 2019/20 season.

“[David Owino] Odhiambo’ is a Pensioner. The player has signed with Napsa Stars for two years. Welcome!” the club announced on Saturday .

At Zesco United, Odhiambo established a legendary status as he spent six years with the Ndola club where he won five Super League titles, three Absa Cups, and two Charity Shields.

His great abilities also saw Zesco United establish themselves as regular competitors in the Caf Champions League and in the Confederation Cup.

Odhiambo was part of the Timu ya Ziko squad that struggled in the 2019/20 season, failed to defend the Super League title and finished fifth. They ended up missing out on the continental slots after participating in the last eight years.

His exit from Zesco United came at a time the club started implementing a rule that will limit foreign talent in their ranks . He was the second foreigner to leave after Burundian international Enock Sabumukama who has been coincidentally signed by Napsa Stars.

Duke Abuya and Harun Shakava, who helped Nkana FC win the 2019/20 title, are other Kenyans playing in the Zambian top-tier.

John Makwatta, all-time scorer Jesse Were and Ian Otieno are at Zesco United while Duncan Otieno and Musa Mohamed, last season league winners with Nkana, moved to Lusaka Dynamos in the last transfer window.

Odhiambo – who was the first high-profile Kenyan footballer to join a Zambian side in 2014 after winning the KPL title with Gor Mahia – will now face K’Ogalo in the second preliminary round of the Caf Confederation Cup in February.

Napsa Stars and Gor Mahia were paired together when Caf conducted the draw on Friday after the conclusion of the previous engagements for both the Confederation Cup and the Champions League.

Napsa Stars will now hope to tap on Odhiambo’s experience in order to establish a strong defensive line that also has Luka Nguni, Smart Banda, Boyd Mkandawire, Bornwell Silengo, and Luka Banda.

Bayern Munich fell victim to a "brutally effective" Borussia Monchengladbach in their humbling 3-2 defeat on Friday, according to Hansi Flick.

Robert Lewandowski's penalty – his 20th Bundesliga goal of the season – and a fine strike from Leon Goretzka put Bayern in control of the Bundesliga clash at Borussia-Park inside 26 minutes.

However, a wayward pass from Benjamin Pavard led to a quick break that finished with Jonas Hofmann scoring, and the Gladbach midfielder was played onside by Niklas Sule as he doubled his tally before half-time after Joshua Kimmich was caught in possession by Lars Stindl.

Sule then gave the ball to Hofmann inside his own half four minutes after the restart and Florian Neuhaus subsequently atoned for conceding the first-half spot-kick with a bizarre handball by netting the winner.

Gladbach consequently became the first team since Cologne in February 2011 to beat Bayern in a Bundesliga game after falling 2-0 down.

"We had hoped for a different ending to this game and expected it, but in the end we were punished. We lost the ball unnecessarily three times and the opposition was brutally effective in finishing those chances," Flick told a post-match news conference.

"When you ask me how to prevent that, on the one hand you have to keep the mistakes to a minimum, or avoid them, and on the other hand you have to cover your deep positions twice.

"We suffered similar situations on their first two goals. Hofmann went deep from midfield and we moved forward too quickly and opened the centre without covering the deep position, and with the second we should have kept going and covering the positions.

"That shouldn't happen and it's not a nice situation to be in, but a defeat, even if it's Bayern Munich, is part of the game. In the second half the team tried everything to achieve a positive result but unfortunately it didn't work."

Manuel Neuer has now conceded in 10 straight Bundesliga games for the first time in his career, with Bayern letting in 16 goals since their last clean sheet against Eintracht Frankfurt on October 24.

Bayern have conceded 24 goals through 15 matches in the top flight this season, the most they have shipped at this point of a Bundesliga campaign since 1981-82.

Flick added: "I've said it a few times, we are making too many mistakes. You can't deny that the team tried to win.

"We had to fight today, we knew it would be a difficult game. Don't forget [Gladbach] is a team that played in the Champions League against top opposition and prevailed, so we needed this compact team performance and we showed – with the exception of these three situations.

"But of course, we're not satisfied with the result. We all know we need to show even more concentration in our defensive work in the crucial moments. We have to cover the deep positions and that's the challenge we have, and we have to improve in the coming weeks."

Bayern are back in action against 2. Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday.

New Kedah signing Rodney Celvin can consider himself a lucky man.

Through his recent loan move to Kedah Darul Aman, the defender will get the chance to feature in continental football, as Kedah have qualified for the group stage of the 2021 AFC Cup.

"I am proud to have joined Kedah because they have quality players, and I am proud to be training among them. I want to thank the coaching staff and the board for selecting me to be a part of the team for the 2021 season. I'm not sure of my chances in the coming season as it is up to the head coach, but I will give my 100 per cent in training in order to get the coaching staff's attention.

"Playing in the 2021 AFC Cup will be a huge experience for me as it is the highest level of [club] competition that I will have participated in. And I will use this excitement to work harder in training," said the 24-year old as quoted by the club.

The former Malaysia U-23 international had joined Kedah from Selangor, where he made eight league appearances last year. The Red Eagles meanwhile has qualified for the cup following their runners up finish in the 2020 Malaysia Super League. 

Mauricio Pochettino wants "special player" Kylian Mbappe to enjoy himself on the pitch, which could help him to regain his best form.

Mbappe has 12 goals in 14 Ligue 1 matches this season but has not been at the peak of his powers amid concerns over burnout. The France international went almost a full year without scoring in the Champions League before ending his dry spell in the competition with a double in the group stage win against Basaksehir last month.

Pochettino warned the 22-year-old that he needs to improve after Paris Saint-Germain were held to a 1-1 draw at Saint-Etienne in the new head coach's first game in charge on Wednesday.

Ahead of facing Brest in his first home game since replacing Thomas Tuchel on Saturday, Pochettino was asked if forward Mbappe still seemed tired.

"It is a question about a special player," Pochettino said of Mbappe, who is in negotiations to renew his contract beyond 2022 amid speculation he could move on.

"He came back in good shape after the break, with a very good state of mind. 

"He is the top scorer in the championship. We hope that he will have fun and find the performance of which he is capable."

Returning to Parc des Princes, where he played from 2001 until 2003, is an occasion former Tottenham boss Pochettino – who will again be without star forward Neymar - is looking forward to.

"It's going to be a special night and a joy, yes, 20 years after wearing this jersey," he said.

"Unfortunately there will be no supporters, it's a shame and that will be missing. 

"In any case, we talked about it among ourselves and with our families: we have the impression that we have been here for a year, whereas it's only been five or six days!"

Reigning Ligue 1 champions PSG are three points behind current leaders Lyon after 18 matches. After Saturday's clash with Brest, Pochettino's side will take on Marseille in the French Super Cup on Wednesday, which will be followed by a trip to Angers in the league three days later.

Atletico Madrid's La Liga match against Athletic Club has been postponed.

Athletic were prevented from travelling to the Spanish capital for Saturday's encounter due to a snow storm, forcing officials to call the game off.

"The match that we were supposed to play today against Athletic Club at the Wanda Metropolitano (set for 16:15) has been postponed due to the snowstorm in much of the peninsula," said a statement from Atletico. 

"The inclement weather prevented the expedition of the Basque team from traveling to Madrid due to the temporary closure of the Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport and, in addition, the travel of our team, referees and club staff to the stadium was not guaranteed to be safe due to the poor condition of the roads in the Community of Madrid.

"Faced with this situation, La Liga has requested this morning the postponement of the meeting to the Professional Competition Committee given the exceptional circumstances caused by inclement weather and the latter has ratified the decision not to play the game today as planned. The new date of the meeting will be announced in the next few days."

A statement from Athletic clarified that the plane carrying the squad was forced to turn back to Bilbao after being unable to land in Madrid.

"The Rojiblancos’ flight took off one hour later than planned under the initial assurance that it would be able to land in Madrid," the club added.

"Whilst making the approach to land, after 30 minutes of waiting and without certainty that landing would be possible, the captain recommended returning to Bilbao, where the plane landed safely at 22:00 CET."

The match at the Wanda Metropolitano may not be the only one hit by the extreme weather conditions in Spain. 

It has been reported that the clash between Osasuna and Real Madrid could also be in danger. Madrid landed in Pamplona on Friday night after their flight was subject to lengthy delays.

Snow is expected in Pamplona but according to Marca, Osasuna have hired extra staff to clear the pitch if necessary.

Safa Head of Referees Abdul Ebrahim has made damning allegations that referees officiating Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches have never been tested for the coronavirus this season.

This comes as South Africa is currently experiencing a second wave of infections driven by a rapidly-spreading Covid-19 strain.

Ebrahim alleges referees are currently handling top-flight league matches without being tested and were last checked for the coronavirus during the PSL bio-bubble which ended in September 2020.

“It is true that the referees haven't been testing for Covid-19, the last time they tested was during the bio-bubble,” Ebrahim told Marawa Sport Worldwide.

“There’s always going to be a risk involved if the sport needs to continue then that's something that needs to be looked at. It is a huge concern, we take our lead from our medical department. We should be talking all the time with the medical department. If I were to give a personal opinion, I would advise everyone to lock themselves up at home.”

Under the amended regulations of South Africa's Disaster Management Act as well as Safety at Sport and Recreational Events Act, it is a pre-requisite to enforce maximum health and safety protocols at sporting events. 

The referees have since raised concerns which have seen the football governing body and the league engaging each other on the matter.

“This will be a collective discussion and decision for a way forward. I am sure there is an ongoing discussion between Safa and the PSL in this regard,” said Ebrahim.

“I don't think there's an incident where our referees have tested positive for Covid-19. It is important that everybody involved gets tested for Covid-19. It’s concerning and alarming and I am sure we will hear from the joint-liaison team on a way forward.”

There has reportedly been a rise in coronavirus cases among PSL players lately and most clubs are not keen to go public about recorded positive cases.

A trend has developed where some players are mysteriously omitted from team sheets with no clear explanations, while some teams admit that certain players would not be injured but out due to “medical issues or illness.”

Clubs like Chippa United and Cape Town City have, however, been open about the Covid-19 cases recorded within their camps by revealing the identities of the affected players.

Wazito FC coach Francis Kimanzi has admitted they will be happy to beat AFC Leopards by a slim margin when the two sides clash in an FKF Premier League match on Saturday.

The former Harambee Stars coach has said he does not care if they pick a slim 1-0 win against their opponents insisting what matters in such a match is to get maximum points.

"Our focus is to get three points, that is the reason we go into any match, we want to win even if it is 1-0 but also keep a clean sheet, we are winning matches but not keeping clean sheets and that is why we want to make sure we are solid at the back,” Kimanzi told reporters ahead of the match. 

"Defensively we need to play as a unit, if we score one goal, then we can defend and win even if it is 2-0 that is fine with me.”

“We also need to make sure we defend our lead, when we take the lead we need to defend it, and that is what I have told my players.

On facing AFC Leopards, Kimanzi said: “Both teams are under pressure because they want to win the game, so it will be a very difficult fixture.”

On what to expect from the fixture, Kimanzi said: “Both teams have new players and they also have a new bench same as Wazito so the most important thing is to make sure we continue from where we left from our last game against Nairobi City Stars [win 2-1] and see if we can win, we need to show our character, remain focused and do our job.”

On whether he has injury concerns heading to the match, Kimanzi explained: “We started training after our first win in the new year and the game gave us a morale booster because remember we had ended the year with defeat so it was good we put up a spirited fight to start the season with a win.

“The win was good, it has given us the push to attempt for another win, and I am happy the team is focused, we don’t have any injuries so far and in fact, we have received more depth because other players, who were out injured are coming back, which is good for us.”

The match will kick-off at 1300hrs at Utalii grounds.

Former KF Tirana manager Ndubuisi Egbo has revealed his dream of winning the World Cup with the Nigeria national team.

Egbo made Africa proud when he guided Tirana to win the Albanian league in the 2019-20 season and also qualified them to the Champions League, becoming the first African coach to do so in Europe.

Egbo, who is currently without a job, has now expressed his readiness to coach the Super Eagles when the opportunity comes and has set his target for the West African side.

“Like I have said in many interviews, it is like a military service that you do for your country. When you are called upon you don’t have any choice, unless I’m in a contract with another team and it is difficult to go away from there,” Egbo told Punch. 

“I’m always open to help my country because I’m a dreamer and I always want `to achieve something to fulfil those dreams that I had.

“I always remember what Pele said that he dreamt that one day an African country would win the World Cup. I’m seeing Nigeria winning the World Cup.

“That is one of the dreams I want to achieve for my continent. Anytime I’m called upon, I still have it in my head that if I am given the opportunity I will do my maximum best not only to make Nigerian football but African football move ahead.

“Just like how Pitso Mosimane of South Africa is doing, he won with Sundowns and then went to Egypt and won the Caf Champions League with Al Ahly.

“Those are the things that we need to be doing to move African football up. Al Ahly is the club of the century in the whole world and that is something coming from Africa. I’ve won one trophy on a continent, why not win the World Cup or at least get to the final first of all.

“If we want European clubs to take a look at our players, we need to bring them up to their level and achieve what they are achieving, then we can measure our strengths with theirs.”

The highly respected manager, also bemoans a lack of support to Nigerian coaches by their employers, citing the example of Sunday Oliseh, who was not given the needed time while in charge of the West African side, in sharp contrast to the current coach Gernot Rohr who is enjoying a second spell despite his inability to win a single trophy for the side.

“We need to start giving our own coaches the opportunities to prove their talents and also time because we will make mistakes in the beginning and we will learn.

“Just like they are giving opportunities and time to [Super Eagles coach] Gernot Rohr; after five years he has not won any major trophy and he is still there but Emmanuel Amuneke and Sunday Oliseh were not given enough time.”

In November, the Super Eagles laboured to back-to-back draws against lowly-rated Sierra Leone in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which resulted in high criticism on Rohr's performances.