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Kerala Blasters are going through a rough patch of form in the Indian Super League (ISL) with just one win to show from nine matches and are currently 10th on the table. 

In their last match, they were hammered 4-2 by Odisha FC and they had none but themselves to blame for the defensive mistakes that led to the goals. But Kibu Vicuna will get another opportunity to forget that harrowing defeat when they go up against Jamshedpur FC on Sunday evening and the tactician believes that his troops can bounce back. 

"It was a difficult night. Since that match, we have been preparing. We trained yesterday we are going to train today. In football, you have to bounce back, show personality that we are a good team," said the manager. 

Vicuna stated that he was not feeling any pressure with respect to his job security and is instead focussing on turning things around. He swore by his style of football but did admit that Blasters need to prune their mistakes on the field. 

"It is not a question of style. The teams are different, players are different. We are making changes, we are not playing the same style from the start. We are trying to improve and correct (the faults) with the team we have. I am sure that this team can get good results. It is not a question of being stubborn with the style."

The I-League winning coach revealed that new signing Juande, who is a defensive midfielder and has been roped in as a replacement for Sergio Cidoncha, will be ready from Monday. 

Whereas, winger-turned-fullback Prasanth Karuthadathkuni believes that with 11 more matches left in the season, it is possible for the Tuskers to make a comeback.

"It is a difficult situation but it is part of football. But it has been like that for some years. I am trying to help the team, all players are trying to give their 100 per cent. Everyone is disappointed but there are 11 games to go. We are correcting our mistakes in training. We have time to prove ourselves.

"For me, I want to play according to how the coach wants to play. That's the player I want to be. Coach wants to play me as a right-back and I am familiar with the role. I am giving it my 100 per cent," he stated. 

Odisha are in a buoyant mood after finally picking up their first win in the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) season in their previous game against Kerala Blasters. Now they are set to take on Chennaiyin FC and will be hoping to improve on that performance.  

Ahead of their game against Chennaiyin on Sunday, the Juggernauts' coach Stuart Baxter was full of praise for his team's belief in themselves. 

"It (the first win) is important to the degree that we needed to get those first three points to give the players the belief and confidence to continue on the road ahead. I think the players did a fantastic job in retaining their belief despite the results being against us, sometimes quite unluckily. Now hopefully, we can kick on," said the Brit.

Baxter effected a few tweaks in their lineup last game and admitted that the risk of using two forwards paid off. He played Daniel Lalhlimpuia and Diego Mauricio together up front while putting Gaurav Bora in defence and shunting Jacob Tratt to right-back in place of Shubham Sarangi who has been in poor form of late. 

"It was basically using the players that we had in a different way. So Jacob had a different role and did a great job with it and we got Bora into centre-back position. We wanted two strikers because we wanted to get further up the field a little bit more quickly and give ourselves the chance to run the combination that we have.

"We took a risk with two upfront but it was well done by the players in the two or three sessions before the game," he explained.

Particularly with respect to Diego Mauricio's role, the 67-year-old mentioned that he expects more from the Brazilian who has now scored half of Odisha's 10 goals including a brace against Kerala Blasters.

"Diego has been dangerous and clinical when we get him in the right positions. He is still learning the way that we want him to play. Sometimes, with players like Diego, you have to be careful not to put him in a little box and ask him to do the things the more average players would do. There are certain things that we expect from him to allow the other players to function. So I think Diego is in that process and doing a decent job. If he continues to score goals while he's learning, we are all happy."

The Odisha gaffer meanwhile feels that Chennaiyin will be a tough opponent.

"If you look at every team in the league, every game that I've seen could go both ways. All games are tight and can be turned by inconsistent refereeing decisions, big mistakes by one or other players or a little bit of momentum. Small things have a big impact in this league. So we can expect that Chennaiyin will be smart from their results and we will have renewed vigour after our result. It will be a tight game and we will have to play well if we're going to take three points," Baxter stated.

Mathare United defender David Ochieng' has stated it is disadvantageous for his team to start the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League late.

The 2008 league champions were temporarily locked out of the competition after refusing to sign an endorsement deal between FKF and StarTimes to surrender their broadcasting rights to the latter. The Federation went on to expel them but the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) ruled in favour of the slum boys.

"It is a disadvantage to us that some teams have played about five, six games already and have several points," Ochieng' told Goal.

"We cannot say we have a game in hand because we have not already won them. Other teams know their strengths and weaknesses as opposed to us which is a disadvantage.

"It is something that should not happen, but now that it has happened, we have to brace ourselves and give our best. It is like climbing a hill with your competitors already halfway."

The 28-year-old defender has further warned other teams that Mathare players have had enough rest and have not come to joke around.

"The team felt good after getting the positive news of returning on the pitch," Ochieng' continued.

"Every player trains hoping to be involved in matches and now that we are part of the league, it has given us motivation and boosted our confidence.  

"We have had enough rest as players and Mathare is not coming to joke around with any team. Yes, other teams have played many matches as compared to us, but the rest we have had is good and enough for us to go and give our best on the pitch."

The former AFC Leopards defender has further revealed the target for Mathare United this season.

"As a team, we want to give our best and win the league, but in case it does not happen then we have to finish high and prepare better for another campaign.

"But as a player, I will be satisfied if we win the league title this season. It will be a good ending after a bad start." 

Mathare United will be opening their campaign on Saturday, January 9 away to Sofapaka FC.

Rene Weiler has emerged as the clear favourite to replace Sven Vandenbroeck as Simba SC coach.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi confirmed on Thursday they had parted ways with the Belgian tactician after he had guided them to the group stage of the Caf Champions League.

A source within the club has confirmed to Goal the 47-year-old tactician from Switzerland is likely to replace Vandenbroeck at the Tanzanian champions.

“Weiler has become the clear favourite to take over the reins at Simba,” the source, who did not want to be named, told Goal. “He is currently a free agent after leaving Al Ahly of Egypt and that puts him ahead of the rest of the coaches who have applied for the job.”

On Friday, Vandenbroeck took to his Instagram page to reveal why he had parted ways with the champions.

“I have amicably parted with Simba to find more balance between work and my family, and for personal development,” said Vandenbroeck. “I do so with a heavy heart because I became a part of Simba and Simba became a part of me.

“I thank all the players for their contributions to our success and fans for all the wonderful memories.

“I especially thank president Mo and CEO Barbara Gonzalez for their professionalism and for helping me do my job. They both tried to convince me to stay until the last second.

"I will always wish Simba great success.”

The Belgian came in to replace Patrick Aussems in December 2019 after the latter had failed to guide them further in the Champions League. The 1-1 home draw against UD Songo was one of the key factors that ended Aussems reign at Simba but Vandenbroeck came in and got the giants rejuvenated.

The former Zambia head coach won three titles in one year after stellar performances in the domestic competitions. He helped the Msimbazi side defend the league title for the third time in a row, won the Azam Shield Cup as well as the Community Shield Cup.

In 55 matches he oversaw, Vandenbroeck registered wins on 39 occasions, 10 draws were recorded and they got just six losses.

Vandenbroeck left Simba who are currently second to Yanga with 35 points but have three matches in hand. The champions, after dispatching FC Platinum, booked a group stage spot in the Champions League. They have travelled to Zanzibar where they are set to participate in the Mapinduzi Cup.

Uganda and Kyetume FC defender Mustafa Mujuzi has explained how they are prepared to fight for a place past the group stage of the African Nations Championship (Chan) tournament.

Mujuzi was among the players who took part in a pre-Chan mini-tournament where Cameroon, Niger and Zambia were also participants. Uganda ended up emerging as the best team after an opening 1-1 draw against Cameroon before 2-0 and 3-0 wins against Zambia and Niger respectively.

To Mujuzi, the preparations through the tournament are capable of helping them find enough points in Group C against Morocco, Rwanda and Togo and proceed to the knockout stage.

“We thank God who has enabled us to put into action whatever we have been given to see that we topped the tournament,” Mujuzi said as was quoted by Sports Nation.

“With the points, we managed to get, it will push us more to prepare very well for the Chan competition. We are ready to go past the group stages.

“We are ready enough to display what we have been taught by our coaches into action come our first game which is against Rwanda. These friendlies have helped us, players, to understand each other and the condition down in Cameroon.”

Mujuzi’s affirmation of proper preparations ahead of the tournament came after his coach Johnathan McKinstry drew positives from the competition too.

“There are several things we have learnt from the pre-Chan mini-tournament,” McKinstry said. “First, it was about testing all players by having a good time on the field and getting the final squad for the Chan final tournament itself.

“We also have a number of our players who have not been here and have played Cecafa only. However, there are some in the squad who have not even played at Cecafa.

“It has given them huge belief heading into the tournament and that they can compete at this level. We played three good teams Cameroon, Zambia and Niger.”

The coach picked a 25-man squad for the tournament but surprisingly dropped Steven Mukwala – the 2019/20 Premier League top scorer.

Uganda will set base in Douala where they will play their group matches from January 18.

Kaizer Chiefs would like to prove that reaching the Caf Champions League group stage was not a fluke by sparking a recovery in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) with a clash against basement side Maritzburg United at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Fresh from Tuesday’s 1-0 away at Primeiro Agosto in Luanda which earned them progression into the Champions League mini-league phase for the first time in their history, Amakhosi host the Team of Choice high in confidence.

Gavin Hunt and his men have endured a difficult PSL campaign in which they have recorded just one win in eight matches.

This has left them 13th on the standings with just two points better than Maritzburg who anchor the standings.

Interestingly, Chiefs would be coming up against their former coach Ernst Middendorp who led them to an agonising near-miss of the league title last season, leading to his sacking four months ago.

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Squads & Team News

Kaizer Chiefs are likely to miss defender Erick Mathoho who is thought to have been given compassionate leave following the death of his father on Thursday.

It would be a major blow for Chiefs losing the centre-back who has been steely at the back amid their struggles for positive results in the PSL.

Amakhosi are however certain they will be without midfielder Philani Zulu who is suspended.

Zulu is serving his second match suspended after being red-carded against SuperSport United on December 15.

Striker Samir Nurkovic could start or at least be handed more playing minutes after making his season debut against Agosto in Angola following his recovery from injury.

It is not yet clear if captain Itumeleng Khune would be back after missing their trip to Luanda earlier this week.

Also uncertain is the availability of Willard Katsande and Lebogang Manyama who missed the Agosto match.

Earlier this week, Maritzburg United new signing Clayton Daniels revealed that coach Middendorp assured him of regular game time.

This puts the veteran defender in prime position to start his second Maritzburg game after making his debut against Bloemfontein Celtic on January 2.

He joined the Team of Choice at the end of 2020 following his release by SuperSport United and is expected to partner Rushine de Reuck, Nazeer Allie or Riyaaz Ismail at the heart of the defence.

De Reuck was not available for the Celtic match because of unclear circumstances.

Middendorp will be hoping for the availability of his top forwards Judas Moseamedi and Thabiso Kutumela who have managed two goals each in the team’s eight goals in nine league games.

Match Preview

Saturday’s encounter is a must-win for both sides as only two points separate them in their flirtation with relegation.

Chiefs risk finding themselves second-from-bottom if they lose while 14-placed Chippa United beat Golden Arrows on the same day.

On the other hand, Maritzburg will complicate their bid to vacate the basement if they lose to the Soweto giants.

With Amakhosi having last won a league match in October 2020, they now face a Maritzburg side that appears to have improved under Middendorp and have not lost in two straight games, including recording their first win of the season in their last game against Bloemfontein Celtic.

Chiefs could, however, draw confidence from their Champions League exploits as well as the fact that they knocked out Maritzburg from the MTN8 with a 2-1 victory three months ago.

The two sides’ last league meeting ended 2-1 in favour of the Team of Choice in February 2020 at FNB Stadium.

AmaZulu's head coach Benni McCarthy has confirmed that his side will be missing three players to Covid-19 when they take on Bloemfontein Celtic in a Premier Soccer League encounter on Sunday.

Midfield mainstay Makhehleni Makaula, left-back Sibusiso Mabiliso, and veteran attacker Siphiwe Tshabalala are the three players that have tested positive.

''Obviously, it wasn’t the ideal start because we were expected to start on the 2nd [2 January] against Kaizer Chiefs, but we understand the circumstances with Chiefs playing in the Caf Champions League in Africa,’’ McCarthy told the club’s media office.

''So the game was postponed which gave us a little bit more time to prepare for Bloemfontein Celtic, get all our ducks in one basket and just work on the technical aspects and how we can build from the great performance we had against Chippa [United].

‘’A lot of good things came from that game, so we just had to continue from there.

''Unfortunately, we got hit with three players being positive and had to self-isolate and that disrupted. Makaula was one of them who played in the match against Chippa, Mabililso was the second one who had a fantastic game, so we are losing one of our offensive left-back players but we got experience coming back and Shabba [Tshabalala], just for the group, for the atmosphere, for the experience he brings to the group.

''So, when you lose three players like this then you need to rotate the squad and find different solutions.

''But I think everybody has been working hard and everyone is really up for the future, and the future is in two days [Sunday].

''Hopefully, we can continue from the good game we had against Chippa. We know it's a different opponent. Celtic is formidable, very tricky, very quick.

''In Bloem, they are very difficult, but to our advantage, they won't have their 12th man with them, because they have great support with fans who get really behind them.''

With the coronavirus crisis worsening in South Africa and globally, with 21,980 new cases recorded in the past week - a new high for the country, Usuthu are among the few teams who have confirmed positive cases. Cape Town City and Chippa United also confirmed three cases each ahead of their midweek fixtures.

Sofapaka coach Ken Odhiambo has revealed his target when they face Mathare United in an FKF Premier League match is to build on the result they picked against Tusker last weekend.

Batoto ba Mungu snatched a 1-1 draw against the Brewers in the first match under Odhiambo, who had joined the team from Bandari, and the coach now says he will want to build on the result when they take on the Slum Boys at Wundanyi Stadium on Saturday.

“Certainly, yes we want to build on the Tusker draw,” Odhiambo told the club’s website when asked if the Mathare United tie in a must-win encounter. “We will be at home and we want to win since our winning rate hasn’t been good, playing at home comes with its own pressure and we are going for maximum points.

“It’s going to be one entertaining clash against Mathare, they have a good side with some top signings and of course they do play some good football thus they will give us a good test tomorrow [Saturday].”

On how they have prepared for the clash, Odhiambo said: “We’ve had some good preparation towards the match. The players have been pushing themselves out and they show much desire to win.”

On whether the Tusker match is a good confidence builder, the former defender explained: “Definitely yes, we were far in terms of confidence and the Tusker draw was a huge confidence boost. I feel the players are getting back to full confidence and I believe this will help us moving forward.”

Sofapaka have no major injury concerns heading into the clash with only Rwandan defender Isaac Mitima set to miss out. The defender has, however, started light training sessions and should be ready to face Nzoia Sugar in their next match.

In the last five meetings between the two sides, Sofapaka have managed three wins with the other two matches ending in a draw.

The Sofapaka encounter will be the first one for the Slum Boys since they were reinstated by the Sports Disputes Tribunal. Mathare United alongside Zoo FC had been expelled by the FKF over the objection they had against the StarTimes broadcasting deal.

But since the tribunal ruled that the two clubs be reinstated, they have been training in anticipation of their league starts.

Four days after the clash against the Batoto ba Mungu, Mathare United will play Zoo FC before hosting Bandari on January 22, travel to Nakuru, and face Ulinzi Stars on January 27 before concluding the month’s duties with a game against Tusker on January 31.

The Disciplinary Committee of the  All India Football Federation (AIFF) overturned the red card awarded by referee Arumughan Rowan to East Bengal defender Daniel Fox, Goal can confirm.

East Bengal had written an official complaint against the referee to FIFA and kept AIFF and FSDL (Football and Sports Development Limited) in the loop, for what they thought was a harsh decision to flash the English defender with a straight red for a foul on Alexander Romario in the 56th minute in the 1-1 draw against FC Goa last Wednesday.

Hence, Fox will be available for selection against Bengaluru on Wednesday, at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa. But coach Robbie Fowler remains suspended and will not be available in the dugout. 

Goal can also confirm that referee A Rowan is suspended for an indefinite period.

The second decision which the club had questioned was Bright Enobakhare's cancelled goal in the same game. Surchandra Singh had made a run into the box to score past Mohammed Nawaz but the Gaurs custodian stopped the effort. The ball ricocheted into the path of Enobakhare who found the back of the net but it was disallowed as the referee deemed that Surchandra had committed a foul on the keeper.

However, there is no comment on the disallowed goal that East Bengal have appealed against. 

The Kolkata giants had previously lodged a complaint against referee Rahul Kumar Gupta in their goalless draw against Jamshedpur back in December 2020 wherein Eugeneson Lyngdoh was sent off.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Cedric Kaze and striker Saidi Ntibazonkiza have been named the best coach and player for the month of December.

The two were crowned on Friday after guiding the team to maintain their lead at the top of the 18-team table at the end of the first round of matches and with an unbeaten record.

The award is decided by the league's award committee according to the suggestions of coaches and various stations where the league is being played.

According to Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), Kaze beat Sven Vandenbroeeck (formerly of rivals Simba SC) and Biashara United coach Francis Baraza to the award while Ntibazonkiza emerged top after beating Seif Karihe of Dodoma City and Simba’s Clatous Chama.

Since joining Yanga on October 22, 2020, to replace fired Serbian Zlatko Krmpotic, Kaze is yet to lose a match with the Jangwani giants.

In December, Yanga played four matches against Ruvu Shooting, Mwadui FC, Dodoma Jiji, and Ihefu FC and still came out unscathed, and thus giving him the award.

Meanwhile, since arriving at Yanga, Ntibazonkiza has been the darling of club fans as he has managed to score goals in crucial matches, his latest being in the 1-1 draw against Tanzania Prisons at the start of the second round.

On signing for Yanga, Ntibazonkiza promised he will help the team to achieve their set targets including winning the league title.

“I’m happy to play for Yanga, they approached me in their quest to reinforce their squad and I said let me go for the challenge to see how we can build the team altogether,” Ntibazonkiza told reporters in Dar es Salaam.

“I will use my experience and with a combination of other experienced players, we will achieve the goal.

“I feel happy to see people appreciating what you do, It’s my first experience to play with Yanga but I see a bright future here,” said Ntibazonkiza, who has also played for Burundian giants Vital’O and also Kaysar Kyzylorda in the Kazakhstan Premier League.

On which team will stop Yanga from winning the title, Ntibazonkiza said: “Let’s see how it is going since I’m a new player I cannot say that, it’s too early considering the fact that I have not yet played for the league match.”

Yanga are currently topping the table on 44 points from 18 matches.

Mamelodi Sundowns will be seeking to consolidate their Premier Soccer League (PSL) lead when they travel to Baroka FC for Saturday’s clash at Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Tied at 21 points with second-placed Swallows FC, but enjoying a superior goal difference, Sundowns would be keen for a victory and wait for the Dube Birds' showdown against Orlando Pirates 24 hours later.

Interestingly, Downs would be facing a team which did them a huge favour on the final day of last season to hand them a third-straight league title.

Baroka held Kaizer Chiefs 1-1, a result which paved way for Masandawana to overtake Amakhosi who had come within 31 minutes to clinch the league crown after leading the standings for 28 games.

But on Saturday, all that is behind as Sundowns’ focus is maintaining their place at the top of the standings, while eighth-placed Baroka are looking to improve their fortunes.

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Baroka coach Thoka Matsimela’s biggest hope in breaching the Downs defence could be relying on forward Richard Mbulu who is their top goalscorer with four goals in eight matches.

The Malawian missed their last game against TS Galaxy and would be much-needed against the log leaders.

Another player who could carry Bakgaka on Saturday is Evidence Makgopa who is their second-highest scorer with three goals.

Makgopa also missed the trip to Galaxy and it is not yet clear if he would be available against Sundowns.

Goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze was absent in their last match and the reasons for this are still unclear but his return would be a major boost.

In the Zimbabwean’s absence, Oscarine Masuluke guarded goal with Ndzalama Mbiza being his understudy.

For the past four matches across all competitions, Sundowns have missed the services of attacking midfielder Themba Zwane, arguably their best players so far this season.

It is not yet clear what has sidelined Zwane but Masandawana said they have been hit by injuries and medical conditions lately.

But earlier this week, co-coach Rhulani Mokwena hinted at fielding their full-strength team against Baroka, saying they are “welcoming a lot of players back to training” and almost “getting a clean bill of health.”

This could be an indication that Zwane who has managed seven goals in as many PSL games this season could be back.

Already, forward Kermit Erasmus has returned after a brief spell on the sidelines, while captain Hlompho Kekana is also slowly coming back.

After being an unused substitute in Tuesday’s 3-1 Caf Champions League victory over Jwaneng Galaxy, Gaston Sirino could be given a run for his first league match of the season.

Midfielder Gift Motupa was recently reported to be close to full fitness and it would not be a surprise if he features on the bench as he awaits his Downs debut.

Match Preview

Sundowns go into Saturday’s match on the backdrop of an 11 match unbeaten run in the league including edging Orlando Pirates 1-0 in their last PSL game.

Interestingly, their last defeat came at the hands of Baroka, a 1-0 loss during the PSL bio-bubble in August 2020 before Bakgaka went on to do Downs a favour on the final day of the campaign.

But now, this is a different season as Sundowns boast a much-beefed squad while Baroka made a few additions to their team.

The Brazilians are in top form this season and look strong enough to run over struggling Baroka.

The Limpopo side’s coach Matsimela has struggled to guide the team to an impressive run in the past few games after promisingly starting the season.

Baroka started the season with two wins and a draw in their first three games, but fizzled out and have managed just one win in their last five outings as they dropped to the middle of the table.

But Matsimela and his men would be keen to pick up form against the defending champions in what could hand them confidence and breathe life into their next matches.

What could, however, work against Baroka is their defence which has conceded 13 goals in nine league games, the third-highest number shipped in the league so far in this campaign.

FKF Premier League side Gor Mahia are on the verge of naming Carlos Manuel Vaz Pinto as their new head coach.

Goal can exclusively reveal the two parties have already reached an agreement and the 46-year-old Portuguese tactician will take charge of the Kenyan champions.

Gor Mahia secretary Sam Ochola has confirmed to Goal the coach, who has previously handled teams in Africa among them Saint George SC of Ethiopia and Angolan club Clube Recreativo Desportivo do Libolo, will arrive in the country next week for the unveiling ceremony.

“Vaz Pinto will arrive next week for the unveiling,” Ochola told Goal on Saturday. “He was among the coaches shortlisted for the job and we have agreed on terms with him, he will be in Kenya from next week.”

Vaz Pinto will arrive to take over from Roberto Oliviera, who left K’Ogalo after the Confederation of African Football (Caf) barred him from sitting on the touchline during Caf matches after having problems with his coaching qualification papers.

Oliviera’s premature exit forced Gor Mahia to hire Posta Rangers coach Sammy ‘Pamzo’ Omollo on a temporary basis and the former international has already overseen the team in two Caf Champions League assignments against APR of Rwanda and CR Belouizdad of Algeria.

With Gor Mahia dropping to the Confederation Cup after losing 8-1 on aggregate to CR Belouizdad and where they have been drawn to face Napsa Stars of Zambia in the play-offs, Vaz Pinto will now be tasked with the job of guiding the side in the competition and also help the team win the league title for the fifth season in a row.

On Friday, Ochola told Goal assistant coach Patrick Odhiambo will be in charge of the team when they resume league action against Kariobangi Sharks on January 10 as they work to bring in a new coach.

“We know we don’t have a full-time coach and we are working round the clock to have a new one come on board but for the time being, assistant Patrick [Odhiambo] will handle the team,” Ochola told Goal on Friday.

While Odhiambo had been linked with a move to Bandari, the coach has not reported to Gor Mahia training since the team returned from the humiliating 6-0 defeat away in Algeria. However, according to Ochola, Odhiambo is still contracted to Gor Mahia.

“Odhiambo is still our coach, he is contracted to Gor Mahia and he will be the one in charge against Sharks,” Ochola continued. “I am not aware if he has left us, I don’t know anything to do with that, all I know is he is part of us.”

“We also have our coach in the youth team, he will come in to assist Odhiambo as we search for a new coach, I know in a weeks’ time or next few days, we will announce a new technical bench, it will not take time.”

Vaz Pinto also managed the FC Famalicao U23 side from September 2019 to June 2020, where he played 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.

Odisha FC's wait for their first win in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) season was finally over as Stuart Baxter's side registered a convincing 4-2 win over Kerala Blasters on Thursday.

It took them nine matches but they finally did it and they did it in style. Ahead of the game, Stuart Baxter lost star forward Manuel Onwu who had picked up an injury during the warm-up and was ruled out. For a team who were struggling to score goals and get a win, Onwu's absence was certainly a big blow. 

The experienced coach tweaked the formation a bit from the last few matches and fielded the team in a 4-4-2 formation. Daniel Lalhimpuia was the last-minute replaces of Onwu and was deployed alongside Diego Mauricio. The Brazilian forward, who generally plays the number 9 role, was used as a second striker against Kerala.

Also underperforming full-back Shubham Sarangi was dropped from the starting eleven. Australian centre back Jacob Tratt was moved to the right side of the defence while Gaurav Bora was brought to the central defence partnering skipper Taylor.

The two changes did wonders for Baxter and the change in tactics proved to be a game changer against Kerala. Mauricio remained extremely mobile in the attacking third and constantly pestered the Kerala defenders. He scored twice in the match and was behind Jeakson's own goal in the first half which restored parity in the match.

Tratt too had an impressive outing in his new role and constantly kept the right flank active with his runs. The Australian got excellent support from Jerry Mawihmingthanga who seemed to be at his very best after a very long time.

On Sunday evening, they will be up against Chennaiyin FC – who have been wasteful in front of goal. In their last game, the Marina Machans conceded four and certainly, they would look to make amends against Odisha FC – a team with the second-worst defensive record in the league (16).

Baxter will hope that his side follow-up their performance against Kerala with another strong showing on Sunday in order to prove that the win over Kerala Blasters was not a 'flash in the pan'. 

Meanwhile, Chennaiyin will sweat over the fitness of Rafael Crivellaro, who provides the creative impetus to Csaba Laszlo’s side. The good news for Chennaiyin FC is that Esma Goncalves is back in contention for a start and has got some minutes under his belt in the last game.

It will be interesting to see if Laszlo decides to field Jakub Sylvestr and Goncalves together in the line-up, something which he has done only twice in the campaign.

It should make for an interesting tussle on Sunday. 

When Hyderabad took on NorthEast United in the 51st match of the seventh season of the Indian Super League (ISL), the teams knew that the three points were going to be important because it would take them back into the top four. Only a point separated the two teams ahead of the game and NorthEast United were winless for five matches. 

Hyderabad won the game 4-2, in the end, and there was a lot of drama at the end of each half. There were also multiple star performers for the winning team but two names do stand out - Liston Colaco and Joel Chianese. 

Colaco appeared in a total of five ISL matches for FC Goa and realized he needed to move on to get minutes and he's finally getting the attention his talent deserves at his new club during the ongoing 2020-21 season. He was one of the two players who made a difference for Hyderabad against their opponents in a match that seemed to be evenly contested for most parts.

It took three minutes for Hyderabad to break the deadlock when Joel Chianese decided to embark on a run into the box from the right flank. He managed to hold on to the ball despite the multiple incoming challenges from the defenders and delivered it to Aridane Santana who found the net with aplomb. 

Hyderabad were the more confident team in the early stage and it could well have been due to the 4-1 win in their last game against Chennaiyin. The Nizams had more desire to win the ball high up the field, which is what Akash Mishra did to set up the second goal. The full-back nicked the ball off Benjamin Lambot on the left flank and found Joel inside the box who curled an effort in off the post. 

After the game, Hyderabad boss Manuel Marquez said that he was happy with this team's performance throughout the game except for the last 10 minutes of the first half. And that was when NorthEast United seemed to be in with a shout. 

The Highlanders, quite incredibly, scored twice in two minutes. Halicharan Narzary, who was fantastic against Chennaiyin and had scored a brace, brought down Ashutosh Mehta inside the box and gave away a penalty that Federico Gallego converted.

For the second, there was chaos inside the box when Mehta hit the post from Lalrempuia's cross from the right flank. The ball fell to Gallego and then Sylla who both failed to beat the keeper before Lambot smashed home from close range. Both the goals conceded could have been easily avoided had the defence been a bit more alert. 

An energetic Liston Colaco replaced Mohammed Yasir and started charging at a tired NorthEast defence from the 64th minute. And the move turned out to be a masterstroke.

Colaco used his brilliant footwork to dribble past Roccharzela, Gurjinder Kumar and Khassa Camara after cutting in from the right flank to curl the ball into the top left corner of the net. It was a goal of sheer individual brilliance. 

Santana, who acted as a good focal point for the Hyderabad attack, chested a long ball brilliantly into the path of Colaco in the final minute of added time and the Goan forward beat the keeper with a neat finish to secure the win for his team. 

While it was Chianese who impressed in the beginning, it was Colaco who brought the curtains down on the game in style. Mehta, who was impressive at right-back, was one of the only shining spots in that NorthEast lineup. 

Hyderabad's impressive outings with a lot of talented Indians in the squad continue whereas NorthEast United fall further into a winless abyss that could make or break their season. 

It was the last nail in the coffin for Carles Cuadrat when Bengaluru FC lost their last league match to Mumbai City FC 1-3. That was the first time the Blues lost three matches in a row since they made their debut in the Indian Super League (ISL) in 2017-18.

With statistics from Opta Jeev, Goal takes a look at the Spanish manager's numbers during his time as head coach of Bengaluru FC.

After the departure of Albert Roca, Cuadrat took over the reins at the JSW-owned outfit during the 2018-19 season and led them to their maiden ISL title. Cuadrat extracted a win percentage of 48 per cent, while his predecessor had a win percentage of 66.6 per cent. 

But it must be noted that Cuadrat managed for a longer period of time and there is the fact that Albert Roca's Bengaluru side was a star-studded team with expensive players at their disposal. 

Bengaluru's away form is something particularly came to hurt Cuadrat's Bengaluru FC in the last two seasons.

During the 2018-19 and 2019-20 season, when teams got to play in their respective venues, Cuadrat enjoyed much success at home. With a 2-3 defeat against Mumbai City FC during the 2019-20 season, the 52-year-old lost only one match at the Kanteerava Stadium.

Away from home, however, things were not the same. Cuadrat had three more losses than wins as he faced nine defeats in 20 outings.

Cuadrat can boast never to have lost a game against FC Goa, Pune City and Hyderabad. But the same could not be said in the case of Mumbai City and ATK Mohun Bagan, although he faced the latter just the once this season.

His favourite opponents were FC Goa and Odisha FC in terms of picking four wins each against both the teams. Only against Mumbai City and ATK Mohun Bagan has the Spaniard failed to register a win during his time in India.

During the 2019-20 season, Bengaluru had four wins from nine matches, just one better than where they are this season. Questions have been raised on Bengaluru’s defence this season as they have scored 12 and conceded the same number of goals. Last season, they had conceded only five times in nine matches and 13 in the entire term.

Offensively, Bengaluru was not able to find a prolific number nine to replace Miku who was allowed to leave after 20 goals and four assists in 32 appearances for the club. His replacements in Manuel Onwu (now at Odisha) and Deshorn Brown, this season's signings in Kristian Opseth and Cleiton Silva have not been able to replicate the effectiveness of the Venezuelan in front of goal, leaving the burden of scoring goals on skipper Sunil Chhetri's shoulders.

One of the stark differences between this ISL season and the last one for Bengaluru is the number of clean sheets the team has kept from nine matches - six against two. There were no error leading to goals in the nine games during 2019-20 season, while the 2020-21 season has two. Also, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s save percentage was at 80% from nine games, this season it is at 63.6%.

The Blues have also continued relying on set-pieces, from 63.64% to 75% of goals scored so far this season from dead-ball situations. Whereas, under Cuadrat, Bengaluru has conceded 56% of goals from the hour mark including seven this season alone.

Bengaluru begin with their first test after the exit of Carles Cuadrat when they face East Bengal on Saturday.

In almost every press conference Carles Cuadrat would have been bombed by a few repetitive questions- why are Bengaluru not being able to score that many from open play? Do you think the new foreign signings in attack are doing enough? or, why is the conversion rate so poor? 

Cuadrat calmly took those in his stride and would always defend his players, be it Cleiton Silva, Kristian Opseth or for that matter Deshorn Brown. After drawing a blank against Jamshedpur FC, the coach reasoned, "We create chances with Sunil (Chhetri), Cleiton (Silva) and the number nines are doing their job, getting the space for the wingers.  We have more players in our squad who can provide us with goals." 

And before facing Mumbai when he was quizzed on the same issue, he replied," When you score, you're closer to score again because you force the other team to go out. If you see the last game, we were really creating a lot of chances in the other game and there was space for our players. We also have to be better not to concede because you lose two games 1-0. When you concede you can lose. The guys understand that and are working very positively." 

While many were missing the forest for the trees, the second part of Cuadrat's answer hit the nail on the head. Bengaluru need to get better defensively to win more points. 

The Blues have conceded 12 goals this season in nine matches, whereas in the previous campaign they had let in only five after playing an equal number of games. They boasted of six clean sheets in nine matches in 2019-20, whereas they have managed only two in the ongoing edition. 

Pratik Chaudhari has partnered Juanan at the heart of defence and it is amply clear that the duo needs to fine-tune their frequency. Injuries at the start of the season to Rahul Bheke and Ashique Kuruniyan have further complicated matters for the former ISL (Indian Super League) champions. 

Against ATK Mohun Bagan, both Chaudhari and Harmanjot Khabra were guilty of not closing down David Williams quick enough, which allowed the Aussie to glide inside, make space and pull the trigger. Whereas, in the next match Juanan allowed Jamshedpur's Stephen Eze to get ahead of him and nod in the header which turned out to be the eventual winner. 

Their defending from set-pieces have also not been up to the mark. Eze's goal stemmed from the second phase of a free-kick whereas, against Mumbai City, two of the three goals were from flag-kicks. While Gurpreet Sandhu's howler might be the primary reason for the third goal, one cannot look away from the shoddy marking during dead-ball situations. Both Fran Gonzalez and Juanan were behind the striker as Bartholomew Ogbeche hung in the air to unleash a powerful header. Fundamental errors and individual mistakes have come to the forefront time and again for the defensive lapses.

Talking of individual errors, Sandhu also has to shoulder his fair share of the blame. His save percentage in the previous season was at a staggering high of 80 per cent, while in the ongoing edition it has fallen to 63.6 per cent. 

In a nutshell, the entire defending unit has taken a beating this season. To further put things into perspective, they have been dribbled past on more occasions (48 to 61 times), conceded more shots on target (25 to 33), whereas the tackle success rate (67.7 per cent to 62.2 per cent) has gone down. 

But has the management taken the right step by showing the door to Cuadrat? Well, this might be a tricky question to answer. 

The recent results and more importantly the lacklustre style of play are a testament that Bengaluru have lacked cohesion on the pitch. But one has to keep in mind that most teams have not had a regular pre-season due to the Coronavirus pandemic including the Eagles. Their foreigners also arrived late and it is commonplace for a striker to take sometime before settling down in new surroundings. 

Moreover, their next six fixtures are against teams who are below them in the table. In fact, their next formidable opponent happens to be ATK Mohun Bagan on February 9. A little patience and a bit more trust, which are albeit rare in world football nowadays, on the ISL winning manager, might have done the trick. 

Note: The stats used in this article have been taken from OptaJeev

Newcastle manager Steve Bruce believes that it is “morally wrong” for football to go ahead during the latest wave of the coronavirus.

Infections are hitting record high numbers across the UK, while in England and Wales, hospital capacity is being stretched due to the volume of patients being admitted.

Bruce has seen the problems that the virus can cause, with several first-team squad members hit by the bug earlier this season. Having witnessed the impact, he has called for a suspension of the game in a bid to safeguard the future of players and their families.

“I see other clubs struggling with it now and of course there's Premier League protocols in place but once you leave the training ground you are in the outside world,” he told the media on Friday.

“The speed in which it ripped through us is something all football clubs will be looking at because it is difficult to contain and stop.

“We've seen first hand how it affects people - we've had two players who were very, very sick and one or two members of staff, one in particular nearly hospitalised.

“And no one envisaged this new wave was going to be as powerful as it is.

“Financially it's right to play on, but for me - morally it's wrong. I understand people want to play a game of football but we are just as vulnerable as everyone else.”

Bruce cited the case of star attacker Allan Saint-Maximin, in particular.

“Once it left him it has caused big problems,” he said. “Allan has been out for six weeks or whatever so that's going to take time. I'm no doctor but there's so many symptoms and problems afterwards so it's been difficult.”

Bruce believes that clubs are taking every precaution they reasonably can in the battle against the virus, but is unsure that it will be enough.

“Lets be fair, when we are in football we are socialising,” Bruce said. “We may be taking all the protocols the right way and doing everything possible but how do you stop Manchester City from celebrating the way they did the other night?

“They were all in a huddle, celebrating, sweating, exhaling badly. If you stop that, you stop the whole enjoyment of sport.

“All of us are suffering but we are the lucky ones providing an entertainment that people can tune in to and watch.

“There will come a stage though where we will have to make a decision - let's hope there isn't further outbreaks in the next few weeks.”

Arsenal attacker Gabriel Martinelli has admitted that the horror knee injury he suffered in June caused him a huge amount of pain both physically and emotionally.

The young wide player sustained the issue during training, and though it did not feel like anything at first, it required surgery.

After missing several months with the injury, Martinelli is now only finding his way back into competitive football.

“I was about to receive the ball and felt a little pain on my knee,” he told the Daily Mail. "Not enough for me to stop practising, but, while we were on the finishing session, I told them that I was in pain. They told me to rest and, if I felt the pain the next day, to let them know.

“When I woke up, I felt it but I was able to walk. I thought it was nothing at first, but it was a pain I'd never felt before. I went to the club for the examinations and they said it was not good and I would need surgery. It broke me. I cried a lot.”

Martinelli, who joined the Gunners from Ituano in 2019 and has scored 10 goals in 30 outings for the club, revealed the manager Mikel Arteta was a great support to him.

“Mikel talked to me during my recovery,” he said. “Always calling me to know how I was, even when I returned to Brazil for a time in August. When the club needed me, he talked to me again, asking if I was feeling ready to play.

“I said yes. I still feel a bit of pain in the knee, but the doctors say that it is fine. I've not been able to play 90 minutes yet, but it also needs time. My focus is on getting better and helping Arsenal.”

And Martinelli is now back in the fold, having made substitute appearances against Everton, Chelsea and Brighton since December 19.

The Gunners have three home matches coming in the next nine days, with a clash against Crystal Palace bookmarked by fixtures against Newcastle, first in the FA Cup then in the league.

Aston Villa’s Louie Barry has called his FA Cup strike against Liverpool his proudest ever moment.

The 17-year-old netted an equalising goal just before half-time for a makeshift Villa side in their FA Cup third-round tie with the Reds at Villa Park.

A second-half salvo from Jurgen Klopp’s outfit saw them power clear and secure a 4-1 win, but the plaudits went to the hosts, who were comprised of youth players after their first-team squad was forced out of the match following a coronavirus outbreak in the camp.

“I knew that I had it, as soon as I saw it,” Barry told BT Sport of his goal. “To put the ball in the back of the net, it is the proudest I’ve ever been. Family were probably screaming at the TV when it hit the back of the net.

“It all happened so quickly. I was just happy to score – hopefully I score many more … I was working very hard, and so was everyone else. When I celebrated everything came out of me. For the celebration it was relief. It was good.

“I’ve never been so proud of a team – from start to finish we gave our all. When I scored, I thought we might have a chance. Obviously that didn’t turn out to be but we were a credit to ourselves and a credit to the club.”

Meanwhile, he revealed that he had to run down the tunnel to get his shirt back after swapping with Liverpool defender Fabinho.

“I remembered it was my debut shirt. I got his shirt as well, so credit to Fabinho. I got both of them,” he laughed.

Meanwhile, stand-in manager Mark Delaney, who is normally in charge of the U23 team, was also proud of what his players achieved.

"This is the most excited I've been," he said.

"I'm hugely passionate about the club. I've played here and coached here for a long time. Everything's in the right place. We've got some fantastic people working at this club, everyone wants to know what everyone's doing.

"Everyone wants to know about every player at the club. There's a good sense of this club going places which I'm happy to be involved in."