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Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has warned Gaston Sirino that he will need to work especially hard to earn himself a place in the Masandawana side.

Sirino has enjoyed three outstanding seasons with the Brazilians during which time he has netted 24 goals and registered 29 assists in 100 matches.

The Uruguayan, however, has been pushing for a move to join former Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane at Egyptian giants Al Ahly and has therefore not been part of the squad over the past couple of months, a period which has also coincided with injury.

Last week, though, the Tshwane side issued a statement which they hoped would put an end to the ongoing talk regarding a potential move for Sirino to the African champions.

And subsequently, Mngqithi has claimed that Sirino is now looking ready to fight for a place in the side, although he's cautioned that with Sundowns in good form, that won't be a formality.

“Mentally he was all over but now he is back in training and he is showing signs that he needs to fight for his place in the team,” Mngqithi was quoted saying by FarPost.

“Sirino can see the team is moving forward without him and it is very easy at Sundowns to be forgotten, so he is giving his best now at training, he is working very hard and we are hoping to see him soon.

"We are hoping that maybe in the next few matches he would have fought his fitness back and be able to fight for his place in the team.

“It is not going to be a walk in the park because the boys that are inside are really giving their best. We know what he is capable of doing and when he comes in he adds to our depth which is very important when you are a team like Sundowns."

In Sirino's absence, Themba Zwane has been shouldering the goal-scoring responsibility with seven league goals while Peter Shalulile has chipped in with four.

The defending league champions' next action comes in a Caf Champions League first round fixture - away at Jwaneng Galaxy FC on Tuesday evening. The South Africans have a 2-0 advantage from the first leg.

Danny Murphy believes Manchester United are Liverpool's main rivals for the Premier League, insisting it is "good for the game" for the 13-time winners to be back "in the mix".

United have endured eight years of hurt since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure, with Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea all moving above them in English football's pecking order.

David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho all failed to turn the Red Devils back into genuine contenders for the domestic crown, but signs of promise have been shown since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's appointment in December 2018.

The Norwegian boss delivered a third-place top-flight finish last season and his players have kicked on from there, rising to second in the standings at the half-way stage of the 2020-21 campaign.

United are only behind reigning champions Liverpool on goal difference at the moment, with their 2-1 home win over Aston Villa last time out putting extra pressure on Jurgen Klopp's men ahead of their trip to Southampton on Monday night.

Murphy is pleased to see the two clubs going "toe to toe" at the top of the table again, and has praised Solskjaer for the job he has done at Old Trafford over the past two years.

"My natural instinct isn't to wish Manchester United well but I have to appreciate that seeing them in the title mix, currently joint-top with Liverpool, is good for the game," the former Reds midfielder told the Daily Mail.

"The rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester City has been enthralling in recent years but nothing can compare with seeing the biggest two clubs in the country — Liverpool and United — going toe to toe.

"United's revival under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is an example that patience can be the best policy towards a manager. There have been many times when Solskjaer has been written off or needed a result to secure his job and he's always found a way.

"That is a credit to him and perhaps a lesson to trigger-happy chairmen that you sometimes have to give managers a proper chance, particularly when they are trying to instigate long-term change."

Murphy doesn't think United will succeed in wrestling the title back from Liverpool come May, but he feels Solskjaer has a similar personality to Klopp, and would not be unhappy to see his hard work rewarded with tangible success in the form of trophies.

"I think Solskjaer has conducted himself remarkably well over the past couple of years," he added. "He is hard to dislike. I think they will fall just short this season, over 38 games Liverpool and City are still stronger, but he's made United competitive again.

"If the worst happens and United end up champions, Solskjaer is the one person you wouldn't mind winning because he would remain humble and take it the right way, as Jurgen Klopp did at Liverpool. If Jose Mourinho had won the league with United, it would have been something different!"

Chennaiyin FC have been amongst the most creative teams this season in the Indian Super League (ISL). Except for the game against NorthEast United, they have dominated every opposition and have been let down by poor finishing, bad refereeing and not being able to defend set-piece situations.

They have created goalscoring opportunities aplenty and have been one of the entertaining teams to watch this term.

However, coach Csaba László pointed that while his team are doing the difficult part easily – which is to create chances, they haven’t been able to convert the same.

“We are working on it, especially with players who have scored goals or taken the shots, like [Lallianzuala] Chhangte or even Jakub Sylvestr. Hopefully, we can create the same amount of chances and score even more goals than until now. 

"I think, in football, it's more difficult to create chances than to score. I want to play in the same way that we have until now and I am really confident. I know the boys will score (more) goals. Let's say that the confidence must be there in a player,” said the former Uganda national team coach.

László mentioned that being in a bio-secure bubble has helped his cause as he has been able to spend more time with his players and explain the finer intricacies better. He also called for players from different positions to score as that would ease the burden on just the strikers.

“Maybe the bubble helped because I have more time to talk and show videos and explain what we can do better but motivation is always [done] individually. Sometimes with people telling that if you score one goal, it will be easier to score the next. I hope this is true and Jakub will score more and more. 

“On the other hand, I want that our goals come from different positions. We are not so far but for this you need some more time and quality. Generally, I am pleased with the way the players are responding in training,” said the 56-year-old.

Chennaiyin FC could possibly be without their talismanic skipper Rafael Crivellaro, who picked up an injury after being hacked down by Pronay Halder in their last match against ATK Mohun Bagan. However, the good news is that Esma Goncalves, better known as Isma, is back to full fitness.

“The medical staff are working with him. He has a diagnostic test tomorrow (Monday) after which we will be sure what injury he has. Isma is back and that’s good news. Germanpreet (Singh) is also more or less fit, maybe not game fit,” he said.

The former Lithuania national team coach highlighted the importance of being mentally strong, an important aspect which is often ignored. He also spoke on how players who haven’t played in the ISL need more time to adapt and be comfortable, and the time frame to achieve it depends on player-to-player.

“We kick the ball with the leg, we don't touch the ball, but generally football is also a mental game. You always ask your body how strong you are mentally, not just physically because both aspects are very important. 

“After you also change players tactically in the eleven, some new players come in who have not played in the ISL. So, these players also have some pressure. Generally, if you put everything together, I can tell you that this will take a little more time but how long? I hope in the next game we can score three goals from 15 chances, I am already satisfied,” he mentioned.

Chennaiyin FC have been guilty of giving away cheap goals from set-piece situations despite the presence of several players who are strong aerially in their starting eleven.

“We are working on it. We conceded all together seven goals, five from set-pieces. The last game was a clean-sheet and we have to continue in this way. We have good players who can defend,” he spoke in defence of his players.

With clubs looking to strengthen or offload players in January to further streamline their squads, the Chennaiyin FC coach isn’t excited with the new possibilities and explained his reasons for the same.

“Unfortunately, this season, even if you wish to sign some players, it's not very easy because we are playing in a bubble. All these circumstances don't give you the chance to pick the right player. Also, after two weeks quarantine and then to adapt to the actual situation, it's not easy for anybody. I don't just want to bring in a player but the right player to fit in my system,” he stated.

Hyderabad FC suffered a 2-1 loss to FC Goa in their last match, a game in which they dominated but eventually conceded two late goals to drop three points. László shared his thoughts on Manuel Marquez’s side and believes that with the return of their injured foreign players, their head coach will have more options to choose which will help improve the overall quality in the team.

“You saw the last two games [of Hyderabad]. They play really compact. They were very unlucky in the loss against Goa but I also think that every team must be careful to play against them. Now they have the foreigners back after their injury problems which also gives the coach more choice and quality in their game,” pointed László.

Tusker coach Robert Matano has confirmed their readiness to take on Sofapaka in an FKF Premier League match on Sunday.

The two clubs will face off at Kasarani in the round six match but Matano, who has also handled Batoto ba Mungu in the top-flight before, believes they will come up against a well-drilled side that signed top quality players in the past transfer window.

“The squad is good and everybody is around and we have no injuries so far and all the players are responding well to training and are raring to go,” Matano told the club’s TV ahead of the clash.

“I think the morale and the spirit in camp is very high so we are waiting for the game today [Sunday] to play and win.

“The morale is high because we have won three matches in a row and we still want to do more, three wins in a row is not enough, the league is far from done, and we should at least pray the team keeps the consistency of winning matches going.

“I am insisting on consistency so that we can keep on fighting hard, work hard, and work smart so that with the support from the management, I think we can achieve our targets.”

Asked on what to expect from Sofapaka, Matano said: “It will be a tough match, as usual, Sofapaka have recruited well, good plyers, big names but also in football we have been together for long, now it is one year we have been together as a team so I think we should not think more about Sofapaka, but think on how we are going to play as a team.

“Also we should work on our composure, how our players are committed, how they are responding in training, this is the most important part, and that self-motivation is also good for us because everyone wants to perform.”

It will be the first match for new Sofapaka coach Ken Odhiambo, who replaced fired John Baraza, after leaving Bandari.

In the last five meetings between the two sides, Tusker, who are on 10 points, have managed three wins, with one match ending in a draw and Sofapaka winning the other.

Sports Club Villa striker Isaac Ogwang has pointed out his biggest achievement in 2020 despite the emergence of the coronavirus scourge.

The pandemic forced a number of leagues to be cancelled, including Uganda’s, but the forward has said the year will remain his best one as he joined a top-tier club.

“The pandemic has had impacts on my football career but it is in 2020 that I joined top-flight football in Uganda, it is a progress in my career,” Ogwang told the club’s website.

He also explained how he adapted to the team and why, to him, it was not a tough process.

“I didn’t take a lot of time to adapt because most of the faces I found at Villa Park were familiar,” he added.

“I had earlier played with them in junior setups and non-league football.”

He made his SC Villa debut against BUL FC and scored two goals against Mbarara City during his home debut, and was consequently named the man of the match.

 “It is the day I will never forget in my life because it is the day I made my first appearance in Uganda’s top division. And on top of that, the team managed to salvage a draw after going a man and a goal down," he continued.

“It was an amazing moment for me as a striker to be on the scoresheet.

“I was also very happy for collective hard work from the team to help me to score and win the man of the match award.

“I hope to build on that and score more goals for my team. I cannot point out any challenges because as a professional player, I go out and play as the coaches instruct me.

“If the goals do not come that’s unfortunate but even my coaches always offer a word of encouragement that I will constantly be on the score sheet soon.”

The forward revealed how he always feel whenever he is substituted: “That one goes to the coaches because they have their game plans,” he concluded.

“My work is to play which I do whenever given the opportunity.”

The Ugandan league took a break in order to accord the selected players to represent the country in the upcoming African Nations Championship (Chan) tournament.

Timo Werner and Kai Havertz's struggles at Chelsea are "normal", according to Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan, who has backed the Blues duo to come good at Stamford Bridge after a tough start to life in England.

Chelsea forked out a combined total of £117.5 million ($161m) to bring Werner and Havertz to west London in the summer transfer window.

Werner had terrorised defences in both the Bundesliga and Champions League at RB Leipzig, establishing himself as one of the most exciting young strikers in Europe in the process.

Havertz, meanwhile, stood out in a mediocre Bayer Leverkusen team due to his outstanding passing range, dribbling skills and eye for goal - with his performances ultimately inspiring Peter Bosz's outfit to a fifth-placed league finish and the DFB Cup final last season.

Unfortunately, two men who play alongside each other regularly at international level with Germany have so far failed to reach the same heights in west London, with Frank Lampard left scratching his head over how best to unlock their considerable potential.

Gundogan, who is also part of the current Germany squad, has not been surprised by Werner and Havertz's slow adaptation to the Premier League, and expects them both to prove their doubters wrong as they settle into their new surroundings.

"They have two new German players who have tried to adapt as well as possible," The City midfielder told Sky Sports.

"In general, I think it's not easy to adapt quickly to the Premier League when you come from a different country and now with the situation going on I think it's just even harder.

"So I think it's quite normal that they are struggling a little bit, but they both have incredible talent and I'm sure they will both be able to prove it in this league."

Gundogan was speaking ahead of City's trip to the Bridge on Sunday, which could end up having a significant bearing on the top-flight standings.

Pep Guardiola's men are level with sixth-placed Chelsea on 26 points, but they still have two games in hand over the Blues and the rest of the top five, with Liverpool currently leading the way on 33 points.

Gundogan is relishing the prospect of a closely contested title race, and he feels Lampard's side will be right up there come May despite their recent dip in form.

"There's not one team that is dominating, not just in England but across Europe," he added.

"All leagues in the world they seem very open at the moment and it's quite exciting I think. In the Premier League it is exciting for all of the clubs, the fans, so let's see what is going to happen.

"Obviously you want to win games and you want to get back to that first spot but everyone is challenging and competing with everything that they have. That's what makes this Premier League season so special.

"Like every year Chelsea have a great squad with incredible players, they are a great team and they have a really ambitious manager so I feel like they will really challenge us. Not just at the weekend but also generally in the league.

"They got some really talented, young recruits in the summer, spent a lot of money and got some really good players so I think they will do well. They've done well, of course they are also a team that struggles like everyone does but they have a lot of quality and it's going to be a great game on Sunday."

Gor Mahia treasurer Dolfina Odhiambo has apologised to coach Sammy Omollo for her misguided rant against him.

The official had stated the coach was naive as far as Caf Champions League matches are concerned and it was the reason why he was rigid in changing his tactics in the 6-0 loss to CR Belouizdad.

He further hit out at the Posta Rangers coach for saying K'Ogalo were not ready for their game since they had not trained.

"I am very sorry [my opinion] came out badly," Odhiambo apologised to Omollo via a text seen by Goal.

"It was my opinion and I did not stop to think that it would end up being turned into a circus and I believe I apologized and accepted the correction right in the studio.

"I am sorry 'Pamzo', as a matter of fact, from now henceforth I will never attend any technical meeting again. Let me focus on money matters, please forgive me."

This has happened while the K'Ogalo players are at home after refusing to train for the second leg of the game against the Algerian team until their dues are settled.

The players reluctantly agreed to play in the first leg and Dolfina revealed she had given them an option before the team left for Algeria on December 24 for the game that was played two days later.

She claimed it would have been prudent for the club to pay the players instead of honouring the Caf Champions League match against CR Belouizdad.

The official stated she engaged the players on whether they were in a good state to face the Algerian side, and through the assistant captain Philemon Otieno, they affirmed they were prepared.

"'Are we really ready to go and play?' That is what I asked the players and through the [assistant] captain Otieno they affirmed readiness,” Odhiambo said on Saturday.

"Yes, we had the money but I would have wished that we did not honour the game and use the money, where we had to pay Ksh4 million for the flight alone, to pay the players."

The treasurer also said that stand-in head coach Omollo should not in any way blame financial issues at the club as the main reason that led to the embarrassing defeat.

"So, that should not be the main reason why Omollo would say made us be defeated," she continued.

"Empty pockets on the part of the players might have contributed to poor results but not at the level the coach is trying to put it. That is my honest opinion.

"The boys were ready for it and were certainly upbeat. They were happy that I brought them to a nice place in Algeria and not a River Road Hotel [a sub-standard hotel in the Kenyan context]."

Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal can play with freedom now they have turned the corner on their dismal run of form.

The Gunners made it three Premier League wins in the space of eight days with a 4-0 triumph against struggling West Bromwich Albion at a snow-covered Hawthorns.

Alexandre Lacazette hit a second-half double in the space of four minutes to send Arsenal 11th in the table, after Kieran Tierney and Bukayo Saka had opened up a half-time lead.

The three-win streak puts an end to a run of seven matches without a victory and Arteta hopes he has seen the back of his team's miserable stretch of results.

"I hope so, at least the energy and the convincing momentum that you get from everybody that is involved, it's much more positive," Arteta said.

"At the end of the day, I wasn't that concerned with the performances.

"I think we lost games when we were really unlucky and most of them it was our own fault because we made some errors and we lack some discipline in certain moments.

"But you need to win football matches and now this brings a different momentum, a different energy, and now the players get the handbrake off and you can see that they are more free to play."

Arsenal did not only come up against Sam Allardyce's compact five-man defence in the West Midlands but also some adverse weather, with the snowfall getting heavier as the second half progressed.

Arteta believes his side flourished despite the wintery conditions and reveals his players are closing on the level of performance he expects from them.

"They were we dominating in a really convincing way against this really difficult weather, I am really pleased," the Spaniard added.

"It's three in a row in the last week. We talked about the importance of this week for us and to be able to win the three of them is really important.

"There were moments that I think we were really good, both defensively and offensively.

"We had moments when it's exactly what I want, exactly what we're trying to do.

"In other moments we became a little bit sloppy and we thought the game was won, which is something that we have to improve.

"In general, it's close to what we want."

Tusker goalkeeper Emery Mvuyekure has revealed his main priority in his third season in the Football Kenyan Federation Premier League.

The Rwandan star said winning the league remains his primary ambition in the 2020/21 season after missing out in the last two campaigns.

Mvuyekure was part of the Tusker squad that missed out on the title to Gor Mahia on those two occasions despite being viewed as pre-season favourites by some.

“My first season was quite tough and that is because I had not fully adapted to the terrain of the Kenyan league but for now I feel that I am a Kenyan and ready,” Mvuyekure said as was quoted by Tusker’s Facebook page.

“This is now home. I have played for two seasons and I have not won the league title but in the third season, I feel I must win the league title.”

Apart from revealing his dream, the custodian gave an update on their readiness ahead of league action against Sofapaka at Kasarani on Sunday.

“Sofapaka are a big team that we cannot afford to underrate. Although they have lost a number of games in the season, we respect them as one of the biggest teams,” he added.

“The Sunday game will be very difficult but given how we have prepared in the training sessions I believe we are going to score goals.

“Let me admit that our pre-season was not that good but we have since got enough time to prepare and we are in good shape than we were in the previous games. We are in very good shape especially after the week-long sessions we have had on the training ground.

“We started badly but that was because our pre-season was not that good but as the days have gone by, we have continued to improve. We lost the first game, drew in the second one before we went on to pick three consecutive wins.

“We are simply very ready for the Sunday game.”

Meanwhile, Sofapaka will welcome back Michael Bodo for the Tusker clash but David Simiyu, Isaac Mitima, and Stephen Okola will miss the encounter given they are far from full recovery from various injuries.

There was a time, about 18-24 months ago, when it seemed almost impossible to mention the name of Wilfred Ndidi without following it up by suggesting he deserved more recognition.

Invariably, these nods came solely in acknowledgement of his prodigious ability to win the ball back in midfield, and over the intervening period that reputation has only grown.

However, there is only so long that one can proclaim a player as 'underrated' before the term loses its meaning entirely: especially with the rise of statistical analysis in football today, it is easier than ever to quantify the influence that less flashy players can exert on a game.

Since Ndidi touched English shores, he has been a one-man midfield marauder, filling in the void left at Leicester by the departure of Frenchman N’Golo Kante to Chelsea.

Naturally, he had to fend off the comparisons for a while (and some of that persists still), but now he is very much his own man at the King Power Stadium, and stands alone as one of the most efficient disruptors of play in the Premier League.

The question then is: what next?

The key to continued relevance and success in any walk is evolution. The notion of providing different looks is one that is heavily pronounced in combat sports: presenting an ever-changing profile is a valuable tool, as it not only keeps the opponent off-balance and unable to set up meaningful offence, but it can also create a platform to strike from unseen angles.

As a concept, it can apply to individuals in team sports as well. However, the heavily scripted nature of modern coaching often means very strict requirements are placed on certain players, and for defensive-minded players, these demands are based around what they cannot do, rather than what they can, and this can be the very enemy of evolution.

For Ndidi, this has meant a simplification of his role at Leicester under Brendan Rodgers – he is required to sit in, win it and then move it on quickly and securely.

However, in order for the 24-year-old to attain a new level in his growth, it may become necessary for his range of responsibility to be expanded. Or, even, for him to seek his fortune elsewhere.

This brings us right around to another notion, one that has begun to gain traction more recently, but is a natural extension of the “underrated” tag: the need for Ndidi to play for a bigger club, and in so doing follow the Kante arc.

While the player himself would probably dislike being seen as following in his predecessor’s footsteps, excellence is bound to attract hype and interest.

It is worth noting there are a number of top clubs around Europe that are, at the moment, lacking a true enforcer at the base of midfield: Manchester United have been seeking a successor to Nemanja Matic, for instance, and Atletico Madrid have yet to properly replace Thomas Partey, who departed for Arsenal in the summer.

Clearly, a player of Ndidi’s talents is very much in demand. However, a doubt remains: if he has not already moved at this time, perhaps there is a reason for it?

Kante, after all, only stuck around for a (wildly successful) season before Chelsea came in with a sizable offer. Does that indicate there might be doubts as to the transferability of his skill set to a larger stage?

There may very well be, but that just goes right back to the level of responsibility he is required to fulfil at Leicester. While not the most expansive of distributors, he has shown flashes of capability when it comes to playing incisive passes into the final third, and has seen his tactical understanding of the deep role greatly improve in the last year.

In truth, the biggest staying factor is a temporal one: his degree programme at De Montfort University will be completed in 2021, taking away the final obstacle in his way and freeing up the possibility of a move elsewhere.

With that out of the way, the Nigeria international is set to be plunged into one of the biggest transfer sagas of the summer of 2021, and may finally get the mainstream credibility many have long felt he is due.

Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA FC) have confirmed players in training for their Caf Confederation Cup clash against AS Kigali have returned negative Covid-19 results.

The Kasasiro Boys suffered a huge blow ahead of the first leg fixture in Kigali, Rwanda, after eight of their first-team squad members, including coach Mike Mutebi, tested positive for Covid-19 and as such did not travel for the away clash.

The team was further affected while in Kigali as two of their players also tested positive for the virus, prompting Caf to cancel the fixture and award it to AS Kigali - 2-0 - because KCCA were not able to raise a squad of 15 players as required by Caf rules.

The former Ugandan Premier League (UPL) champions have now confirmed they have resumed training for the return leg contest set for Kampala on Wednesday, January 6, and that all players in camp, including the officials, have tested negative.

“All the players and officials in camp have undergone Covid-19 testing and returned negative results,” the club said on their official website.

“The camp has been organised in line with preparations for the Confederation Cup return leg game between KCCA and AS Kigali on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende.

“The team entered camp on Saturday, January 2, and will start training at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende, the venue of Wednesday game.

“Upon arrival, the players immediately went in for a brief meeting enlightening on the Covid-19 pandemic that was addressed by the team doctor Ivan Ssewanyana who urged players to follow all Ministry of Health Guidelines while in camp.

“While talking to the players, assistant coach Morley Byekwaso urged them to be more vigilant and alert about the guidelines governing Covid- 19 while in camp.”

KCCA have, however, not confirmed whether the players and officials left behind before they travelled to Kigali for the first leg meeting have also returned negative results.

Apart from coach Mutebi, others affected by Covid-19 are assistant coach Badru Kabuye, goalkeeping coach Moses Oloya, first-team coach Jackson Magera, goalkeeper Charles Lukwago, Denis Iguma, Kezironi Kizito, Brian Aheebwa, Stefano Mazengo, Hassan Matovu, Samson Kigozi, and Hassan Musana.

Sofapaka coach Ken Odhiambo has confessed they will face a huge task when they take on Tusker in an FKF Premier League match on Sunday.

The two sides will face off at Kasarani Stadium for their first-round fixture, and it will also be the first match in charge for Odhiambo of Batoto ba Mungu after he left Bandari a week ago.

Speaking ahead of the clash, the former Harambee Stars defender has said it will not be an easy game because the Brewers are enjoying a fine run of results in the top-flight.

“It’s going to be an interesting match against Tusker, they have a good side and currently on some fine form and definitely it’s going to be a huge task but I believe it’s possible going by our preparations,” Odhiambo told the club’s official website.

On whether the team is well prepared for the clash, Odhiambo, who replaced John Baraza, explained: “We have had a perfect preparation towards the match, there has been a strong change in attitude and character and I strongly trust this will help us, going forward.

“The team has the quality and talented players who can perform but a drop in confidence has been an issue. We have tried to work on such areas and I believe we are in a good condition to start rebuilding.

“We are going for some strong start as we begin the new year and we want to build on it as we progress beyond Sunday’s clash.”

On Saturday, Sofapaka confirmed they will welcome back defender Michael Bodo, who is fully fit, for the league clash.

However, coach Odhiambo will be without the services of Rwandese player Isaac Mitima, who is suffering from a knee injury, Stephen Okola, who is ruled out by an ankle problem, and midfielder David Simiyu, who is yet to recover from a foot injury.

When he joined, Odhiambo outlined his ambitions and said he believes the players will help him a great deal in chasing those targets.

“This a big club and the ambitions are so clear that when the president [Elly Kalekwa] talked to me I felt it was a good opportunity to join the club and help achieve their targets," he said.

“The club has a good set of players who are very talented, skilful and of good quality. I believe they are capable of achieving a lot. When the president reached out to me, his desires were so clear for the club and that is winning the title.

“This is what made it easier for me to decide on joining the club.”

In the last five meetings between the two sides, Tusker, who are on 10 points, have managed three wins, with one match ending in a draw and Sofapaka winning the other.

Gor Mahia treasurer Dolfina Odhiambo has claimed it would have been prudent for the club to have paid the players instead of honouring the Caf Champions League match against CR Belouizdad.

The official stated she engaged the players on whether they were in a good state to face the Algerian side, and through the assistant captain Philemon Otieno, they affirmed they were prepared.

The Kenyan champions went on to lose 6-0, and Odhiambo has said it would have been better to use the available money to pay outstanding salaries instead of taking a costly journey, the result of which was an embarrassing defeat in North Africa.

 “'Are we really ready to go and play?' That is what I asked the players and through the [assistant] captain Otieno they affirmed readiness,” Odhiambo told Radio Jambo. “Yes, we had the money but I would have wished that we did not honour the game and use the money, where we had to pay Ksh4 million for the flight alone, to pay the players.”

The treasurer also said that stand-in head coach Sammy Omollo should not in any way blame financial issues at the club as the main reason that led to the embarrassing defeat.

“So, that should not be the main reason why Omollo would say made us be defeated," she continued. "Empty pockets on the part of the players might have contributed to poor results but not at the level the coach is trying to put it. That is my honest opinion.

“The boys were ready for it and were certainly upbeat. They were happy that I brought them to a nice place in Algeria and not a River Road Hotel [a sub-standard hotel in the Kenyan context].”

Omollo had said the players deserved respect despite honouring the game after little time of training.

“These players are very strong; they came into the match and struggled to get into the match,” said the Posta Rangers coach in an earlier interview. “They had not trained at all and were really under difficult circumstances coming into the game.

“They gave their best against a very good and organised team and their fight on the pitch was evident. They deserve respect.”

The Green Army face a huge task of overturning the scoreline on January 6 if they have to remain in contention of a group stage slot.

When Kerala Blasters usually put up a fight in the second half of one of their games, the story and the discussions surrounding their performance are nearly always about a fightback. 

But when it keeps happening, it is time to talk about why they end up in such situations in the first place. 

On Saturday, Blasters got off to a disastrous start against Mumbai City who were second on the league table before the game had kicked off. Adam Le Fondre dispatched a penalty conceded by Costa Nhamoinesu in the third minute before Hugo Boumous waltzed past the defence to latch onto a free-kick from his own half by Ahmed Jahouh and slot home in style eight minutes later. 

Within the first 15 minutes, the Yellow Army were two goals down and they looked clueless about getting back into the game. Sergio Lobera's Mumbai City, who have comfortably dominated possession in all their games this season, needed no invite to stamp their authority in the game. There were a few delightful touches on display for the viewers, but mostly from the men in blue. 

Blasters were really bad in the first half. There are no excuses for anybody involved to start a football match in the manner they did. No amount of spirit or fight that the team showed in the second half will undo the serious damage that was already done in the first 45 minutes. 

Sergio Lobera enjoys an excellent win record against Blasters during his time with Goa and the Yellows' last win against Mumbai came over two years ago. As a result, there were no huge expectations for an easy win, especially this season wherein the City Football Group-owned team is stacked with quality and are doing well. 

However, the defending for the two goals was comical. Vicuna reinstated skipper Costa in the centre of the defence but altered his preferred foreign center-back partnership to give Sandeep Singh a start. Costa brought down Boumous within minutes after kick-off and the striker Adam le Fondre who was on five goals for the season accepted a special invitation to add one more to his tally.

The entire backline switched off when Ahmed Jahouh fed Boumous in behind the defence for the second goal. There was no one tracking the midfielder's - one of the best players in the team - run into the box nor anyone close to the player to challenge him for the ball. Boumous made it look so easy when he caressed the ball past a hapless Albino Gomes to open his account for the season, 

Although the short pre-season and the pandemic have forced teams to rotate their squads more often this season, a quick analysis of Vicuna's starting lineups tells you that he is yet to figure out his best lineup. Annoying niggles picked up by players at times over the last two months have also contributed in hampering the implementation of the coach's tried and tested philosophy into the squad. 

It was an improved display from Vicuna's men after the break but that is the intensity that is expected of them right from the off. Also, it was also a case of Mumbai taking their feet off the gas after taking a two-goal lead.

The referee's decisions were debatable at times, Sahal threatened to score more than once, Jordan Murray looked a much more useful striker than Gary Hooper for the second game in a row and Albino Gomes once again proved that he can be trusted with spot-kicks and reflex saves. 

From the supporters' point of view, it makes sense to celebrate these positive takeaways from the game. However, as a club aiming for the playoffs and hungry for silverware, Kerala Blasters require fewer 'spirited fightbacks' and more 'easy wins'. It is about time they demanded more and stop settling for less. 

Zinedine Zidane has no plans to rest Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema as he vowed slowly ease Eden Hazard back to full match fitness.

Benzema failed to register a single shot on goal in Madrid's 2-0 win over Celta Vigo in La Liga on Saturday and twice missed the target from good positions.

The 33-year-old has started 15 of Madrid's 17 La Liga matches this season and only goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Raphael Varane have played more minutes.

When asked in a post-match media conference if Benzema, who has scored eight goals in La Liga, needed a break, following a slightly jaded showing, Zidane disagreed.

"I don’t think he’s tired," Zidane said. "I think he did well and I took him off so that another player could play. We’re in a great spell. We’re doing the right things and we have to continue like this."

Hazard came off the bench for another run out late in the second half against Celta as he stepped up his return from an injury-hit start to the season.

"We are going to go little by little," added Zidane. "Little by little, you have to recover feelings.

"We have to take it slowly and not force anything. He has to get back to his best and take it slowly. That’s all it is."

Madrid's possession against Celta was 41 per cent which was the lowest recorded in a win under Zidane at home in all competitions.

The Madrid head coach was, however, satisfied with the manner in which his side were able to manage the game against Celta.

"We played a complete game from the beginning to the end," Zidane explained.

"We controlled the game well, we had a good balance, when it came to pressing up and getting the ball back, we did everything well.

"You have to control when the rival team has strong moments in the game, but the feelings are good, out of nine games we won six and three draws."

Goals from Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio gave Madrid the victory as the pair assisted each other in what was the fourth duo to combine between them in a single La Liga game this season.

Zidane added: "I am happy for Asensio. He has had a major injury and now he is much better and improving every time.

"Vazquez is very reliable, very involved and I am happy for what he is doing. We played a very serious game. I'm happy for everyone."

Aaron Boupendza was the hero for Hatayspor after scoring a brace in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat of Konyaspor in a Super Lig clash.

The Gabon international came into the game having found the net four times in the Star of the South’s 6-0 defeat of Antalyaspor.

Against the Anatolian Eagles, however, he continued with his blistering form in front of goal to hand Omer Erdogan’s side a crucial home triumph.

In the keenly contested affair at the Hatay New Stadium, Antakya, it was the visitors who took a 33rd minute lead through Artem Kravets. Profiting from a shambolic defending from the hosts, the Ukrainian forward headed past goalkeeper Munir a pass from Nejc Skubic.

While it appeared like Konyaspor would be heading into the half-time break with a goal advantage, Boupendza equalised for the hosts in the 43rd minute. Left unmarked outside the goal area, the 24-year-old curled in a beauty past goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic.

In the second-half, both teams came out stronger but their inability to convert begging chances ensured that scores remained 1-1.

Nonetheless, it was the African star who had the final say with his winner in the 68th minute courtesy of a half volley inside the opponents’ box.

Ahmet Calik levelled matters for Konyaspor with barely the last kick of the game, albeit, VAR replays ruled his goal out for being in an offside position to the anguish of the visiting side.

Two minutes to full time, Boupendza was substituted for Selim Ilgaz, while Nigeria’s Babajide David was in action from start to finish alongside Morocco international goalkeeper Munir and Senegal’s Mame Biram Diouf.

Malian midfielder Adama Traore was handed a starter’s role but he was taken off for Yusuf Abdioglu in the 90th minute. Elsewhere, Ghana’s duo of Joseph Akomadi and Isaac Sackey, Algeria’s Idir Ouali plus Senegal’s Dame Diop were not dressed for action.

For the visiting side, Uganda’s Farouk Miya did not make manager Ismail Kartal’s cut.

Thanks to this result, Hatayspor climbed to fifth in the Turkish Super Lig log with 27 points from 15 games, while occupy the 11th spot with 19 points from the same number of outings in the 2020-21 campaign.

Boupendza, who now boasts of nine goals so far will be aiming to add to his goal tally when Erdogan’s team travel to Genclerbirligi on Wednesday.