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Cardiff City boss Neil Harris is looking forward to welcoming injured Arsenal loanee Jordi Osei-Tutu back in action to boost their Championship campaign.

The Slough-born of Ghanaian descent has been out of action since featuring in a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough in October.

He joined Cardiff on a season-long deal in August and has also far made six league appearances for The Bluebirds.

"Missing our Player of the Year from last year, our top scorer from this year, and the only recognised right-back at the club [Osei-Tutu] – they are three very important players for us. Every squad member is really important, we want them back as soon as possible," Harris said after their disappointing 3-2 loss to Brentford on Saturday, his cub's official website reports. Cardiff, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, currently occupy the 12th position on the Championship table.

“We have some good ability within our squad, but we need everybody fit. We then need them firing, and to cut out the individual errors.

"The aim at the start of the season was to make the top six. And that’s where we want to be. The gap does grow, but we went past teams last year and we’ll go past teams this year. But you can’t let teams get away from you.

“We’ve missed the fans this year. It has affected us, but I don’t want to use it as an excuse. It does help the away team, and we’ve had a phenomenal away record since I’ve come in. Fans aren’t going to be back in the near future, for the home games coming up, so we have to make sure that we’re harder to beat at home.”

Recent media reports indicate Osei-Tutu is expected back in action in January.

The 22-year-old moved back to England this year after a successful loan spell with Bochum in the German second tier last season.

In the Bundesliga II, the fullback made 21 league appearances involving 16 stars, scoring five times and assisting two other goals.

He will be hoping to make an impression on Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta for a chance at Emirates Stadium next season.

Born in England to Ghanaian parents, Osei-Tutu remains eligible to feature for the Black Stars. 

By his lofty standards, Wilfried Zaha’s 2019/20 was pretty ordinary.

Crystal Palace mostly relied upon Jordan Ayew last term and the forward’s drop off post-lockdown, as well as the side’s overall decline at both ends of the pitch, saw the Eagles fail to match their best Premier League campaign.

Zaha’s looked back to his best with the injection of quality in the Palace team and looks to have reclaimed his position as the team’s top dog, scoring seven times in 13 league appearances, surpassing his entire tally of goal contributions last term.

If the Ivory Coast forward continues at this pace, there ought to be suitors ready to take the plunge on the ex-Manchester United wide attacker in 2021.

Zaha: The story of 2020

Zaha’s year has been a mixed bag in every sense, with an underwhelming 19/20 disappointing observers who made him out to be Roy Hodgson’s go-to forward in the Eagles side.

He managed only four goals and three assists in the entirety of the previous campaign after enduring a hangover from his aborted move to Arsenal in summer 2019.

This led to an average season which ended in Palace finishing 14th, after threatening to push for a European spot before the pandemic hit in March.

However, the Zaha resurgence in the new season has been remarkable with the forward scoring seven times already while assisting another two in just 12 appearances so far.

The Ivorian’s return to form has been aided by the arrival of the talented Eberechi Eze, who’s evidently lifted the creative burden on the former Man United winger in the opening months of the season.

He’s on pace to surpass a career-best 16 goal contributions from 16/17 and, in this form, it’s hard to look beyond Zaha recording his best year statistically by the end of 20/21.

Zaha: Any transfer rumours?

Despite the Palace forward’s fall off last term, there were rumours of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea sniffing around the attacker in the summer, and those links could be reignited in January.

The Gunners’ move for Willian hasn’t paid off, while Nicolas Pepe continues to flatter to deceive, Spurs need more match-winners aside from Harry Kane and Son Heung-min and Chelsea lack enough natural wingers in the team.

Given the performances of Zaha, these sides could be tempted to tussle for the acquisition of a player in his prime years.

Zaha: One big hope for 2021

Without question, for the 28-year-old to finally get his big move.

It feels like Zaha has outgrown Palace after so many years at the club and it would make sense for player and the buying club to sign the dangerous, dynamic attacker.

Zaha: One big fear for 2021

Certainly the reverse of the aforementioned.

If the West African can’t find any serious buyer domestically or on the continent next summer, he may never get his upward move and be left to rue that failed move to the Red Devils in the early 2010s.

While Zaha packs a punch and is in his prime, potential buyers may be put off by a potentially high asking price, the fact he turns 29 next November, and his wage demands, which may be seen as imprudent financially.

Whatever happens, 2021 will be a huge year for the Palace talisman and will either see him secure a big transfer or start to entertain the thought of probably never getting another chance at a giant club.

Patrick Rweyemamu believes the 2020/21 Tanzania Mainland League title race is between the reigning champions Simba SC and current leaders Yanga SC.

The two teams have been dominating Tanzanian football for the past six seasons and seemingly, nothing is set to change. Currently, Timu ya Wananchi lead the race with 43 points from the 17 games they have played. They are currently the only unbeaten team in the competition.

The defending champions are second on 32 points after playing 14 league games.

The former Wekundu wa Msimbazi team manager believes the two giants will be once again on the fore-front in fighting for this campaign's title.

"From the matches played in the first round, it is evident the race will remain between Simba and Yanga," Rweyemamu told Goal on Sunday.

"It will be interesting to see how [Simba] perform in their matches in hand before we get a clear picture."

The administrator has also opined on Azam FC's season. The team started the campaign on a high before dropping away to 14 points off the top of the table. The 2014 champions ended up firing Romanian Aristica Cioaba and brought in George Lwandamina to replace him.

"Azam had an excellent start to the season but things turned out in a bad way later on," Rweyemamau continued.

"As a result, the gap between them and leaders is big. It means, for Azam to catch up, Simba and Yanga have to drop points and they win theirs which is not going to be an easy task.

"However, in football, anything can happen, it might end up being a three-horse race."

Rweyemamu has also commented on the steady rise of the 27-time champions Yanga and the impact continental assignments will have on Wekundu wa Msimbazi.

"Yanga brought on board many new players and they are gelling at an alarming rate. The team is doing well and they are proving to be a real force in the league and are determined to win.

"Simba are also playing in international assignments, they are continuing to develop and the experience they get will help them in the league.

"It is interesting to see how teams will perform in the second round of the league."

Chippa United have appointed Dan Malesela as coach for a third stint, replacing Lehlohonolo Seema who was relived of his duties last week.

Malesela’s return to Chippa comes three days after the club withdrew the appointment of Luc Eymael following public outrage over racism allegations against the Belgian.

The Chilli Boys owner Siviwe Mpengesi believes the club will be a “great force” under Malesela who will be in charge for the rest of the season, with an option to extend his stay.

“It was not a difficult decision to take because we have the backing of supporters as you know coach Dan is a supporters favourite,” Mpengesi told Chippa United's media.

“So we had to look at the squad that we have. We have young ones, a lot of them. He is very good in coaching young ones. He has a proven record of working with young ones. You remember that during his tenure in the past we had players like [Thembinkosi] Lorch, [Xola] Mlambo, [Paseka] Mako, [Phetso] Maphanga who were all developed by him.

“So we wish him all the best. We know now Chippa United is going to play that entertaining football. It will be a pleasure watching Chippa United, something that we have been missing for so many years because Chippa United is a playing team but we were reduced to be a team that sits back and wait for a counter.

“We are very happy for him. We love him, we welcome him and wish him all the best. We are promising our supporters that we are going to turn the corner soon. Chippa United will be a great force to be reckoned with.”

Malesela finds Chippa third from bottom on the Premier Soccer League (PSL) standings with just three points better than basement side Maritzburg United.

The ex-Orlando Pirates skipper has been given a target to steer the club to a top-eight finish and begin his third spell at the club with a league visit to SuperSport Unied on January 6.

Previous stints saw Malesela guiding Chippa finish the 2015/16 season on sixth position, the club’s best season outing ever.

He also helped them reach the 2017 Nedbank Cup semi-finals.

Edinson Cavani is a "top player", according to Marcus Rashford, who says the veteran striker gives Manchester United "another dimension".

Cavani has quickly settled into life in Manchester since joining United on a free transfer on October 5.

The ex-Paris Saint-Germain forward, who signed for the Red Devils on a one-season contract with the option of a second year, has scored four goals in his first 13 apperances across all competitions despite being mainly used as a substitute.

The 33-year-old recorded his first assist for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side after coming off the bench in a 2-2 draw at Leicester City on Saturday, as he fed Bruno Fernandes to score after turning neatly in midfield.

Rashford also got on the scoresheet as United moved to within four points of pacesetters Liverpool in the Premier League table, and reserved special praise for Cavani after the final whistle.

“He's a top player, he has lots of qualities and I think he gives us another dimension that's different to what we already have in the team,” the England international told MUTV. “It's good to play with him and to see him scoring and assisting is important for any forward and we need to keep up between us what we've been doing.

“For that goal, it was all the way from back, I think it was Eric [Bailly] who stepped up and played a good ball through the lines.

“It was a great turn from Edinson and he drove at Jonny [Evans] who then he had a decision to make, whether to step out to him or stay back and let him shoot. Edinson played a nice pass and it was a good goal, but to concede and to throw it away is difficult to take.

“It feels like a loss in the changing room. I think we deserved to win the game and we had the chances to win the game, but we didn't quite get over the line. Now we just need to recover and go again in the next one.”

Rashford's first-half strike marked his 50th top-flight goal for the Red Devils, but he was also guilty of missing a free header from three yards out and a one-one-one at the King Power Stadium.

“It could be more. I don't really like to look back, I just look forward and see where I can improve,” he added. “When you miss a chance it's about the next one and thankfully it came not too long after and I managed to put it away. As a striker, you're not going to score every time, but it's important not to miss every time.

“If we score two goals in a game I think we expect to win it. It's difficult to take, but we move on to the next one now.”

Joe Aribo has showered praise on his teammates following Rangers' 1-0 victory over Hibernian in a Scottish Premiership game on Boxing Day.  

The midfielder was one of the standout performers in the encounter as Ianis Hagi scored the only goal of the game to help the Gers extend their winning run to three games.

The victory at Ibrox Stadium also helped Steven Gerrard’s men to open a 16-point gap at the top of the Premiership table.

Aribo believes his side’s teamwork ensured their victory over the Hibs and expressed his delight with the showing.

"I am buzzing and the boys are buzzing too. We needed to get that result today and we needed to put in a good performance,” Aribo told the club website.

"We stayed solid together, we were under the cosh a little bit but we did what we had to do.

"No two games are the same and we just need to go out there in every single game and have the right mindset and just push through.

"We knew we had to be patient on the ball and make five, six seven passes and try to break through them and that is what we managed to do and we got the goal through that.

"That isn't our game putting balls into the box and we know that isn't going to work. We need to be patient regardless of the scoreline and regardless of the time.

"We just need to bide our time and hopefully we will get the breakthrough that we need. We knew this was going to be a tough game and they would have their chances but we just had to stay strong.

"There were a lot of corners that they had and we managed to get the first contact, so we just did what we had to do today."

Aribo has been a consistent performer for Rangers since teaming up with the side in the summer of 2019, having featured in more than 40 games across all competitions for the club.

In the current campaign, the Nigeria international has made 18 appearances for the Gers, scoring four goals and providing two assists.

Aribo will be expected to be on parade and help Rangers continue their impressive performances when they take on St. Mirren in their next league game on December 30.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has declared he is Santa Claus as he brings gifts to 27 children - his two in Sweden, and his 25 team-mates at AC Milan.

The veteran striker has helped to steer the Rossoneri back towards a Serie A title challenge since returning for a second spell at the club in January.

The only unbeaten team in Europe's top-five leagues in games played since the 2019-20 shutdown in March caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Milan sit top with 34 points from 14 matches, exactly double the tally they had at the same stage last season.

Ibrahimovic has scored 10 goals in just six league games in 2020-21, but Milan have had a better win rate without him in the team (72.7 per cent) than with him (62.5 per cent) since his first game back at the club on January 6.

Still, the 39-year-old's impact on and off the pitch has helped turn Stefano Pioli's side into genuine contenders at least for a top-four finish, the seven-time champions of Europe having not played in the Champions League since the 2013-14 season.

The former Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain star feels like a gift that keeps on giving at the club where he has always been happiest.

"I never ask for anything for myself [at Christmas]," he told SportWeek . "I am Santa Claus. I am the one who brings gifts to all my 27 children: two are in Sweden and the other 25 are at Milanello.

"This year, huge congratulations for what we have done and what we're doing. We've lost very few games. I don't know if that's thanks to me, but I did do something, I brought something in."

Ibrahimovic has won 11 league titles in four different countries during a glittering career.

He has been acknowledged as Sweden's best footballer on 12 occasions, including this year, yet his highest finish in the Ballon d'Or standings was fourth back in 2013.

Still, Ibrahimovic claims he would not trade his 12 Guldbollen for France Football's prize as he considers his longevity to be a great achievement.

"I wouldn't swap my 12 Guldbollen for one from France Football because, for me, they mean continuity," he said.

"I have seen many who have won the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, even the Ballon d'Or, had a wonderful year, fantastic, then later they disappeared, but I've been in the game for 25 years. Always at the top. It's a big difference."

Mohamed Salah is not wrong for leaving his options open amid Barcelona and Real Madrid transfer rumours according to Danny Murphy, who insists the Liverpool star doesn't deserve any "stick" from supporters.

Speculation over Salah's future at Anfield has been raging in recent weeks.

Goal reported Liverpool will offer the Egyptian the chance to extend his stay on Merseyside beyond 2023, but it has been suggested that the Egyptian will shun an extension to take up a new challenge in Spain.

Barca and Madrid have both been strongly linked with the 28-year-old, who passed up the chance to declare his loyalty to the Reds when quizzed on the Spanish duo's interest earlier this month.

"I think Madrid and Barcelona are two top clubs," Salah told AS. "Who knows what will happen in the future."

The prolific forward has scored 110 goals in 173 games for Liverpool since joining the club for €42 million (£38m/$51m) from Roma three-and-a-half years ago, including 16 in the first half of the 2020-21 season.

Murphy thinks supporters should focus on Salah's outstanding contribution to Jurgen Klopp's side rather than his comments in the media, with his decision to leave the door open to a future transfer "normal" in the modern era.

"Salah should receive a great reception from the 2,000 fans inside Anfield for Sunday's game at West Brom", Murphy told the Daily Mail. "If anyone gives him stick because of an interview he gave to Spanish media, they are out of order.

"All Salah did was fail to commit the rest of his career to Liverpool or close the door completely on a move to Barcelona or Real Madrid. As a fan, you'd want him to nail his colours to the mast and shoot down any transfer speculation immediately but if you think about it from Salah's point of view, it is understandable.

"He didn't grow up in England, his family may want to live in a warmer climate or different culture. I'd have played forever at Liverpool if I'd been a guaranteed pick like Salah, but these days it's normal for players to leave themselves options.

"I always think it is best to judge players by their workrate and performances on the pitch and you cannot fault Salah this season or at any time since he joined the club. He is in brilliant goalscoring form and we should focus on that rather than what may or may not happen in the future.

"At the very earliest, Salah will leave in the summer, and even that is far from clear. So let's enjoy him while we can and hope he continues his purple patch so that Liverpool can win the Premier League again and reclaim the Champions League."

Salah also expressed disappointment over not being given the captain's armband for the Champions League group stage dead-rubber against Midtjylland on December 9, which Klopp has admitted came as a surprise to him.

However, Murphy sees the Egypt international's desire to lead as an example of his commitment to Liverpool's cause, as he added: "It's clear he doesn't like being substituted and was cross that he was overlooked as captain for the last European game in Denmark. Good. For me, it shows someone who has pride and passion. It tells you someone who cares. I don't see that as a fault."

Swansea City boss Steve Cooper is full of praise for attacking duo Andre Ayew and Jamal Lowe following Saturday's 2-0 away win over Queens Park Rangers in the Championship.

The two players were the scorers of the decisive match-winning goals as the Jack Army claimed all three points in the match day 21 fixture at London's Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

The win has sent Swansea to second on the league table.

“They [Ayew and Lowe] are the boys playing up front and they have played well all season,” said Cooper, as reported by his club's official website.

“But, in that position, you will always get judged on the goals and assists you get, which is fair enough.

“They are scoring, Andre told me he was due a goal, while Jamal has scored quite a few recently. They know the responsibility they have, and hopefully they can keep it going.

“It was important for Jamal to score in consecutive games, it was a brilliant goal and that is what Jamal does, running in behind and getting in on the goalkeeper.

“He made it look easier than what it was with the defender covering and him running at full speed. It was a great pass from Matt Grimes too.”

A minute to half-time, former Olympique Marseille winger Ayew put Swansea in the lead, heading in a rebound after a looping Jake Bidwell header came off the post.

Lowe doubled the Jack Army's tally in the 54th minute, racing on goal to shoot past QPR shot-stopper Seny Dieng on a Matt Grimes assist. 

Ayew has so far registered eight goals in 20 Championship appearances this season, cementing his place as the talisman at Liberty Stadium. 

His goal haul places him as the club's top scorer so far this term, the same situation in which he finished last season where he netted 16 goals in 45 outings to inspire the Welsh outfit to the Championship play-off semi-final. 

The 31-year-old, who recently won his club’s Goal of the Month of November award, will hope to continue his exploits when Swansea host Reading in their next game on Wednesday. 

Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates’ Caf inter-club matches are in doubt after the Angolan government closed its borders to travellers from South Africa.

Both teams have Angolan opponents and the move to shut borders comes as South Africa is recording cases of a new super-infectious coronavirus strain.

Chiefs are scheduled to visit Primeiro Agosto for a Caf Champions League first round, second leg match on January 5.

The following day, Pirates have a Caf Confederation Cup first round, second leg fixture against Sagrada Esperanca at Orlando Stadium.

But with Angolan authorities shutting their borders to travellers from Australia, Nigeria, South Africa and the UK, there is a likelihood that Pirates and Chiefs matches could be cancelled.

It is not yet clear if sporting activities will be given an exception.

“Limited international travel is permitted. The following persons or reasons for travel are permitted from outside Australia, Nigeria, South Africa, and the UK from 23.59hrs Dec. 26: residents [local and foreign] arriving or departing, foreigners departing, official travellers, cargo and humanitarian transport, medical emergencies, diplomatic transport, and technical stops,” said the Angolan government as per Garda World.

“Any person entering the country needs to comply with a mandatory home quarantine period of at least seven days. Symptomatic persons may be required to quarantine at a government-run facility. Land and sea borders remain closed until further notice, except for humanitarian and cargo transport.”

TAAG Angola Airlines, the country’s flag carrier has also announced that it has cancelled all it’s flights to South Africa due to the new Covid-19 strain driving a wave of infections.

If Chiefs and Pirates’ Caf fixtures against their Angolan opponents are called off, it would disrupt both the Soweto giants’ continental ambitions.

With Chiefs struggling on the domestic front, they would have hoped to ease pressure through a good run in Africa competition.

Amakhosi still harbour hopes of reaching the Champions League group stage for the first time ever after drawing 0-0 against Agosto in the home leg.

A score draw would be enough to see Gavin Hunt's men sail into the mini-league phase of the competition.

Pirates on the other hand edged closer to the group stage after securing a crucial 1-0 away win over Sagrada Esperanca in the first leg.

Clarke Oduor’s manager Valerien Ismael has explained what made Barnsley's encounter against Huddersfield Town on Saturday tough.

Barnsley came from behind to win 2-1 courtesy of Michal Helik’s late strike but Ismael believes the wind made their duty even harder at Oakwell.

The Terriers grabbed an opener in the 13th minute through Rarmani Edmonds-Green but Oduor’s side equalised in the 21st minute from Helik’s effort. The home team ensured they snatched all points from Huddersfield deep in the injury time when Helik found the back of the net in the fourth minute of added time.

Harambee Stars’ Oduor did not feature in the game as Callum Styles returned to the starting line up at his expense.

“It was good to win after coming from behind and it is a great feeling in football when you win the game in 90+,” Ismael said as per Sky Sports.

“That's why we are very delighted with the win. It was another comeback win. We were one down and that's why it was very important to win the game.

“In the first half, it was a good game from us and we won a lot of balls but the last pass was not good enough. It was a poor game in the second half because the wind made it very difficult.

“We pushed right to the end because we knew set-pieces would be a big part. It will give the guys, for sure, more confidence for the next game on Tuesday.”

On his part, Huddersfield’s Carlos Corberan blamed his side’s inability to defend well for the loss.

"I think the team was competing well but we weren't able to defend well these two set-pieces,” Corberan said.

“We didn't defend well and we conceded two goals from set-pieces. It was down to individual concentration. We tried to attack but we didn't create all the chances that we wanted to create.

“In the first half we started well but in the second half, we didn't win enough second balls. We need to learn a lot from the situation because we need to be defensively strong from the first action until the last moment of the game.

“I don't think we deserved to lose but at the same time when you lose a game, it is because you didn't do something well enough in the game. We need to give the right answer to these type of situations.”

Barnsley, 10th on the table, will be up against Rotherham United on December 29.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he "feels at home" with AC Milan, while Ivan Gazidis has spoken out on the contract extension rumours surrounding the veteran forward.

Ibrahimovic has enjoyed a late career renaissance since returning to Milan for a second spell in December 2019.

The former Sweden international made his way back to Europe after two successful years in MLS with LA Galaxy, and has since proved he can still deliver the goods at the highest level.

The 39-year-old, who was handed an inital six-month deal at San Siro, scored 11 goals in 20 apperances for the Rossoneri in the second half of the 2020-21 campaign, helping them secure Europa League qualification.

Milan rewarded Ibrahimovic with a fresh one-year contract, and his form has continued under Stefano Pioli this season.

Ibrahimovic has found the net 11 times in his last ten appearances for Pioli's side, inspiring their rise to the top of the Serie A standings.

Talk of another renewal is now swirling as Ibrahimovic heads towards the final six months of his current agreement at San Siro, and he has now admitted that he feels completely settled in the Italian capital.

"I have played with many clubs and have respect for all my clubs, great memories - but Milan is the club where I feel at home," Ibrahimovic told Gazzetta Dello Sport. "I go to Milanello every morning and I am in no hurry to go home, because I am at home. I felt like this the first time I came to Milan, it was 2010.

"With Galliani and Berlusconi, with the team, everyone who worked there, there was another feeling, another atmosphere. They made you feel at home. I liked it because I could be myself and at the same time I was playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world. This is why Milan is top of the top for me."

However, Milan CEO Gazidis has revealed that negotiaitions with Ibrahimovic over an extension have yet to begin.

"We haven't talked about the renewal yet," the San Siro chief said in his own interview with Gazzetta. "It will be a decision not only of the club, but also his. He is a special person with extraordinary motivation and great intelligence.

"This combination gives him great strength in everything he does. We had already tried to sign him in January 2019, but he told us no because the story with the Galaxy wasn't over.

"Ibra makes the group improve because he challenges you to give more, and this challenge is accepted by everyone, players and clubs. He makes the difference."

Ibrahimovic echoed Gazidis' sentiments on the impact he has had at Milan over the past year, with it his belief that his strong winning mentality has rubbed off on his team-mates.

"Victory is my drug. It's hard to explain, but when I'm on the pitch I have to win. At all costs, always. I have a 95% winning rating in training, in practice matches," he said. "It's not a lie. When. I lose, you see, but it doesn't happen often because I don't lose. I'm fixated on winning, maybe a bit too much.

"Maybe it's understood with the team too, as in the draw with Parma - maybe six months ago they would have been happy, but this time they were all angry, the next day they still were."

Gor Mahia players were left dejected after a 6-0 humiliating defeat against CR Belouizdad in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the Caf Champions League game played at the Stade du 5 Juillet 1962 on Saturday night.

The Great Chabab scored their goals through Amir Sayoud, who scored a hat-trick, Hamza Bellahouel, Larbi Tabti, and Maecky Ngombo during a thoroughly one-sided display.

"It is an embarrassing and shameful outcome for a big and respectable club like Gor Mahia," a senior player who is part of the squad in Algeria told Goal on Sunday.

"This is a very competitive competition and it needs good preparations. It is a shame when we are just sent to play when nobody takes care of our needs.

"Nobody trained for this game, we were not fit for the game and the results were evident.

"We cannot get positive results this way, as players we are suffering. Someone might think we do not know how to play or we are not equal to the task but it is because of what is going on at the club. 

"The office [management] is the main cause of this. I feel sorry for ourselves, fans and families."

On Saturday, it took the Algerians just seven minutes to get the ball in the back of the net. Geoffrey Ochieng' conceded a free kick in a good area, giving the Algerians a chance to bring the ball into the danger zone.

Poor positioning by goalkeeper Gad Mathews allowed Sayoud to break the deadlock.

In the 12th minute, the Kenyan champions were beaten again by a swift counter-attack. The ball was passed to Marcellin Koukpo who squared the ball to the advancing Bellahouel, who duly tapped the ball home beyond Mathews.

It was becoming worse for the East Africans, and in the 18th minute, Joachim Oluoch conceded a penalty after bringing down an opponent in the danger zone. Sayoud rose to the occasion, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to complete his brace.

Apudo was at fault for the fourth goal scored in the 43rd minute. He tried to be too clever with the ball in the danger zone as he attempted to dribble past the CR Belouizdad players.

He was eventually dispossessed and after a scramble in the box, the ball eventually fell to Tabti who finished emphatically.

In the 53rd minute, the Great Chabab scored their fifth when K'Ogalo failed to track a great run by Sayoud, who initiated a move and went on to finish it after some fine interplay to complete his hat-trick.

The North Africans scored their sixth goal in the 67th minute; Ngombo tapped into an empty net after substitute Kelvin Wesonga had missed out to his opposite number and Belouizdad had capitalised on the error.

Chelsea "started too slow" against Arsenal and can do "much better" says Callum Hudson-Odoi, who claims the whole squad let themselves down in the London derby.

Arsenal brought a seven-match winless run to an end in emphatic fashion against Chelsea at Emirates Stadium. Goals from Alexandre Lacazette, Granit Xhaka and Bukayo Saka wrapped up a 3-1 victory for Mikel Arteta's side on Saturday, with Tammy Abraham's 85th minute effort amounting to nothing more than a consolation for the visitors.

Chelsea were favourites in the lead-up to the match, but found themselves completely over-run in the first half and left it too late to start mounting a comeback.

Hudson-Odoi made a big difference after coming on for Timo Werner at the interval and set up Abraham's goal, but he was "disappointed" by the Blues' performance.

"It feels like we let ourselves down," the England international said after the final whistle. "We know that we can do much better than we did. We should have put the same energy we had in the second half into the first half as well.

"We should have had the same attitude from the get-go and pushed all the way through the 90 minutes. So we’re really disappointed in ourselves.

"We started too slow, we all know that. We knew from the start it was going to be a difficult game no matter what. They’re Arsenal, they’re a good team.

"We wanted to come out here and try and get the three points but unfortunately we didn’t. We know that we started slow. In the second half we tried better to come out faster.

"We were unfortunate to concede another goal, because we got ourselves kind of back in it, but we need to push harder and keep working harder to get the three points."

Hudson-Odoi added on his impact from the bench: "At 2-0 down you come into the game and you’re thinking how you can impact the game and how you can try to change the scoreline around. So in my head I just wanted to give the best I could and try to change the game around.

"It was unfortunate that they got another goal, but at 3-0 we still looked confident to push to try to get at least a draw back. We kept pushing until the end but unfortunately we could not get the result."

Chelsea now find themsleves down in seventh in the Premier League table, six points adrift of leaders Liverpool - who have played a game less - but Hudson-Odoi insists the team will continue fighting for the title until the last.

"No matter where we are in the league we’re going to keep pushing until we get to number one and no matter what the game is, we’re Chelsea, we want to give our best every game no matter what and hopefully keep rising up the table," said the winger.

"Every opponent we play against we want to try and get the three points, score goals, concede less. We’re going to keep pushing until the last day. No matter what, we’ll keep pushing.

"We’re all disappointed every time we lose. We don’t like losing. That’s the Chelsea mentality, we always want to win games. So when we do lose or we make a couple of mistakes in games, we’re all disappointed with ourselves. When we win we’re always happy, when we lose we’re disappointed, so we want to get back to winning ways and stay happy."

Frank Lampard has threatened to drop his Chelsea stars after their defeat to Arsenal, insisting "they lacked the basics of football".

Chelsea missed the chance to move up to third in the Premier League after being beaten 3-1 by Arsenal in their London derby clash on Saturday.

The Gunners came into the clash as underdogs following a seven-match winless run, but blew the Blues away with an all-action first half performance.

An Alexandre Lacazette penalty and a stunning Granit Xhaka free kick put the hosts 2-0 up before the interval, and Chelsea's evening got even worse in the early stages of the second period.

Bukayo Saka looped the ball into the net for Arsenal's third in the 56th minute after drifting into the box unchallenged, much to the dismay of Lampard on the visitors' bench.

The Blues scored a late consolation goal through Tammy Abraham and Jorginho had a penalty saved in stoppage time, but they fell to a deserved loss which leaves them trailing Premier League leaders Liverpool by six points having played a game more.

Lampard has admitted his players failed to reach the minimum required standard demanded at Chelsea during the encounter at Emirates Stadium, with the effort of his starting XI called into question.

Asked why his team didn't perform to their best against the Gunners, the 42-year-old head coach told talkSPORT: “I can’t answer that because some things you can reflect on in terms of tactics, preparation and all these things but in terms of effort it’s something that just has to be a given in football. The players got it wrong.

“I can’t defend the first half because they lacked the basics of football.

“The message was clear to the players. It was to be a tough game against a team that’s fighting, a team of quality, a team that would give everything for a London derby. The players have to take responsibility for that first half.”

Pressed on whether rotation will be necessary ahead of Chelsea's meeting with Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Monday, Lampard said: “Some places, it certainly does. We’ll need some freshness, some people who deserve to play to show they can play on the maximum, on the limit because the Premier League demands it.

“You can make games easy for yourself if you want to start well and we’ve had some games like that this season. Today we made it very tough for ourselves to come back.”

SuperSport United coach Kaitano Tembo believes that midfielder Sipho Mbule is yet to reach his full potential because of certain weaknesses the player needs to work on.

The 22-year-old has managed a goal and two assists in four Premier Soccer League (PSL) appearances so far this season but Tembo feels that he can do more if he maintains a level of good form.

The player is in his fourth top-flight football season with SuperSport after coming through the club’s youth ranks and Tembo notes that he has struggled for consistency over the years.

“Maybe not change who he is and his style of play but he needs to affect matches on a more regular basis than he is currently. He is extremely creative and has the ability to score goals. He needs to do a lot more of that.

“He gets into good areas and that needs to happen on a regular basis. I think his fitness levels need to improve because I noticed that when he gets tired he starts making a lot of mistakes and that’s another area we need to put a bit of more work on.

“But generally I’m satisfied with his progress at the moment. He had a good start last season as well, but he tailed off towards December. He completely disappeared and only started playing again towards the end of the season in the bubble.

“So we need him to be a little bit more consistent this season, score more and create more. We can’t have a talented player like that and we don’t use him to his full potential.”

Mbule was injured when the season started and missed the team’s first three PSL matches and as many MTN8 games.

But his return to action has seen some solid displays from the midfielder and he could find himself in the frame for the national team beyond his Cosafa Cup caps if he finds the consistency Tembo wants from him.

Mauricio Pochettino "already belongs to the family" at Paris Saint-Germain, according to Didier Domi, who says the ex-Tottenham boss "ticks all the boxes" to replace Thomas Tuchel.

Pochettino is being tipped to return to management after 13 months away from the dugout. The Argentine has been out of work since being sacked by Tottenham in November 2019 but has been linked with a number of high profile posts including the top job at Manchester United.

PSG now look set to put their faith in Pochettino, who transformed Spurs into top four regulars and Champions League finalists, having relieved Tuchel of his duties on Thursday.

Tuchel was dismissed just hours after overseeing a 4-0 home win over Strasbourg, with sporting director Leonardo and club owner Nasser Al Khelaifi deciding to make the change with the team sitting third in the Ligue 1 standings at Christmas.

Pochettino is reportedly the front-runner to succeed the German head coach, and Domi thinks he is the perfect candidate to usher in a new era at Parc des Princes.

“I love the idea of ​​an elder coming home because he already belongs to the family. Like Leonardo, he brings skill while having the credit of his past at the club," the former left-back, who played alongside Pochettino at PSG and Espanyol, told Le Parisien.

"He ticks all the boxes and has everything to succeed: a good relationship with the players and a good organization with his staff. He knows how to manage the pressure and his football ideas stick with Paris. He has all the cards in hand."

Should Pochettino be appointed by PSG in the coming days, his first game in charge will likely come when the French champions take on Saint Etienne at Geoffroy Stadium on January 6.

The Parisians are one point behind leaders Lyon and second-placed Lille after 17 fixtures but will still be expected to pick up a fourth successive Ligue 1 crown come May.

PSG will also be playing for the Champions League again in 2021, having reached the final of the competition for the first time last season, with a huge last 16 showdown against Barcelona scheduled for February.

Football Kenya Federation Premier League side Bandari have reportedly taken aim at either Sammy Omollo or Patrick Odhiambo as their next head coach.

Bandari are in the market for a new head coach after Ken Odhiambo left for Sofapaka. Batoto ba Mungu appointed the Harambee Stars assistant head coach after John Baraza left after a poor start to the 2020/21 season.

The Dockers are now said to have narrowed their choice down to Omollo – who is the current Posta Rangers coach – or Odhiambo who is an assistant coach at Gor Mahia.

Omollo and Odhiambo have been working together at Gor Mahia for the Caf Champions League duties as the league giants had to look for a new tactician after Roberto Oliveira was barred from taking charge of the team due to qualification matters.

Omollo and Odhiambo helped K’Ogalo see off APR of Rwanda in the preliminary round of the Champions League to book their date with Algerian side CR Belouizdad. The Posta Rangers tactician is one of the more experienced coaches in the country and that is said to be one of the reasons why Bandari have laid their eyes on him.

Odhiambo, on the other hand, handled Chemelil Sugar as head coach before he crossed to Gor Mahia as an assistant in 2019.

Should Omollo ditch Posta Rangers and join Bandari, it would be a blow to Gor Mahia who are also interested in hiring him on a permanent basis.

It would also be a huge disadvantage for the Green Army should they lose Odhiambo to their Premier League rivals. The assistant coach has been handling the team when it comes to domestic duties as he was in charge when Gor Mahia opened the season with a 1-0 win against Ulinzi Stars at Nyayo Stadium.

The second game for them was against Tusker who defeated them 2-1 to hand them a first season loss at Kasarani.

Gor Mahia would also want the duo available for the Champions League return leg tie against Belouizdad after going down 6-0 in the initial game in Algiers on December 26.

The local giants would wish to stabilise fast in order to mount a successful title defence campaign.