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Kariobangi Sharks continued with their perfect start to the 2020-21 FKF Premier League season after they beat Western Stima 2-1 on Wednesday.

Erick Kapaito was the toast of the ‘Slum Boys’ as he scored two goals in the space of six minutes to make sure they remained unbeaten in the league.

After beating AFC Leopards 2-0 in their last league outing, Stima came into the match seeking to make it two wins out of two and took the lead in the 55th minute when Bernard Onyango scored into his own net.

However, Kapaito rose to the occasion to turn the game around for Sharks as he scored in the 70th minute to level matters and then in the 76th minute to seal maximum points.

Meanwhile, Posta Rangers were held to a 1-1 draw by visiting Bandari. As the first half tempo was being set into motion Bandari forward Yema Mwana managed to knock down the postmen’s defence and bag a goal before the sound of the buzzer.

After the break, Posta Rangers got back in the game after Jackson Dwang put in an equalizer, to close the scores at 1-1. Elsewhere, at the Afraha Stadium in Nakuru, Ulinzi Stars earned their first win of the season after trouncing Kakamega Homeboyz 2-0.

Nairobi City Stars were also held 1-1 by Vihiga United at the Utalii Grounds in a match which saw Vihiga United players threaten to walk off the pitch after City Stars head coach Sanjin Alagic was accused of calling Vihiga United players 'black monkeys'.

United coach Sammy Okoth has told Goal his Bosnian adversary used the racial slur towards his players after the hosts fell behind, and the visitors duly had to be talked out of boycotting the match after being alerted to Alagic's comments.

"It is not right for anyone to use a racist remark towards any player in modern football," Okoth told Goal. "He shouted to my players calling them black monkeys, and even the fourth official heard him.

"We wanted to boycott the game but he convinced us to play, stating he has captured the incident in his report."

The visitors took the lead unexpectedly through David Simiyu in the 43rd minute, and put up a strong resolve before Sven Yidah eventually equalised for City Stars after United players had been talked out of walking off the pitch in protest.

Up next is a game pitting KCB FC against Wazito FC on Thursday, December 24 at the Kasarani Stadium, which will close the round five action as the league heads for a Christmas break

Kaizer Chiefs were frustrated by a stubborn CD Primeiro de Agosto side in the Caf Champions League first-round first-leg match which ended in a 0-0 draw at FNB Stadium on Wednesday evening. 

Amakhosi were targeting nothing but a victory over the former Angolan champions after being held to a 1-1 draw by Bloemfontein Celtic in a PSL game last weekend.

Philani Zulu, Willard Katsande and Lazarous Kambole were recalled to the starting line-up as coach Gavin Hunt made three changes to the team which took on Celtic.

On the other hand, the Black and Reds were playing their first competitive match since March 2020 when they secured a 3-1 win over FC Onze Bravos do Maquis in an Angolan top-flight league (Girabola) game. 

Coach Paulo Duarte named former Maritzburg United winger Yazid Atouba in Agosto's starting line-up, while Angola internationals Nebula and Mabululu also started.  

Agosto dominated possession in the early stages of the match, but they were able to test Daniel Akpeyi in the Chiefs goal-posts as the hosts' defence looked impenetrable. 

Amakhosi upped the tempo and they were awarded a free-kick near the visitors' box and Lebogang Manyama stepped up and placed his effort over the crossbar from the set-piece.

The home side came very close to breaking the deadlock when Kambole hit the woodwork with a header after connecting with Siyabonga Ngezana's delightful cross from the right.

Chiefs kept pushing for the opening goal, but they were playing crosses into the box which were either punched away or gathered comfortably by Neblu in the Agosto goal-posts.

The last chance of the first-half fell for the Black and Reds after Herenilson was afforded time and space outside the Amakhosi box. 

The 24-year-old midfielder unleashed a shot which was easily saved by Akpeyi to ensure that the first-half ended with the two teams locked at 0-0. 

Neither side was able to create clear chances in the opening stages of the second-half and Hunt decided to pull out Njabulo Blom and he introduced Leonardo Castro, who joined Kambole upfront.

Neblu then denied Manyama twice as the shot-stopper parried away the Bafana Bafana international's long-range shot and an effort from a free-kick. 

The Soweto giants were frustrated by Agosto's resolute defending and they resorted to long-range shots as Castro forced Neblu into a fantastic diving save with an attempt from distance.

Chiefs did most of the attacking in the closing stages of the match, but they could not seriously test Neblu and ultimately, the game ended in a 0-0 draw on the night.

The two teams are scheduled to meet again in the second-leg encounter in Angola on January 6 and the winner on aggregate will advance to the group stage.

While the losing team will be relegated to the Caf Confederation Cup play-off round. 

Liverpool have been handed a boost as Thiago Alcantara, James Milner and Xherdan Shaqiri all returned to training on Wednesday.

The trio have been sidelined for some time - Spain international Thiago since October, and Milner and Shaqiri since November.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has been facing injury problems with several players in his squad, so it will have come as a boost that they were pictured in training at Kirkby on Wednesday.

The return of Milner will be welcome, as he can operate in a number of positions, but plenty of attention will be on Thiago.

The midfielder has featured in only two games since making the move from Bayern Munich this summer.

Speaking on Thiago’s knee injury, Klopp said: "On that day when he got injured in that bad challenge in the Everton game, there was another bad injury and after the scan there was good news and really bad news.

"[With Thiago] nothing was broken or ruptured but it was still a massive impact on the knee.

"The impact on the leg was that big that it's still not okay. It is not massive, and he trains from time to time, not at the moment because we have to realise we have to go through further steps."

His passing range and ability to control the pace of games have not been badly missed so far, as the Reds have still powered to the top of the Premier League, but Klopp will be keen to get Thiago back into the squad as soon as possible.

But given the midfielder's problems with injuries during his career, it is unlikely the Reds will rush him back into action. It is expected to be the same with Milner and Shaqiri, as Klopp will want to ensure they are at 100 per cent fitness before being thrust into action.

The season has been extremely busy for Liverpool, who are challenging for domestic and European honours, but the festive period ramps things up a notch.

Liverpool face West Brom, Newcastle and Southampton in the space of nine days over the Christmas and New Year period, and it will be interesting to see if Klopp beds the trio back in at any stage.

Simba SC have fallen by a solitary goal in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the Caf Champions League against FC Platinums of Zimbabwe.

Perfect Chikwende scored the only goal to give his team a slight advantage ahead of the second leg.

The 21-time champions came into the match hoping to get at least a draw and stand a better chance of winning the second leg at home. The Tanzania Mainland League champions qualified for the second preliminary round after a 1-0 aggregate win over Plateau United of Nigeria.

On the other hand, Platinum made it to the next round on a 4-1 aggregate win after eliminating Costa De Sol of Mozambique. The Zimbabwean champions won the first leg played in Maputo 2-1 before claiming a 2-0 win in the return leg played in Harare on Saturday.

The Msimbazi-base side came into the match without the services of the injured Aishi Manula and the sick John Rafael Bocco.

In the absence of Manula, the Belgian coach Sven Vandenbroeck will start Ben Kakolanya between the posts while Rwanda striker Meddie Kagere will step in for Bocco.  

The East African outfit looked a more dangerous side but failed to capitalise their chances.

However, it was the Zvishavane-based side who scored in the 17th minute courtesy of Perfect Chikwende.

Simba intensified their attacks in the second half. In the 68th minute, Chris Mugalu teed the advancing Larry Bwalya. The latter unleashed a good strike that was destined for the back of the net but the goalkeeper pulled a fantastic save to deny him.

Mugalu thought he had equalized in the 75th minute but the assistant referee had his flag up for offside. He, later on, squandered a big chance when a cross from the right found him unmarked but he narrowly missed the target. 

The Tanzanian champions will now need a 2-0 win in the second leg to make it to the group stages of the annual competition.

Last season, Simba failed to make it past the preliminary stage after losing on the away goal rule to UD Songo of Mozambique.

The second leg is planned for Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on January 5 or 6, 2021.

Frank Lampard has delivered fitness updates on Hakim Ziyech, Reece James and Ben Chilwell ahead of Chelsea's clash with Arsenal.

Chelsea are currently preparing for a huge derby showdown against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Blues will move into the Premier League's top four if they pick up a second-successive victory against the Gunners, having bounced back from a two-match losing streak by beating West Ham at Stamford Bridge on Monday night.

Arsenal find themselves in a far more desperate situation than their cross-city rivals heading into this weekend's encounter, and will be looking for three points to start distancing themselves from the relegation zone.

Lampard is wary of the threat Mikel Arteta's team will pose, as he labelled the Gunners a "dangerous" outfit with a "class manager" after seeing his side beat the Hammers at the start of the week.

“We've been in decent form [in London derbies] but I don't think we should be taking Arsenal at face value,” he told reporters.

The Chelsea head coach might have hoped he could call upon €40 million (£36m/$49m) summer signing Ziyech at the Emirates, but the Morrocan, who picked up a knock during a 3-1 win over Leeds United at the start of the month, is not quite ready to return to action.

Asked if the 27-year-old will be available for selection against Arsenal, Lampard told a pre-match press conference: "No, he won't be fit for Arsenal."

Pressed on whether or not he is concerned by Ziyech's persistent fitness issues, the Blues legend responded: "No. He had a knee injury at the start of the season and he now has a muscle injury.

"You have to wait to recover. It's not a long-term concern and we hope to have him back in the next week or so.

"And hopefully he can offer what he did before because he was offering great things.

"We missed that in a way but that's football, that's a squad and it's what happens when players are playing at high level every two or three days."

Lampard went on to reveal that James and Chilwell are both doubts for the Arsenal fixture and a meeting with Aston Villa on December 28.

The former missed the West Ham game due to a knee issue, while the latter was withdrawn in the first half after turning his ankle.

"They're both doubtful. We're not sure whether they will be fit for either game," said Lampard.

One man who will almost certainly feature when the Blues make the short trip to Arsenal is Timo Werner, with Lampard adding on a striker who has failed to score in his last nine outings: "I talk to him all the time, I don't sense his frustration, I think it's clear that as a striker you want to be scoring regularly, as he has done in his career.

"But at the same time, every striker has moments when the ball doesn't drop for you for whatever reasons.

"The positive thing is he's getting chances in games, he's using his attributes to get into the box, he's getting chances, so they'll come."

Kieran Trippier has been banned from football for ten weeks and hit with a £70,000 fine after breaking betting rules.

Trippier was found guilty of misconduct by the English Football Association after an investigation into alleged gambling offences occurring in July 2019, which was carried out by an independent regulatory commission.

The charges were first brought to the Atletico Madrid defender - who moved to the Spanish capital from Tottenham last year - back in May, and he withdrew from England's squad for a UEFA Nations' League clash against Denmark in October to attend an FA hearing regarding the offences.

It was orginally claimed that Trippier had breached seven betting laws, and four of those instances have now been proven, with a two-and-a-half month suspension and a hefty financial penalty dished out to the 30-year-old on Wednesday.

An official statement on the FA's website reads: "Kieran Trippier has been suspended for ten weeks and fined £70,000, following misconduct in relation to breaches of The FA’s Betting Rules.

"The Atletico Madrid defender denied seven alleged breaches of FA Rule E8(1)(b), which were said to occur during July 2019, and requested a personal hearing.

"An independent regulatory commission was appointed to hear the case, with four of the alleged breaches found proven and three dismissed during a subsequent personal hearing.

"The independent regulatory commission’s written reasons for its decisions and the associated sanction will be published in due course.

"The suspension, which includes all football and football-related activity, is effective worldwide from today (Wednesday 23 December 2020) following an application to FIFA."

Trippier will be forced to miss a total of 12 games for Atletico in the second half of the season, including the first leg of a round-of-16 Champions League tie against Chelsea at Wanda Metropolitano on February 23.

He will be available for selection again in time for a derby clash against Real Madrid on March 7 though, by which time Diego Simeone will hope his team are still ahead of their rivals in the Liga title race.

Trippier played the full 90 minutes of a 2-0 victory away at Real Sociedad on Tuesday night, which ensured that Atletico remain three points clear of Madrid at the top of the table with a game in hand heading into the winter break. 

Roberto Carlos is delighted to continue his work as ambassador for Football for Friendship, stating that the program has helped children from every corner of the planet come together in their love of sport. 

The ex-Brazil, Real Madrid and Inter left-back began working with the Gazprom-sponsored project last year, and he has continued in that role in 2020 amid the turmoil of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

As F4F's global ambassador, he restated his commitment to working with youngsters and instilling a love of sport. 

"Every year, it unites girls and boys on the field of a real international tournament, teaches them to communicate with peers from different countries," the Brazilian explained.

"In 2020, Football for Friendship is once again uniting young people with a passion for sports from all over the world, and everyone here, we learn something new, make new friends, and just had an unforgettable experience.

"It is very important to support such initiatives. Football for Friendship is a real social lift, giving the younger generation the opportunity to realize their potential and make their dreams come true," 

"I really liked the idea in the sense of doing sports for children and adults. The most important things are friendship and sport. Football for Friendship is a unique project that gives equal opportunities for all children in the world."

Although he is now retired from professional football, Roberto Carlos continues to keep a close eye on the game. 

Famed during his playing days as one of the world's best left-backs, he now believes that Marcelo, his successor with both Madrid and Brazil, deserves the crown. 

"I think Marcelo is a phenomenon. Whenever they ask me, I always answer that he is an excellent player, but there are different ones, of course, it depends on the era, but currently Marcelo is the gold standard for all other left-backs," he added. 

He is also delighted to see two young compatriots, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, starring at his former stomping ground at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

"Vinicius is a real star, he shows real Brazilian football, and he likes to play one on one," Roberto Carlos explained.

"Nowadays there are no players who can show the same speed as him. Today, personally for me, Vinicius is practically an example of a Brazilian player who shows Brazilian football!

"So, Rodrygo is the guy who is very humble, but the quality of his game is amazing! I really enjoy these two Brazilian players. Vinicius is quicker and a smart player, but Rodrygo is reflective and balancing, it’s cool!"

The 2002 World Cup winner also placed his faith in Brazil coach Tite to return the glory days to the Selecao. 

"The problem is that everyone wants to return the national team that was in my time in order to return the titles!" he said.

"This is not an easy task, because there were great players in my time: Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Kaka, Robinho. But Tite works well, he is patient and he showed good results at the Copa America, the Confederation Cup, and the World Cup.

"Our national team was the first in the world, and now it is the third, after Belgium and Spain. But still, he may achieve his goal, and the team will start winning again."

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have remained on course to win the Mainland Premier League title after thrashing Ihefu FC 3-0 in a match played at Sokoine Stadium on Wednesday.

The Jangwani-giants came into the match protecting an unbeaten run of 16 matches and they took the lead in the 13th minute through diminutive winger Deus Kaseke.

Yanga enjoyed a 1-0 half-time and on resumption, they continued to raid the promoted side for more goals and it came as no surprise when Yacoub Songne, after missing a number of chances, found the back of the net with a beautiful header in the 50th minute.

Ten minutes later, Feisal Salum powered home the third goal which ended any hopes Ihefu had to get something from the fixture.

Yanga under coach Cedric Kaze took control of the game from the onset as they knew a win will help them stretch their lead at the top of the 18-team table with their rivals Simba SC, away in Zimbabwe for the Caf Champions League fixture against FC Platinum.

Kaseke, who was a thorn in Ihefu’s defence finally broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute after racing onto a through, rounded three defenders before placing it to an empty net.

The goal somehow gave Yanga the urge to attack and they continued to pin their opponents at their own half but nothing could come out of it as they headed into the half-time break with a 1-0 result.

On resumption, Songne made it 2-0 for Yanga and ten minutes later Salum was at hand to power home the third, which has seen Yanga reach 42 points, 13 more than Simba who are second while Azam FC are third on 29 points.

In another match played on Wednesday, JKT Tanzania cruised to a 2-0 win against KMC FC at Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma.

Danny Lyanga was the hero of JKT as he scored both goals in the 52nd and 74th minute.

Elsewhere, Gwambina FC drew 1-1 with Mbeya City, Kagera Sugar managed a 2-2 draw against Polisi Tanzania, Biashara United scored a goal in each half to sink Tanzania Prisons while Mwadui FC drew 0-0 with Coastal Union.

Mikel Arteta is "making really unusual decisions", according to Martin Keown, who says the Arsenal boss cannot afford to make any more mistakes heading into the new year.

Arsenal's miserable start to the 2020-21 campaign continued as they were beaten 4-1 by Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the League Cup on Tuesday night.

Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Aymeric Laporte grabbed the goals for the visitors, while Alexandre Lacazette scored what amounted to nothing more than a consolation goal for the hosts, who have now lost five of their last eight games in all competitions.

Alex Runarsson was handed a rare start for the Gunners after being signed to replace former backup goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the summer transfer window, but the 25-year-old had a night to forget as he gifted City two of their goals with basic errors.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Martinelli was named in Arteta's starting XI for the first time since recovering from knee surgery, and he picked up another knock shortly before half-time after colliding with Blues shot-stopper Zack Steffen.

The Arsenal boss decided against substituting the Brazilian at the break, only for him to limp off in the early stages of the second period, leaving Keown perplexed.

A member of the fabled 2003-04 Invincibles squad has expressed his belief that Arteta needs advising on the touchline after another domestic disaster, telling talkSPORT: “It’s turned into a crisis and the manager has joined in with really unusual decisions.

“He played the young kid [Runarsson] last night, no-one likes to see that [the mistakes], but I don’t believe his performance was a surprise.

“If Leno gets injured, having allowed Martinez to leave, they’ve left themselves wide open from the goalkeeping point of view.

“Just keep it simple! Martinez was outstanding last season.

“It’s looking at decisions in key moments, Partey coming back after a few days’ training and now he’s out for months.

“The support base around the manager has got to help him when it comes to every single decision.

“I was screaming at the telly last night – Martinelli, a fantastic talent, down injured for five minutes before half-time.

“Don’t bring him back out, please don’t bring him out… he comes back out and lasts about two minutes. Make the right decisions!

“He’s under massive pressure at the moment.”

Keown added: “People are calling for Emile Smith-Rowe and all these youngsters, but you can’t just throw them into this situation.

“Some of the guys are not getting opportunities early enough, then all of a sudden we put Runarsson into the team when he’s not ready.

“That has to come down to the manager. You really can’t get anything wrong from now on in. With the January transfer window coming up, there can be no more mistakes.

“They paid £25m for William Saliba and he doesn’t have a squad number, Nicolas Pepe is wandering around like he’s not interested, Willian is on holiday.

“You have to pick senior players you can rely upon and bolt young kids onto that, with players they can pick up the right habits [from].

“At the moment, the club feels like it’s in free fall.”

Arsenal will now look ahead to a vital encounter with Chelsea at Emirates Stadium at the weekend, where they will be aiming to halt a seven-match winless run in the Premier League.

Keown is worried that tension is building behind the scenes at his old club with each passing game, with Arteta considered to be losing the faith of his players.

“You wonder how toxic the dressing room is when there’s a growing group of players who don’t take part and sit in the corner,” he said.

“I wouldn’t say they’d be sniggering, but there is an undercurrent, surely there must be.”

Chippa United have appointed Luc Eymael to replace Lehlohonolo Seema as their head coach for the remainder of the season.

Eymael has been jobless since he parted ways with Tanzanian giants Young Africans in July 2020 having allegedly compared the club's fans to monkeys. 

The Belgian tactician has filled the void left by Seema, who was suspended by the Chilli Boys chairman Chippa Mpengesi with the team struggling in the PSL this season.

The club has now released the following statement announcing Eymael's appointment and Seema's departure. 

"Chippa United Football Club has appointed Belgian Luc Eymael as senior head coach until the end of the season," a club statement read. 

"Eymael first match in charge will be the DSTV Premiership fixture against SuperSport United at Lucas Moripe Stadium when the season resumes in the New Year on 6 January 2021."

"The Club confirms that it met with former coach Lehlohonolo Seema on Wednesday, where the consensus from both parties was to part ways with immediate effect."

Chippa have won just once and lost five matches in the league so far this season - including successive defeats from the last three matches.

Seema had joined the Chilli Boys in July 2020 after resigning as Bloemfontein Celtic coach.

Mpengesi, who is known for his trigger-happy attitude, stated that Eymael's mandate is to ensure that the Chilli Boys finish in the top eight this season. 

"Our ambition was to have an improved season in comparison to how the team has been fighting relegation in the past few campaigns, Mpengesi said. 

"One of Mr Eymael responsibilities is a top-eight finish for this season. This where the Club Board can also decide on his longer-term contract with the team.

"We would like to wish Mr Seema well with his future endeavours, and thank him for his contribution towards the Chippa United brand."

Eymael was dismissed by Young Africans for racist remarks allegedly made when he compared Tanzanian fans to monkeys in an astonishing tirade.

It was then reported that the South African Football Association (Safa) wanted to ban the former Free State Stars and Polokwane City coach from returning to work in the country again. 

Austrian Bundesliga giants Red Bull Salzburg have revealed that Mali internationals Mohamed Camara and Sekou Koita have returned positive for banned substances.

Having featured for the Eagles in November’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Namibia – which Mohamed Magassouba’s men won over two legs – the players were subjected to tests on return to Austria.

However, they tested positive for a substance used for treating altitude sickness which the players claim was ordered by medical staff of the Mali national team.

“Mohamed Camara and Sekou Koita had been away for around ten days on international duty for Mali for two internationals against Namibia, before they recorded a positive test on 22 November 2020 – a few days after their return to Salzburg – as part of a Uefa test of ten of our players,” a statement from club website read.

“Camara and Koita both had traces of a substance that is a key ingredient in a drug taken to combat altitude sickness.

“They both state this was administered to them by the medical staff of the Mali national team before their away match in Namibia.

“The Mali national side flew for the African Nations Cup qualifier from Bamako in Mali (350 metres altitude) to Windhoek at 1700 metres altitude.”

In the wake of this development, Uefa, the body representing national football associations in Europe is expected to start an investigation.

Even at this, the Red Bull Arena giants have disclosed that both players will be allowed to train with squad in the spring and will be given the full support to get their case resolved.

In addition, RB Salzburg reveal they will do everything in cooperation with Uefa and relevant authorities to "obtain a full explanation of events in Mali".

Although the club is "very proud when our players are called up to their national teams," Salzburg's general manager, Stephan Reiter, assured "that medical work will conform to international standards, with doctors who are familiar with the rules."

"If Uefa takes additional measures, the association and the club will be informed," said Thomas Hollerer who is the general secretary of the Austrian Football Association.

Both players, who featured for the West African team during the 2019 Africa U20 Cup of Nations, grew through the club’s ranks before their promotion to the A team in 2019.

Gabriel Martinelli has provided Arsenal fans with some much-needed good news after his injury scare against Manchester City on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola piled the misery on his former protege Mikel Arteta in the Carabao Cup, with the reigning champions sweeping past the hapless Gunners with a 4-1 win at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal looked to have been dealt another setback when Martinelli went down just before half-time following a collision with City goalkeeper Zach Steffen.

The 19-year-old came back out for the second half but was clearly uncomfortable and was substituted within five minutes of the restart.

Arteta said after the game that Martinelli had suffered swelling in his shin after the collision, and defended the decision to allow him to continue for the second half.

Martinelli has only just returned from a serious knee injury which had kept him out of action since June, with the City game his first senior start of the season.

"It was just a really bad kick on his shin and it was swelling up. He was in pain and came off," Arteta said.

"He was pushing [at half-time], saying that he was completely fine, that he wanted to carry on and he wanted to try.

"He had a scar that wasn’t open and he wanted to try so we gave him the possibility to try. And when he was on the pitch, he wasn’t comfortable so it was an easy decision to take him out."

On Wednesday morning, Martinelli gave an update on Twitter – saying he is “feeling fine and ready to go again”.

That suggests he should be available for Arsenal’s upcoming games, though Arteta may exercise caution with him given his lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Arsenal are looking to save a disastrous season as they go into their Boxing Day fixture at home to Chelsea 15th in the Premier League – and only four points above the relegation zone.

Following that fixture are games against two of the sides below them in the table, in Brighton and West Brom.

Martinelli looked bright against Man City – the score was level at 1-1 when he was taken off – and Arteta has already spoken about the galvanising effect he has had in training.

Nairobi City Stars head coach Sanjin Alagic has been accused of calling Vihiga United players 'black monkeys' during a Kenyan Premier League game on Wednesday.

United coach Sammy Okoth has told Goal that his Bosnian adversary used the racial slur towards his players after the hosts fell behind, and the visitors duly had to be talked out of boycotting the match after being alerted to Alagic's comments.

The incident comes a fortnight after Istanbul Basaksehir and Paris Saint-Germain players left the pitch in protest during a Champions League game after the Romanian fourth official was accused of racism towards the Turkish side's assistant coach and former Cameroon international Pierre Achille Webo.

"It is not right for anyone to use a racist remark towards any player in modern football," Okoth told Goal. "He shouted to my players calling them black monkeys, and even the fourth official heard him.

"We wanted to boycott the game but he convinced us to play, stating he has captured the incident in his report."

The visitors took the lead unexpectedly through David Simiyu in the 43rd minute, and put up a strong resolve before Sven Yidah eventually equalised for City Stars after United players had been talked out of walking off the pitch in protest.

Okoth has claimed that some of his backroom staff, in contrast to the players, were so shocked by Alagic's outburst that they did not confront the City Stars coach.

"It hurt me when the likes of Noah Abich [who is a member of the technical bench] looked unconcerned despite the abusive remarks by their coach," Okoch continued. "They even went to the extent of telling us to cool down.

"[City Stars] did not expect a tough game.They thought we were another easy team from whom they would easily collect maximum points.

"We played well in the first half and could have scored more goals, but we didn't, and they capitalized on our slow second start to hit the equalizer."

43-year-old Alagic was appointed City Stars coach last year, and oversaw their promotion back to the top flight after a four-year absence.

The Sarajevo-born coach, who holds a Uefa Pro License, held the reins for Bosnia's U-21 team until 2019, having also worked at club sides in his homeland, in Slovakian football, and in the Middle East.

Simba wa Nairobi are now fifth in the FKF Prermier League on eight points after five matches, having scored five and conceded two. 

Vihiga United are 12th, and await their second victory of the season, having lost three of their five matches to date.

Cristiano Ronaldo has issued a rallying call demanding "excellence" from Juventus in 2021 after their "special year" limped to a close on Tuesday night.

Juve's unbeaten start to the Serie A season came to an end in emphatic fashion as they suffered a shock 3-0 defeat at home to Fiorentina in their final fixture before the winter break.

Andrea Pirlo's side were second best throughout the 90 minutes at the Allianz Stadium, with a Dusan Vlahovic strike, an Alex Sandro own goal and a Martin Caceres effort rounding off a comfortable win for La Viola.

The Bianconeri's task was made harder after Juan Cuadrado was sent off for a two-footed tackle with the score at 1-0, but Ronaldo insists the Italian champions can have no excuses for a defeat which leaves them seven points adrift of leaders AC Milan in the Serie A table.

He took to social media to reflect on a turbulent 12 months which saw Juve win a ninth successive Scudetto amid the coronavirus outbreak, and promised that the team will come back stronger in the new year.

"Yesterday, with a poor performance and a result far from acceptable, we closed our scheduled games for 2020, a special year in many particular ways. Empty stadiums, COVID protocols, postponed games, long stoppages and a very tight calendar," Ronaldo said on Instagram.

"I hope this short stoppage may help us to come back stronger and more united than ever, because the season is still far from over and in the end we believe that we will, once again, celebrate with our tiffosi.

"Believe in us, trust our team as much as we trust you, and we will deliver!

"Fino Alla Fine!"

Juve will return to domestic action on January 3, with a home fixture against Udinese.

Pirlo's men will then turn their attention to a must-win clash against early pace-setters Milan at San Siro three days later, with the Rossoneri now the only side left in Europe's top five leagues yet to suffer a league defeat this term.

Lilian Thuram has revealed his disbelief at seeing son Marcus spit in the face of a Bundesliga opponent.

Borussia Monchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram picked up a six-match ban from the German Football Association (DFB) after his outrageous act towards Hoffenheim's Stefan Posch.

The 23-year-old has been hit in the pocket too, being fined a month's wages by Gladbach after the incident in the second half of Saturday's 2-1 home defeat, with a further penalty of €40,000 levied by the DFB.

The sixth match of the suspension has been suspended by 12 months, with the young French forward now facing the task of repairing his tarnished reputation.

He insisted it was not a deliberate act but apologised to Posch , and Thuram also had some explaining to do to his famous father, a World Cup and European Championship winner with France.

Speaking to RCI Guadeloupe , Lilian Thuram said: "It's completely understandable what is happening in the media. I myself was watching the match, I was extremely shocked.

"I even asked myself the question of whether that was really my son.

"Afterwards, I had his explanation, which is to say that he was raging with anger, and so he insulted the opponent and without actually doing it on purpose, he had saliva which came out.

"What he wants is for people to remember that it's unintentional because he says himself, 'But Dad, I wouldn't want people to think I'm capable of spitting on someone on purpose because it doesn't make sense'."

Retired former Juventus and Barcelona defender Thuram explained Marcus had called younger brother Khephren, who plays for Nice, from the dressing room to explain the situation.

It remains to be seen whether the incident and the adverse attention affects Marcus Thuram's hopes of playing for France in the delayed Euro 2020 finals next year.

Lilian Thuram said his son would have to tolerate the sanctions against him, adding: "He accepts - and I think it's normal - that he should be punished because indeed, it is a gesture that must not exist on the football field."

Confederation of African Football (Caf) have handed AS Kigali a walkover after KCCA FC failed to raise a required number of players for the second preliminary round of the Caf Confederation Cup game that was to be played on Wednesday.

The Kasasiro Boys have confirmed the new development while stating an organizing committee will be consulted later on for a final decision regarding the game.

The Garbage Collectors had to travel with 14 players after 12 tested positive for Covid-19 after their Ugandan Premier League (UPL) match against URA FC which they lost 2-1.

"According to the Caf Organizing Committee which is also in line with the FIFA laws of the game, each match must be played if the team has at least 11 players including a goalkeeper plus four substitutes," KCCA explained on their official website.

"If a team does not have the minimum number of players, 11 players including goalkeeper plus 4 substitutes, to play a match the team will be considered to have lost the match 2-0.  

"In exceptional circumstances, the organizing committee will be consulted for a final decision concerning the match."

Head coach Mike Mutebi also tested positive for the virus. Assistant coach Badru Kabuye, goalkeeping coach Moses Oloya and first-team coach Jackson Magera are among the members of the technical bench who are also infected by Covid-19.

Keeper Charles Lukwago, Denis Iguma, Kezironi Kizito, Brian Aheebwa, Stefano Mazengo, Hassan Matovu, Samson Kigozi, and Hassan Musana are said to have returned positive tests ahead of the match against AS Kigali and had to be left behind. 

Gift Ali, Julius Poloto, Sadat Anaku, and John Revita are the players who have been sidelined by injuries, making KCCA's squad very thin. 

The Kasasiro Boys got a bye in the first preliminary round, and they were scheduled to play away against their neighbours, who eliminated Orapa United of Botswana.

After falling 2-1 away, the Rwandan side won by a solitary goal at home and the aggregate score was 2-2, but the East African side advanced on the away goal rule.

After Wednesday's decision, it means AS Kigali have a 2-0 advantage. The return leg is to be played on January 6 in Kampala, Uganda.

When it comes to marquee signings in football, the idea of a boost in shirt sales is often raised as a financial benefit associated.

It is usually put forward by some fans - and even pundits - as part of the justification for a transfer fee or for the often significant salary of the big-name addition.

The theory goes that the buzz generated by the arrival of someone like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Kylian Mbappe will bring a major windfall as more jerseys will be sold.

Here's the thing: it's something of a myth. Sorry to shatter the illusion.

So how much money do football clubs make from shirt sales then? Goal takes a look at the process in order to shed a little light on the matter.

How much money do football clubs make from shirt sales?

The money football clubs make from shirt sales varies from club to club based on factors such as how many shirts are sold and the commission rate they have negotiated with providers.

Even the biggest clubs in the world receive a relatively small percentage of the revenue generated from shirt sales - usually around 7.5 to - if they're lucky - 15 per cent.

There are some exceptions, of course. Liverpool's new five-year £150 million ($200m) deal (£30m a year) with Nike reportedly sees them take a 20% commission from sales.

In Liverpool's case, imagine that one million shirts are sold in the 2020-21 season at a cost of £80 each. Twenty per cent of £80 is £16, therefore Liverpool would pocket £16 million from those sales.

That would be £16 million on top of the £30 million Nike paid them that year as part of their partnership, with Nike getting £64 million from sales (though production and distribution costs would eat into that).

So why is the return from shirt sales so small, relatively speaking?

Well, it is because the production of kits is essentially a licensing arrangement. Kit providers such as Adidas, Nike, Puma et al pay a club for the right to produce and sell merchandise.

On top of the licensing fee, these providers then give the club a cut of the sales, usually once they pass a certain threshold.

The sportswear manufacturers do most of the hard work, after all, and so, in a business sense, they are quite entitled to take the bulk of the profits.

It is a mightily lucrative industry to get into. Adidas, for example, agreed a 10-year deal with Manchester United, which sees them pay the Premier League giants £750 million over the course of the decade.

However, according to Adidas CEO Herber Hainer, sales projections over those 10 years is £1.5 billion ($2bn), so it is easy to see why manufacturers are willing to fork out such massive sums of money for licences.

Which football clubs sell the most shirts?

As you might expect, the most popular football clubs sell the most jerseys and the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Real Madrid are regularly at the top of the table.

Other clubs, such as Liverpool, Juventus, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City sell plenty too, as do Germany heavyweights Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

According to statista.com, Manchester United were the best-selling club when it came to jerseys sold in 2018-19, while Planet Football observes that Liverpool jerseys were the most popular football jersey on Amazon in 2019-20.

Bayern Munich are resigned to losing Premier League-linked David Alaba, according to Oliver Kahn, who has admitted that the defender is "looking around".

Alaba has established himself as one of the most consistent performers in the Bundesliga and Champions League since joining Bayern from Austria Wien in 2008.

The Austria international has appeared in over 400 games for the German champions since then, winning 23 major honours along the way, including nine league titles and two European Cups.

He played a key role in Bayern's run to the treble last season, and has continued to enjoy a regular spot in Hansi Flick's set-up in the first half of the 2020-21 campaign.

However, speculation over Alaba's future has been raging in recent months, with his current contract set to expire next summer.

Bayern withdrew their latest offer to extend the 28-year-old's existing deal after he reportedly refused to compromise during negotiations, amid rumours of interest from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have also been mooted as possible next destinations for Alaba, and Flick urged a prized asset to make a conclusive decision regarding his career path during an interview with Die Welt last month.

"David should take responsibility and decide for himself what is important to him,” said the Bayern boss.

Allianz Arena board member Khan, who is set to replace Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as the club's chairman and CEO in December 2021, says Alaba has decided to invite offers from potential suitors despite being handed the chance to commit to generous fresh terms in his current surroundings.

Asked if he believes the versatile performer could still sign a renewal, the Bayern legend told Sport Bild: "At the moment I don't know how that should happen.

"We rolled out the red carpet for David Alaba and went to our limits. David and especially his advisor Pini Zahavi have not walked that red carpet. 

"It looks like he's looking around. We have to accept that." 

After the winter break in Germany, Alaba will be back in contention for a place in Flick's starting XI when the Bundesliga leaders play host to Mainz on January 3.