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Mamelodi Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile says the playing surface at Lobaste Stadium did not allow the Brazilians to play the kind of football they are used to despite beating Jwaneng Galaxy 2-0 in Tuesday’s Caf Champions League first round, first leg encounter.

It was a crucial victory for Downs who found the back of the net in either half through Mothobi Mvala and Shalulile.

With Shalulile having managed four Premier Soccer League goals so far this season, he added to his season tally on his Champions League debut and the Namibia forward has promised more goals.

“The pitch didn’t allow us to play our football but we managed to grind a result with two goals,” Shalulile told Sundowns’ media.

“I’m happy for my teammates. We really did our best and credit also goes to the technical team. They believed in us and kept on pushing us and finally, we won. We will see what happens in the next round. ...in training, I just keep on hunting for that goal and it’s coming and I will still keep on pushing for many more goals.

“I should say thank you to my teammates. They are the ones who believe in me and I will keep on banging them in. You should always have that thing in mind saying something will happen, a goal will come. I anticipated the goal and it eventually came. I got the ball and put it in the back of the net.”

It was also a perfect afternoon for Downs attacker Mothobi Mvala who opened the scoring for Sundowns before Shalulile doubled their advantage.

The Galaxy match was Mvala’s second in Sundowns colours after making his debut for the Brazilians three days earlier and he scored in a 1-1 league draw away at Golden Arrows.

The former Highlands Park man says grabbing a goal against Arrows geared him up for the Galaxy challenge.

“I feel happy, the confidence is growing in me and thanks to the coaches for giving me some minutes. One needs to give his all when he gets the opportunity,” said Mvala.

“I can say the game against Arrows really prepared me for this game [against Galaxy]. I was mentally ready. The guys who played Caf Champions League football before also prepared us. They told us that it’s not going to be easy, there is no time for pretty football.

“We were told that the pitch is not going to be nice. We needed to grind and get an early goal. We knew that if we get an early goal, the chances of them scoring against us would be very slim.”

Sundowns will now go for the festive break and will return to action when they host Orlando Pirates on January 2, before welcoming Jwaneng Galaxy for the second leg four days later.

CONFLUENCE QUEENS VS NASARAWA AMAZONS

Nasarawa Amazons will play their first away game on Wednesday against Confluence Queens at the Confluence Stadium following their back-to-back home defeat to Robo and Bayelsa Queens.

The Solid Miners suffered a shock 1-0 defeat against the Lagos side and followed up with a 2-1 loss to the Yenegoa team but will aim to get their campaign back on track in Lokoja.

Having only managed one point from two matches this season, Confluence will aim for the first win of the campaign in the second home game following a 2-0 loss at Sunshine Queens in Akure.

To achieve this, they will count on the services of Joy Omewa and Glory Edet, who shone brightly at the Flying Officer's Cup in Abuja.

IBOM ANGELS VS ROYAL QUEENS

Ibom Angels will look to earn the first win of the season against newcomers Royal Queens in a South-South derby on Wednesday.

Moruf Adeyemo will hope to avoid back-to-back slips at home after the opening day 1-0 to Osun Babes as they hope to build their encouraging 1-1 draw against Pelican Stars in Calabar last week.

On the other hand, Royal Queens will hope to improve on their performance on their second outing away to Ibom, having suffered a heavy opening day 4-1 defeat to Edo Queens.

With a 1-0 triumph over Abia Angels in their first top-flight game at home, the Warri-based outfit can gain enough morale ahead of the Ibom showdown at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

BAYELSA QUEENS VS FC ROBO

In another top of the table clash, Bayelsa Queens will play host to FC Robo at the Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenagoa on Wednesday.

The Restoration girls have enjoyed a fine start to the season after 2-1 wins over Sunshine Queens and Nasarawa Amazons respectively.

In spite of their flying start to the season, Moses Aduku is not getting carried away as he hopes his side to continue the rich vein of winning form against the Lagos based giant-killers.

For Emmanuel Osahon's side, they are eager to maintain their highflying form against Bayelsa Queens following their back-to-back wins over Nasarawa Amazons and Osun Babes.

The Lagos landladies will rely heavily on the form of Gift Monday, who had a hand in Robo's opening wins this term, with her hat-trick against Osun following an assist in victory at Nasarawa.

ABIA ANGELS VS DREAMSTAR LADIES

Abia Angels will hope to have recovered enough from their narrow 1-0 loss in Warri against Royal Queens when they host struggling DreamStar Ladies at the Umuahia Stadium on Tuesday.

Ann Chiejine's team will be counting on the striking brilliance of Jane Godwin in their quest for back-to-back home wins to maintain the fine start to the season against their Lagos opponents.

While DreamStar will be eyeing their first point in three matches against Abia Angels following their unfortunate narrow 1-0 defeat at home to Edo Queens at the Agege Stadium last week.

Despite a back-to-back defeat, the Galaticas will seek to improve on their fine form against the Inneh ladies on their visit to Umuahia.

EDO QUEENS VS RIVERS ANGELS

Edo Queens will be facing their biggest test of the season when they host Rivers Angels in another South-South derby on Wednesday.

Besides being a regional showdown, it is also another top table battle as the hosts currently sit at the top of the table following back-to-back wins against Royal Queens and DreamStar Ladies.

As the first competitive meeting in two years, Rolandsen Odeh will be desperate to see his side extend their fine start to the season.

For Rivers Angels, extending their unbeaten run in the current campaign will be the ultimate after a recent 6-2 victory over Delta Queens at the University of Port Harcourt Stadium last week.

And Edwin Okon will hope his side can earn the first away win when they face off with Edo Queens at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.

DELTA QUEENS VS SUNSHINE QUEENS

Delta Queens crashed to a heavy away defeat against Rivers Angels in Port Harcourt but they now have the chance to get back to winning ways against Sunshine Stars in Agbor.

To achieve this, the four-time Nigerian champions must be at their best and hope the team's topscorer Dominance Odunbajo with three goals is in good shape against the Owena Babes.

On the other hand, Sunshine Queens looked fired up following their 2-0 win over last season's finalists Confluence Queens in Akure last week as they battle Delta at the Agbor Stadium this time.

Having lost 2-1 in their opening day visit to Bayelsa Queens, Wemimo Matthew will be anxious to see her side claim their first point on their second match away from home this season.

OSUN BABES VS PELICAN STARS

Osun Babes can seize the opportunity to redeem themselves when they welcome Pelican Stars to the Osogbo City Stadium.

Despite a fine start to the season with a 1-0 win at Ibom Angels, the Omoluabi ladies crashed to 3-1 defeat in a South-West derby against Robo no thanks to Gift Monday's hat-trick last week.

Ahead of their first home game of the season, Osun will seek to make the best of their advantage against their struggling visitors.

On their part, the Pelican Stars will look to put their sluggish start behind them when they turn out against Osun Babes as they will be desperate to avoid a repeat of their 1-0 defeat at Abia Angels.

With just one point from two games, Edat Egan will push her side to pulling off an upset against their hosts in Osogbo.

Jonathan Zongo has been forced to retire from football following the knee injury he sustained while on Burkina Faso duty in January 2017, the player has confirmed.

In their second game of the Africa Cup of Nations, the winger ruptured all the ligaments of his knee while trying to stop a counter-attack by Denis Bouanga in the 50th minute, and was subsequently replaced by Bertrand Traore four minutes later.

After the incident, Burkina Faso president Roch Kabore had offered to pay for his medical expenses but has not kept his promise, and the now vowed to got back to him as finds it difficult to walk.

“I am going back to Burkina Faso and the President of the Republic, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, receives me and announces that he will pay all these costs,” Zongo told L'Equipe.

“In Badalone, the pitch was synthetic and after a game my knee didn't hold. I was in too much pain. Today I can't walk without pain and I struggle to climb stairs.”

Through bravery and hard work, the Burkina Faso star did everything to resume his career in 2019, however, his painful knee stopped him from progressing.

“Heart, sweat and honour: that's what you asked me to do and that's what I gave. I had a modest career, full of emotions. I don't remember making an enemy,” he wrote on Instagram.

“I am anticipating the end of my career for very important reasons. You're aware of my injury at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. In the last four years, I have suffered from one operation to another, from one leg to another, from one muscle to another, these pains have pushed me to end my career today.

“I thank God and a big thank you to my family, to the people of Burkina Faso, to all the clubs that have trusted me, to all my teammates, to the supporters and to all those who have participated in one way or another in my career.”

The talented winger began his career in his hometown Ouagadougou as a 20-year-old in 2009 and spent a season there before moving to Spain to join Almeria.

Initially assigned to the reserve team in Segunda Division B, his impressive performances saw him promoted to the A team, where he made his Andalusians debut as a second-half substitute for Nigeria’s Kalu Uche against Deportivo La Coruna in a Cope del Rey clash.

Zongo made his international debut for the Stallions in a 2-1 away win against Morocco. His first goal came as an equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Senegal. Before injury cut his promising career short, he had accounted for 22 games for Burkina Faso with two games to his credit.

Bruno Fernandes says he wants "more goals and assists than games" in 2021, with the Manchester United star insisting he can still improve despite a stunning start to his career at Old Trafford.

Fernandes has quickly established himself as a cult hero at United since his €55 million (£41m/$67m) switch from Sporting CP on January 30.

That lofty price tag now seems like a snip for a man who has scored 25 goals in his first 42 appearances for the club, while also setting up another 15 for his team-mates.

The Portuguese midfielder inspired Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side to a third-place Premier League finish last season, and his contribution has only increased at the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

The Red Devils are occupying the same position in the top-flight standings after 13 fixtures, with only five points separating them and defending champions Liverpool - who are sitting in first having played a game more.

Fernandes took his tally to nine domestic goals this term by hitting a brace in a thrilling 6-2 home win over Leeds United at the weekend, which puts him joint third in the race for the Golden Boot.

As well as a first league title in seven years, United also still in the hunt for three-cup competitions, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Everton up next on Wednesday night.

With Fernandes pulling the strings in the middle of the park, Solskjaer is being tipped to bring a frustrating trophy drought to an end in the coming months, but a talismanic figure also has some personal targets on his mind heading into the new year.

“I think, as I’ve said before, it’s easy when you play in a team like Manchester because there are so many­­ good players around you," Fernandes told MUTV. 

"They help you to be better and I am here to help them be better. So I think, of course, numbers are really good but it is now that I need to start to improve. It will be more difficult from now and I mean difficult day-by-day and game-by-game because the players will know me better.

“Of course, I am really happy to have these numbers and, obviously, it is not easy to get to this point with these numbers but I want to do better and better, more and more. I want to finish the Premier League this season with more goals and assists than games. That would be good.”

Asked to assess his first year in Manchester, Fernandes responded: "I think the first 12 months, the 11 months for me [here], have been great. Of course, the main thing I want, I didn’t achieve, until now, is the trophies. That is clear.

"We really can do that in 2021 and, of course, I think, at the end of everything, what we did in the last 11 months was really good. I’m very happy to be here and to be part of this biggest club.”

Pressed on whether the emphatic victory against Leeds on Sunday was one of the most entertaining games he's ever been involved in, the United talisman added: “I think yes, of course, when you score lots of goals, you are happy.

"You are not happy to concede two goals. We want to have clean sheets, of course, but I think, at the end of the day, the most important thing was that it doesn’t matter if we score six or not. 

“If we score three, it was enough, 3-2 and we go home with the three points. That’s the most important thing. Of course, we want to win and we want to score goals.

"We want to show our best qualities we can but the most important thing for us, for the team, is winning. We know the fans want to see goals, skills, some magic things but the most important thing, for us, and what we need to think about, is winning.”

Sammy Omollo believes Gor Mahia have a chance to get a positive outcome in their second preliminary round game of the Caf Champions League against CR Belouizdad. 

The champions have had tough times playing teams from North Africa in continental assignments.  

The last time Gor Mahia played against an Algerian opponent was in 2019 when they were drawn to face USM Alger in the same competition. 

USM Alger came to Nairobi and beat K’Ogalo 4-1 and returned home in Algiers to win the return leg 2-0 and advance to the next round with a 6-1 aggregate scoreline. 

The two teams also met in the Confederation Cup in the 2018 season with the first leg staged in Kenya ending in a 0-0 draw before USM Alger won the return leg 2-1 at home to advance 2-1 on aggregate. 

In 2019, Gor Mahia were also drawn to face Algerian side Hussein Dey in the Confederation Cup, and they won the first leg staged in Nairobi 2-0 but lost away 1-0 to claim a 2-1 aggregate win.

"I am hopeful we can get a positive result away from Algeria, we have players who can deliver," Omollo told Goal on Wednesday.

"If we manage to stick to our game plan, I am optimistic we will get at least a draw away. Yes, we are going for a win but a draw will not be bad. Then when we come home we finish the job by winning.

"Yes, Algerian teams have been challenging for us, but nothing is impossible, we can get past them."

Captain Kenneth Muguna will miss the game against the Great Chabab owing to a rib injury.

The 24-year-old was influential for K'Ogalo in their first preliminary round against APR. The skipper played a part in three out of the four goals K'Ogalo scored in the 4-3 aggregate win.

"In this stage, you want to have your best players, but when you cannot have them, you will have to do with those available," Omollo continued.

"Muguna is a good player and we will definitely miss him, but I am hopeful those available will do the job." 

The match will be played on Saturday, December 26 from 10.45 pm EAT.

Gor Mahia have never qualified for the Caf Champions League group stage.

Fit-again Ghana midfielder Mohammed Kudus will not be in action for Ajax Amsterdam in their Dutch Eredivisie clash with Willem II Tilburg on Wednesday.

After a two-month injury lay-off, the 20-year-old resumed training earlier this month, with club manager Erik ten Hag hinting of the possible involvement of the summer signing in the midweek fixture.

The Lancers, though, have had a re-think of plans, dispatching any idea of deploying the Ghanaian amid concerns about a possible long-term effect.

“He does not feel 100 per cent yet. That is why we have decided not to take any risks with him," Ten Hag is quoted as saying by AD on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday's tie.

Kudus joined Ajax in a five-year deal in July after impressing for Danish Nordsjaelland. The transfer was reportedly worth €9 million.

On his Champions League debut - against Liverpool - the Ghanaian had a night to forget as he was forced off the pitch after just six minutes, having picked up a meniscus injury after challenging Liverpool's Fabinho for the ball.

“Maybe Kudus, but we’ll see in the next few days how it goes," Ten Hag had said in responding to a question about whether he expected any of Ajax's injury returnees to feature against Willem on Wednesday. The manager was speaking after his club beat ADO Den Haag in Eredivisie action on Sunday.

The youngster has made only four competitive appearances for Ajax so far in all competitions, assisting three goals. He scored his only goal for the club in a 5-1 victory over Heerenveen in the Dutch league in October.

His injury predicaments have also been felt on the international stage as Ghana has had to do without their new kid on the block in their last four matches.

In October, the Right to Dream Academy graduate, who scored on his international debut, missed the Black Stars' double-header of friendlies against Mali and 2022 World Cup hosts and Asian champions Qatar.

A month later, he was again absent as the Black Stars took on Sudan in back-to-back games in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers.

Ghana lost two and won two of their four matches.

Mikel Arteta insists Nicolas Pepe is "trying his best" to live up to exceptions at Arsenal, but also admits that the club's record signing is "suffering" amid widespread criticism.

Pepe completed a £72 million ($97m) move to Emirates Stadium from Lille in August 2019, with Arsenal winning the race for his signature ahead of a host of top European clubs.

The Ivory Coast international established himself as arguably the most dangerous winger in Ligue 1 during his time at Stade Pierre Mauroy, scoring 37 goals in 79 appearances, but has so far been unable to reach the same heights in north London.

The 25-year-old has only recorded 13 goals in his first 61 outings for the Gunners, including just five this season, with his latest effort coming from the penalty spot in a 2-1 defeat at Everton on Sunday.

Pepe has been in and out of Mikel Arteta's line up in recent months, and he invited the wrath of supporters after being handed a rare start against Leeds United at Elland Road on November 22.

He was sent off for headbutting Ezgjan Alioski before Arsenal scraped a 0-0 draw, leading to more question marks over his attitude and commitment to the club's cause.

The former Lille star was dropped to the bench as the Gunners fell to a 4-1 Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat against Manchester City on Tuesday night, but Arteta jumped to the defence of the under-fire attacker in his pre-match interview.

"He is hurting, he is suffering – believe me, I am close to him – and he is trying his best," the Spanish head coach told reporters.

"He feels the responsibility because he knows why the club brought him here and he wants to deliver that."

Arteta added: "I would always defend my players. Whatever I have to discuss with him, it will be internally.

"Pepe wants to do his best and help as much as he possibly can. This is what I am interested in.

"It is my job and if he doesn't, it is my fault. He is trying his best.  We all know Nico and sometimes his body language makes him feel bad."

Pepe's next chance to prove his doubters wrong could come when Arsenal play host to Chelsea in a crucial London derby clash on Saturday.

Arteta's men will be desperate to bring a seven-match winless streak in the Premier League to a close against the Blues, who are currently 11 points ahead of them in the table

Gor Mahia have confirmed they have secured a flight to Algeria to honour their Caf Champions League match against CR Belouizdad on Saturday.

The Kenyan champions were due to travel to Algeria on Sunday for the first leg meeting on Wednesday, but they requested the Confederation of African Football (Caf) to push the game forward as they cited a lack of proper preparation owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

While Caf had refused to push the game on the first request, the African body later changed its mind and postponed the game to December 26, and also offered Gor Mahia with optional flights they can use to reach the country.

Gor Mahia have now confirmed they have secured a Qatar Airways flight to Algeria on Thursday, December 25, and they will arrive in the North African country a day before the match that will be played at Stade du 5 Juillet 1962 Stadium.

“We will depart Nairobi at 12.55 am on December 25, and arrive in Doha, Qatar at 6.45 am,” Gor Mahia said on their official social media pages. “We will then depart Doha at 8.35 am and arrive in Algiers, Algeria at 3.20 pm [Kenyan time].

“The team will have a rest on December 25, then play on December 26 and depart from Algiers at 5.10 pm [Kenyan time] on December 28 and arrive in Nairobi on December 29.”

On confirming that Caf had indeed postponed the fixture, FKF President Nick Mwendwa pleaded with Gor Mahia to make sure that they honour the fixture because they will face dire consequences if they fail to travel.

“It is true, Caf has written to us confirming the game has been pushed forward," Mwendwa told Goal on Tuesday.” The flights are available on Wednesday, December 23 and Friday, December 25. Caf have provided Gor Mahia with options regarding the flights that will be convenient for them.

“It is now up to Gor Mahia to organize themselves for another Covid-19 test and ensure they have made travel arrangements. The consequences of missing that game will be dire to the FKF and the club as well.”

The last time Gor Mahia played against an Algerian opponent was in 2019 when they were drawn to face USM Alger in the same competition.

USM Alger came to Nairobi and beat K’Ogalo 4-1 and returned home in Algiers to win the return leg 2-0 and advance to the next round with a 6-1 aggregate scoreline.

The two teams also met in the Confederation Cup in the 2018 season with the first leg staged in Kenya ending in a 0-0 draw before USM Alger won the return leg 2-1 at home to advance 2-1 on aggregate.

In 2019, Gor Mahia were also drawn to face Algerian side Hussein Dey in the Confederation Cup, and they won the first leg staged in Nairobi 2-0 but lost away 1-0 to claim a 2-1 aggregate win.

Lionel Messi will be considered the best footballer of all time, says Carles Puyol, after the Barcelona star eclipsed Pele for the record of most goals scored for one club.

Messi’s goal against Valladolid on Tuesday night  took him to 644 for Barcelona to surpass the 643 that Brazilian icon Pele scored for Santos.

The 33-year-old’s landmark is the latest in a string of records the Argentine attacker has set since making his debut for Barcelona as a late substitute against Espanyol in October 2004.

Puyol, who started that game, believes that his former team-mate, and a six-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, will go down in history as football’s greatest player.

“If you ask me who Michael Jordan is, I will say that he is the best basketball player in history,” Puyol told Goal, speaking as part of Budweiser’s celebration of the history-making Messi moment, crowning him the undisputed King of Football. 

“I think Messi will have the same status – the best footballer of all time. It is also talked about whether Michael Jordan is the best in history, and these are opinions, and sometimes it is difficult to be objective. It is difficult for a Real Madrid fan to recognise that Messi is the best.

“We have been lucky to have him but I really say, taking away the feeling of being a cule, that the numbers are there, these have not been invented and they show that he is the best.”

Messi has surpassed the level of Pele and Diego Maradona for many, and Puyol believes it will be difficult for a future player to go beyond what the current Barca captain has achieved.

He added: “Now, we say no, but hopefully in the future there will be someone better. For football and sport lovers, it would be good because we would see incredible things.

“I see it being difficult, if not impossible, for someone to be at that level for so many years but we will have to wait and, for now, enjoy Leo.”

Reflecting on Messi’s record-breaking goals total, Puyol said: “Firstly, I have been very fortunate to be able to play with him and with this generation of footballers, and to have done so with the team of my heart.

“I am very proud of the work we did together.

“The beginning of my career was difficult because I went five years without winning anything, but then we managed to win it all and, to this day, we are the only club that has won six titles in the same year.

“I continue to trust that a Barcelona led by Leo will continue to win titles.

“I don’t know if he has much more to achieve. He still has to win a title with the national team.

“I am not Argentine but I would be excited for him because I think he deserves it and I know he really wants to do it.

“At Barcelona, he has already beaten all the records and I don’t know if there will be anyone who can fight with him in the future because he has set the bar very high.”

Carles Puyol spoke as a La Liga ambassador, as part of Budweiser's celebration of Lionel Messi's record-breaking 644th goal. For more info visit youtube.com/Budweiser

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has revealed how he masterminded a win over Jwaneng Galaxy in their Caf Champions League match on Tuesday afternoon.

The Tshwane giants brushed aside the Botswana champions 2-0 in the first-round first-leg match which took place at Lobatse Stadium. 

Mngqithi explained that they had a plan to neutralize Galaxy's aerial threat and he was also impressed by Ivorian striker Dion Sede Junior, who kept the Masandawana defence busy. 

"The game was a tough one. We knew it was not going to be easy. We have played against these guys [before]. We have played them three or four times. We know they are a hard-running team," Mngqithi told the media. 

"We know they are a very strong team on set-pieces. Number 19 [Ditsele], if I am not mistaken, is very influential and he is established on how the team plays. The Ivorian striker worked very hard. 

"He was everywhere on the pitch and he gave a good account of himself. It is encouraging to see how much work that boy does. So on set-pieces, we knew they would be dangerous with the Ivorian, Ditsele, number 14 [Isaac Paeye] and number 5, the centre back [Fortunate Thulare]."

Rarely used defender Bangaly Soumahoro surprisingly started for Sundowns as Mngqithi looked to combat Galaxy's aerial threat from set-pieces, crosses and long balls. 

"We really believed that it was one area they can punish us from because they have very good delivery and those boys are very aggressive on set-pieces that is why we made sure that we brought a team which was strong aerially because we knew the pitch condition did not allow us to play our normal football," he continued. 

"So, we had to make sure we try to strengthen that department because even in our last match - we conceded from a set-piece. For us, it is one area which we are always working hard to make sure we consolidate on."

The 49-year-old tactician is expecting a difficult match against Galaxy in the second-leg encounter which will be played in South Africa on January 5. 

"That one is a little bit of a tricky one because we will not be with the players during the Christmas break [as] we will give them a few days off," he added. 

"We are having a game on the 2nd [January] against Pirates and the 5th [January] we are playing you guys [Galaxy]. We know it is not going to be an easy game for us because it will depend on how people party [during the Christmas break], but I am optimistic that we will come right. 

"Our boys understand the value of getting into the group [because] that is what we always play for. For us, it is more than important to make sure that in the Champions League we have the dominance that is required."  

The winner on aggregate between Sundowns and Galaxy will advance to the group stage, while the losing team will be relegated to the Caf Confederation Cup play-off round. 

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo by Everton assistant Davide Ancelotti, who describes the forward as a "special player".

Calvert-Lewin has taken his game to new heights since Carlo Ancelotti's appointment at Goodison Park in December 2019.

The 23-year-old has hit 14 goals in 16 appearances across all competitions for Everton this season, helping the team rise to fourth in the Premier League and qualify for the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

Gareth Southgate has been impressed enough to hand Calvert-Lewin a regular spot in his England set-up, and he has even been linked with a big-money move to Manchester United.

Ancelotti has coached some of the best strikers of all-time over the course of his illustrious career, with the likes of Ronaldo Nazario, Filippo Inzaghi, David Trezeguet and Didier Drogba all benefitting from his wisdom on the touchline.

The Italian manager's son, who works as his father's No.2 at Goodison, believes Calvert-Lewin has the same superstar potential, and has even drawn similarities between the Toffees talisman and Juventus frontman Ronaldo.

“I think he has all [the attributes] to be the same," Ancelotti Jr told talkSPORT.

“Of course, he is at the beginning of his way. But as I said, game-by-game, I’m seeing big improvements. Also in training he is working very hard to improve.

“The special ability he has, that all the big talents have, is that he knows his body really well. He knows his feelings really well and that’s not so common.

“For example, [Cristiano] Ronaldo was a player like this. He was able to understand his body.”

The Everton coach added on the qualities that make Calvert-Lewin stand out: “He is a special player. He has fantastic abilities.

“Game-by-game you can see his improvement and how he is able to make the difference in this league. It’s not easy to make the difference.

“Especially from a physical point of view, it’s difficult to see a player in this league that is better than the others because the level is really high.

“But Dominic is able to impress from this point of view.”

Ancelotti Jr went on to discuss the Toffees' bright start to the 2020-21 campaign, comparing their recent progress to that of cross-city rivals Liverpool at the beginning of Jurgen Klopp's reign.

“If you look at the starting line-up when Klopp came in, it was completely different [to now],” he said.

“With the planning, to be patient and to try to build year-by-year, you can reach objectives if you are ambitious. Everton is ambitious.

“Last year we arrived in 12th place and this is just the second year, so we don’t have to think we are going to win the league. We don’t have to put too big objectives for us.

“But we have to be competitive as we’ve shown in the last three games [in wins over Chelsea, Leicester and Arsenal], build the mentality year-by-year and improve the team year-by-year.

“Everton can follow the way Liverpool have in the last years.”

East Bengal are set to send nine Indian players on loan in the January transfer window, Goal can confirm. 

Balwant Singh, Gurtej Singh, Rafique Ali Sardar, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, CK Vineeth, Samad Ali Mallick, Abhishek Ambekar, Mohammed Irshad and Anil Chavan are the nine players who will be released.

The Red and Golds have already agreed terms with fellow Kolkata club Mohammedan Sporting over the transfer of defender Gurtej Singh and goalkeeper Rafique Ali Sardar. The two players have travelled to Kolkata last night and have entered the I-League club's bio-bubble.

While Gurtej and Rafique Ali will ply their trade in the I-League for the remainder of the season, midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh is close to joining another Indian Super League (ISL) club, sources close to Goal have confirmed.

The fate of the other six players are yet to be decided but the Kolkata giants are trying to find clubs for them as the team management looks to offload them. 

East Bengal are currently at the bottom of the ISL table with just two points from their first six matches. Head Coach Robbie Fowler has expressed his displeasure over the quality of the Indian players in his squad on multiple occasions this season. He had even mentioned after the Hyderabad game that the squad had been assembled with I-League as the target competition. This was before the club managed to enter the ISL. 

It has to be noted that none of these nine players, who are being released, were recruited by the current team management. 

East Bengal entered the ISL late and as a result, have not had time to prepare and assemble a squad capable of challenging and competing in the ISL. By the time their participation was confirmed in the ISL, it must be kept in mind that the cream of Indian players had already signed for other ISL clubs. 

With nine players out, East Bengal will be left with 26 domestic players in their ranks for the rest of the season.

One of the candidates in Barcelona’s upcoming presidential election has promised to knock down Camp Nou and build a new stadium if he is elected.

Agusti Benedito says his plans would be cheaper than the ‘Espai Barca’ project which is already in the works.

Those plans would see Camp Nou’s capacity rise to 105,000 but work has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic since being approved in 2018.

Along with an improvement in on-field performances, the future of Lionel Messi and the club’s finances, the future of Camp Nou is a key issue in the election, which will take place on January 24.

Benedito suggests Barca could play at Espanyol’s former stadium, constructed for the 1992 Olympic Games, for three years while a new stadium is built.

"If we win the elections, we will build a new stadium," Benedito said at a campaign presentation.

"We have considered two options. The first is to knock Camp Nou down and build it in the same place. That would mean playing in Montjuic for three years.

"The other option is to build a new stadium in Sant Joan Despi [the site of Barcelona’s training ground]. It would be voted on in a referendum during the first year of our mandate if we're elected on January 24.

"If we do it immediately, the project we're putting forward wouldn't cost more than €900 million (£817m/$1.1bn).

"This would be financed by the sale of the stadium's naming rights for a period of 25 years."

A host of presidential candidates are hoping to replace former incumbent Josep Maria Bartomeu, who resigned along with the rest of his board in October 2020 after a motion of no confidence against him.

Barcelona are currently under the leadership of temporary president Carles Tusquets.

Tusquets laid bare the economic challenges facing the club when he said that, had he been in charge at the time, he would have sold the wantaway Messi over the summer.

He told RAC1: “Economically speaking, I would have sold Messi in the summer.

“It would have been desirable for the money you would’ve received and the money you would’ve saved. La Liga requires wage limits.”

Kaizer Chiefs will be facing a sterner challenge in the Caf Champions League when they host Primeiro de Agosto in the first round at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday.

It is a different test from the previous round for Amakhosi who are aiming for a maiden group stage spot on the backdrop of a difficult run on the domestic front.

After getting past Cameroonian champions PWD Bamenda in the preliminary round, Chiefs are not yet convincing enough to suggest that they can swat aside Agosto, who reached the semi-final of the 2018 Champions League.

Their struggle against Bamenda, by coach Gavin Hunt’s admission, was a cause for concern and this is backed by a winless run of six Premier Soccer League games.

However, the Soweto giants will be keen to deliver a solid performance against Agosto to end 2020 on a high and also boost their confidence going into the New Year.

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Squads & Team News

Hunt has been enduring a difficult time as Chiefs coach as he struggles to address his team’s weaknesses.

Week in, week out, the coach complains about his side’s poor finishing or defensive frailties, and emphasises the need to correct them.

However, there seems to be little hope to get it right for Chiefs as they continue to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

Now much talk on Chiefs is about the imminent return of striker Samir Nurkovic from injury, and there are high expectations that the Serb’s comeback would solve Amakhosi’s woes in front of goal.

Nurkovic has started training with the rest of the squad but it is not yet clear if he will be fit enough to play on Wednesday.

Chiefs, however, welcome back midfielder Philani Zulu who missed their last league match against Bloemfontein Celtic due to suspension and is still suspended their next Premier Soccer League game.

Just like Chiefs, who boast of a number of international players, Agosto also have players who turn out for different national teams.

Veteran goalkeeper Toni and his rival between the sticks Neblu are Angola internationals together with Paizo, Herenilson, defender Dany, Isaac, and Jose Marcia who were all at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Defender Bobo Ungenda is a DR Congo international, while Yazid Atouba represented Cameroon at the 2016 African Nations Championship.

Such experience in the Agosto squad could give Hunt a picture of what his side is coming up against if all those players are fit to play on Wednesday.

Match Preview

While Chiefs have been struggling for form and looking for ways to get past this hurdle, they can bank on the fact that Agosto have not played a competitive match since March.

This is against Chiefs’ participation in 13 games across different competitions so far this season.

Match fitness will, therefore, not be a concern for Hunt, who battles to correct their glaring weaknesses in defence and attack.

Amakhosi’s opponents did not take part in the preliminary round of this competition after being given a bye.

While it will be the first time Chiefs face Agosto, their coach Hunt has come up against the Angolans before.

On their way to the 2018 Champions League final, Agosto eliminated Bidvest Wits in the first round when Hunt was still in charge of the Students.

Wednesday’s match will be the first time for Chiefs to meet Angolan opposition since 2001 when they were beaten in the final of the then Caf Cup Winners’ Cup by Interclube.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) believes striker Michael Olunga can still do more in his playing career after becoming the first African player to win the MVP award in Japan.

On Tuesday, Olunga was crowned as the J1-League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the concluded 2020 season after notching 28 goals for Kashiwa Reysol which helped the team to a seventh-place finish.

Olunga played a great role for the club and his influence led to his crowning as the best in the concluded season.

FKF President Nick Mwendwa has congratulated the former Gor Mahia striker for the fete which saw him become the first African player to attain it.

“We are very proud of Michael [Olunga] and I know he can still do more,” Mwendwa told Goal on Wednesday. “We congratulate him for the award and also urge him to work even harder.”

With Olunga conquering Japan, many Kenyan fans now feel the striker should try and play elsewhere especially in the Premier League.

Asked to comment on the issue, Mwendwa said: “I cannot comment where he wants to go, all I know is he is a top-class player and will do more wonders in seasons to come.”

On winning the award, Olunga told Goal: “It was a great season for me in 2020. "I was able to score a lot of goals. I would like to thank the people at Kashiwa Reysol for their support. I am very honoured to be Kashiwa Reysol's first top scorer and the first African MVP.”

The 26-year-old has further revealed his hopes for the league and African players at large.

“I hope that what I have achieved will have a positive impact on Japan and on the rest of the world,” he continued.

“I hope that the J-League will continue to have the best football in Asia and that more and more African players will play in it.”

Before moving abroad, Olunga also turned out for Thika United and Tusker in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL).

Olunga, who played 32 games for Kashiwa Reysol in the 2020 J1 season, also won the Golden Boot. This was the first time an African player won the MVP in the J1-League.

In an unprecedented move, Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) have signed their first-ever Indonesian player since the club was rebranded in 2013 with Madura United's Syahrian Abimanyu seen as the future of the club.

The 21-year-old had previously spent a year of his teenage life with Spanish side Levante before returning to Indonesia and has consistently been through the various age groups of the national team.

On Monday, JDT club owner HRH Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim (TMJ) teased the signing of one Indonesian player, sparking various rumours as to the identity of the player before the club made the official announcement earlier today.

Singaporean Hariss Harun was the last Southeast Asian player signed by JDT and that was way back in 2014, with the now 30-year-old becoming part of the spine of the team that has conquered Malaysian football.

It was initially thought that Syahrian will be linking up with Johor Darul Ta'zim II (JDTII) in the Premier League, with Hariss still a major force and club captain with the Super League outfit, but TMJ has since come out to squash those suggestions.

In replying to the annoucement via the club's official Instagram page, the JDT supremo said that Syahrian will not be part of the JDTII side and will instead be sent out on loan to a foreign club.

With Hariss not on the wane just yet, this feels like a move where JDT are future-proofing themselves for life after the Singapore ace, whether that is in two, three or fours years time.

Getting Syahrian now and having him adapt to the culture and requirements of the club, all the while still learning his trade and improving his game makes a lot of sense.

Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer says Sagrada Esperanca made things difficult for his side with their man-marking system on Tuesday afternoon. 

Pirates secured a narrow 1-0 win over the Angolan side in the Caf Confederation Cup first-round first-leg encounter at Estadio Municipal dos Coqueiros.

The only goal of the match was scored by Thembinkosi Lorch with 16 minutes left on the clock.

Zinnbauer was pleased to see Bucs record an away victory in tough conditions in the capital city of Angola, Luanda. 

"It was a tough game for us, the weather was very hot and the field was not so good - there was long grass and bouncy [field], a little bit for the ball," Zinnbauer told Pirates' media team.

"But from minute to minute, we became better in the game against a very strong defensive team with man-marking systems, so it was not so easy for our players.

"We have special players on the field that want more space and they went one-against-one, but when you always have an opponent on your back then it's not so easy."

It was Lorch's second goal in three matches having also netted in the 2-1 win over Bloemfontein Celtic in the MTN8 final almost two weeks ago. 

Zinnbauer was also happy with the fact that the Buccaneers kept a clean sheet in Angola. 

"But they did a good job today, it [turned out] very well, especially the result. This was a team effort today, and congratulations to Lorch, who scored a top goal," he added. 

"The away-goal was important for us and we didn't concede, which is also important for us."

The two teams will meet again in the second-leg game in South Africa on January 6 and the match is likely to be played at Pirates' home ground, Orlando Stadium. 

The winner on aggregate between Pirates and Esperanca will progress to the play-off round where the 16 winners on aggregate will advance to the group stage of Africa's secondary club tournament.

Before hosting Esperanca, Pirates will lock horns with their Gauteng rivals, Mamelodi Sundowns in a mouthwatering PSL game at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on January 2.