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Ex-Gor Mahia official Omondi Aduda has revealed the club have made numerous efforts to reach Algeria for their Caf Champions League match against CR Belouizdad but in vain.

The former CEO has further exonerated club officials from blame that they have not done enough to have the team fly to Algeria to honour the second round, first-leg clash on Wednesday.

In an interview with Goal, Aduda said the trip to Algeria is as good as cancelled because “Gor Mahia cannot walk to Algiers.”

“It is not about the officials failing to do their work or the team missing tickets to travel, the problem lies with Algeria because of their airspace,” Aduda told Goal on Tuesday.

“Gor Mahia tried each and everything possible mean to secure a flight to Algeria, there is evidence they secured visas on time, there is evidence they had tickets which they could have used to fly Nairobi to Doha on Sunday, there is evidence they had already done a hotel reservation in Algiers and there is evidence they wrote to CRB on December 9, which was never answered.

“On December 9, they gave CRB the opportunity as required by the regulation that the team could fly to Tunis, then CRB organizes to charter a flight to Algiers, which did not work.

“Then there is evidence Gor Mahia through Football Kenya Federation (FKF) engaged the Algerian Football Federation on the December 14, where they requested for the authority.

“That authority was triggered by Gor Mahia, and the authority, therefore, is just to enter Algeria and not to board the chartered flight, so the itinerary which was given by CRB, that flight is an evacuation chartered flight which you can only board by government authority.

“The chartered flight is meant to evacuate Algerian nationals back to Algeria, and the confirmation we have now is there are no scheduled commercial flights to Algiers, even today [Tuesday], they have equally confirmed there are no flights, you can only use the evacuation flights, which also are not available, nothing else.

“Even the referees for the match from Tunisia left Tunis on Monday through Paris, and then took the evacuation flight from Paris to Algiers. That is the situation [Gor Mahia finds themselves in], so how do you expect them to travel? Do you want them to walk to Algeria?

Goal has also managed to secure several conversations between Gor Mahia and Qatar Airways, with the last one confirming there are no flights to Algeria.

“Kindly refer to my earlier email you submitted the approval at 4 pm while Doha working hours are 7 am to 3 pm,” read the letter from Qatar Airways to Gor Mahia treasurer Dolfina Odhiambo.

“I also requested your patience on this subject noting that we do not have scheduled flights to Algeria. Charter flights are operated subject to request and approval by the Algerian government, this is the main reason aa to why there is a delay in getting the feedback as we have to be certain if the charters will be granted the necessary approvals for operation.”

According to details in Goal possession, Gor Mahia had already booked Hotel Ferdi Lilly in Algeria during their stay in the country.

Goal also revealed that the match has subsequently been postponed to Saturday, although official confirmation of this has not been released.

KCCA FC assistant coach Morley Byekwaso says his charges are prepared to get a positive result in the second preliminary round of the Caf Confederation Cup against AS Kigali.

The Kasasiro Boys got a bye in the first preliminary round, and they will be 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.

"We arrived safely; we took one hour at the airport yesterday for testing but we are yet to receive our results which are coming hours from now," Byekwaso said ahead of the match.

"We are so prepared as usual; we want to see that we represent our club and our country very well. All the boys are determined, they are focused and the boys really want to make a difference in Wednesday’s game."  

The Garbage Collectors will miss the services of Charles Lukwago, Hassan Matovu and Ali Mwirusi who are out owing to positive Covid-19 tests.

Other players who are already out owing to the aforementioned reason are Samson Kigozi, Brian Aheebwa, Hassan Musana, Kezironi Kizito, Denis Iguma and Stefano Mazengo.

It means the 13-time Ugandan Premier League champions have only 14 available players. 

Byekwaso will be in charge owing to the absence of head coach Mike Mutebi, as well as Jackson Magera, Kaddu Badru and Moses Oloya.

Mutebi had initially pointed out the team is prepared to play their hosts.

"We are prepared and before we play AS Kigali, we would have played league matches including the last one against URA FC so that is going to give us good preparations," Mutebi told the club’s Online TV.

"But already, we are preparing well and of course we are playing the league matches and since this is a marathon we are flowing along and the team that is playing well and has tried to do things right is the team we are going to use."

The experienced tactician also confirmed Gift Ali remains sidelined although he did not state whether the club is expecting him to return soon.

"[Gift] Ali is out and maybe Joseph Bukenya will be back but the others have been in training well. I am hopeful the team that played last time out will largely represent us in the next game with the exception of Ali," he continued.

Harry Maguire has hailed "magnificent" Scott McTominay for his star turn against Leeds United, describing the Manchester United midfielder's performance as one of the best he's ever seen.

McTominay scored his first two Premier League goals of the season in quick succession to set United on their way to a thrilling 6-2 win in Sunday's Pennines derby clash.

The Scotland international's perfectly placed strike from just outside the box opened the scoring with two minutes on the clock, and he notched his second 60 seconds later as he took an Anthony Martial pass in his stride before producing an expert finish.

The 24-year-old is now the only player in the history of the top-flight to find the net twice in the opening three minutes of a match, with his stunning contribution in the final third paving the way for his team-mates to run rampant at Old Trafford.

Bruno Fernandes also grabbed a brace, with goals from Victor Lindelof and Daniel James rounding off a comprehensive victory that ensured that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men moved up to third in the top-flight standings.

Maguire was left in awe by McTominay's all-action display, and has reserved special praise for his team-mate ahead of the Red Devils' trip to Everton in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

“You’ve seen in recent months how we’ve been relying on the forward lads in [Marcus] Rash[ford] and Bruno, so for Scott to score was great. He was magnificent – one of the best performances I’ve seen and played with on the pitch from a central midfielder,” The United captain told the club's official website.

“He deserved his two goals and it’s nice for Victor [Lindelof] to get on the scoresheet as well, it’s something we’ve worked on - a great touch from Anto[ny Martial] at the front post.

“It’s nice to spread the goals around, we know we’ve got goals in the team and it was a great night for players to get on the scoresheet. But more importantly, everyone is happy with the performance, the six goals and the three points.”

Maguire added on the Manchester outfit's healthy position in the Premier League table amid talk of a title challenge: “I think it’s just important to keep winning games and looking after your own points tally.

“You can get ahead of yourself in terms of looking at other people’s results and you just need to look after yourself. If you keep winning games and putting three points on the table then you’ll be there or thereabouts.

“We’re not getting carried away, as I said. We had a big win [against Leeds] but there is lots of improvement we need to make to make sure we’re challenging at the end of the season. That’s what we’ve got to aim for.”

Asked how important it is for United to progress in the League Cup on Wednesday as Solskjaer bids to bring a three-year trophy drought to an end, the 27-year-old responded: “It’s really important this season that we try and get our hands on silverware and win a trophy.

“At this club we’re expected to win trophies and we go into this game full of confidence from the result [last weekend]. We’ve got to start winning trophies, we haven’t won in the last two or three years now and it’s important. It’s an important competition for ourselves to build momentum and confidence.”

Harry Kane and Heung-min Son have become the new Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham, admits a man who formed part of that fearsome attacking unit for England, with Spurs boasting one of the most devastating strike forces in world football.

Jose Mourinho has been putting that firepower to good use in the 2020-21 campaign, with his leading frontmen netting 20 Premier League goals between them.

Kane has also chipped in with a healthy haul of 10 assists – 13 in all competitions – as he embraces a new role in a creative No.10 berth.

Son has been the main beneficiary of the England captain’s vision and passing ability, with the South Korea international hitting a serious purple patch, but Spurs are thriving as a collective.

Shearer, the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer, knows what it feels like to form part of productive pairings in the final third and sees similarities between Tottenham’s favoured options and the partnership he struck up with ex-Spurs and Manchester United star Sheringham.

“They are both world-class forwards, and are so in tune with each other's game that they have a picture in their head of what the other is doing before the ball arrives, and it is just a matter of one of them picking the other out,” Newcastle legend Shearer told BBC Sport of Kane and Son.

“The fact that Son is so clinical means that few of the chances he makes for him are wasted, and vice versa.

“Their partnership reminds me of the one I was lucky enough to have with Teddy Sheringham for England. He knew exactly what I was going to do, and I was the same was him.

“I had some excellent striker partners at club and also international level but Teddy was brilliant because he was so clever. He did not have great pace, but it didn't matter because he thought a second or two ahead of everyone else and he knew exactly when to pick his pass.

“He was unbelievable at dropping deep and finding me and, as a striker, it makes such a difference when you know that pass is coming.

“If Teddy was deep and got on the ball, or was about to, I knew he would be trying to find me so I would make my run. When you watch Son with Kane, he does exactly the same.

“It is a sign of how good any player is that, even if the opposition know what he is going to do, they still find it difficult to stop him. That was the case for Teddy, and it is the same for Kane now.”

Shearer has also hailed Kane’s shift from out-and-out goalscorer to game-changing deep-lying frontman, with the former England skipper adding on the man who fills that armband at present: “A lot of strikers do change their game as they get older, often because they don't have any choice.

“I became more of a hold-up player later in my career, and did more of my work between the 18-yard lines rather than running out wide and hitting the channels. I had to do that, because I had a couple of serious injuries and I lost a yard of pace.

“Fortunately there is no sign of that happening with Kane. He is only 27 and while he is adding different aspects to his game and growing into a more rounded striker, he is doing it without losing the most important thing - goals.

“He is playing the Sheringham role, but still scoring too. That's a sign of what a fantastic player he is, and how well he is managing his game. He is choosing the right moments to get forward, then has the same superb finishing ability when he gets there.”

Kepa Arrizabalaga has become a “tough sell” for Chelsea, admits Robert Green, with error-strewn performances from a £71 million ($95m) goalkeeper meaning that the Blues may find it difficult to find any takers in January.

Frank Lampard is expected to seek out suitors for a Spain international when the transfer window re-opens.

Kepa has slipped down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, with Edouard Mendy drafted in over the summer to take his place between the sticks.

A 26-year-old custodian struggling for confidence could do with finding regular game time elsewhere in 2021, but attracting interest may prove tricky.

Green expects that to be the case, with there a chance – given the financial factors involved – that even a loan agreement will be out of reach.

“It’s a tough sell. It’s a numbers thing,” former Blues keeper Green told The Athletic.

“Chelsea and [their director] Marina Granovskaia are not in the business of losing money.

“They have an asset which is depreciating greatly but with football clubs in the financial state they’re in, it’s going to be tough to put something together.

“I’m not even talking just about selling, even a loan is going to be a struggle.

“The transfer fee and the wages [believed to be around £170,000 a week] is the biggest obstacle to resolving the situation.”

Green added on the lack of options available to Kepa, with clubs around the world prioritising other areas for strengthening in the middle of a season: “Someone has to have a real shortage and if someone goes, then a slot from the selling club also has to be filled. That’s why it rarely happens. 

“If you’ve got money to spend on fees and wages in January, invariably, you will spend it on a striker or an attacking player. You’re usually covered for keepers in a season, so to need one is unlikely and on the financial side of it, it is very rare you spend your budget on a keeper.

“If you’re a club, especially one struggling at the bottom, your main thinking is, ‘I don’t need someone to save me 15 goals’. You’re thinking, ‘I want one to score 15 goals’.

“This mindset exists because, as a keeper, you’re not seen to be creating something — you’re just stopping something. If you make a save, people will say ‘he should have saved that’. It’s quickly forgotten. Should a striker do a bit of skill and fire one in from 25 yards, people think, ‘If he does stuff like that a number of times, we stay up, achieve our ambitions’.”

Kepa started the season as Chelsea’s No.1, as Lampard closed in on Mendy, but has seen just one Champions League appearance – in a 1-1 draw with Krasnodar – since the middle of October.

Head coach Benni McCarthy believes that Siyabonga Nomvethe ticks all the right boxes in his capacity as the new AmaZulu assistant coach.

Nomvethe was announced as the new Usuthu coach last week and the first game he and newly-appointed head coach McCarthy took charge of together, against Chippa United, ended in a 3-1 win at the Kings Park Stadium.

Former Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana striker Nomvethe enjoyed an illustrious career as a player although he did not have any previous top-flight coaching experience.

However, as McCarthy points out, there are many reasons why Nomvethe is a perfect fit for his home-town club, whom he played for between 2016 and 2019, shortly before his retirement.

Nomvethe spent his final season as a player at second-tier side Uthongathi and scored his final goal at the age of 43.

"You know Nomvethe ‘Bhele’, I’ve asked him to join my coaching staff and he has been a breath of fresh air," McCarthy said, as quoted by Farpost.

"He still looks like a player and still behaves like he fits in the group with the team.

“I think it’s just so nice that you have someone from Durban, someone from the township, someone that came through the ranks and has played at the highest level, a Bafana legend."

With McCarthy and Nomvethe having previously played together for the national team, the fit at AmaZulu seems a natural and easy one, which could reap rewards if they are able to transmit that energy to the players.

“Bhele and I, two young guys who a lot of people think they don’t have what it takes, we just had fun with it, and it showed in the way the team played," McCarthy added.

"And they know this is going to be a fun team, this is the team that wants to play football to entertain the fans and football to score goals and to win matches.

“When you’ve got two guys that have done it at the highest level, sitting together, working together, what more can you ask for?"

Young midfielder Danial Amier was officially unveiled as the latest signing for Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) on Tuesday morning as he adds to the plethora of options available to the seven-time Malaysia Super Champions for the 2021 season and beyond.

Moving away from Felda United, the 23-year-old central midfielder who is also a Malaysian international has inked a 2-year contract with the Southern Tigers, giving him a chance to not only compete for the highest honours in the country but also a chance to feature in the AFC Champions League.

Club owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim (TMJ) could not hide his delight in his latest capture and firmly believes that Danial is one for the long-term as JDT begins the a phase of replacements for the local players who have or are close to the wrong side of 30.

“We’re very excited to have him (Danial). To me it’s a great honour and pleasure to have a player who is not only talented but one who is willing to take the challenge at JDT because we all know that JDT is an established club that is continuing to improve," said TMJ during the press conference.

"We know it’s tough to be in the JDT squad where there are a lot of great players but what I admire about Danial is the fighting spirit that he has to face the challenge. I think he has made the right decision to join the best club in the country.

And a tough fight Danial will have when he joins the team properly for pre-season training in the coming weeks. A regular starter at Felda under Nidzam Jamil, things will not be that straight-forward for him at the new club where he has to duke it out with the best in the country.

Hariss Harun, Afiq Fazail, Leandro Velazquez, Nazmi Faiz, Syamer Kutty Abba, Ignacio (Natxo) Insa and Gary Steven Robbat are those that will compete with Danial for the central midfield berth, assuming JDT maintain their preferred 4-3-3 formation for the coming season.

But Danial has had more than a year to at least prepare mentally for this new challenge as it is widely known that JDT attempted to sign him before the start of the 2019 season. It is clear what Danial brings to the party and with him being to operate in at least two of the three midfield roles, there's little to suggest he would not get his playing time.

“I was surprised when I found out that JDT were interested because it’s not an honour that many players get to experience. It became a big motivation for me to work harder, to change myself, to change my mentality - all for me to arrive here," explained Danial.

“Of course I knew coming in that JDT has great players with great foreign players. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and be in a team where I know I can grow and develop myself. It’s a challenge to myself to be better and prove myself during training and where I get the opportunity on the pitch.

“I chose JDT for a lot of reasons. I have good friends here who have succeeded and they told me that it will be good for me to come here and grow. It’s only fair when an employer spends the time and money to get a player, they want something back in return. It’s up to me to be prepared and face the challenges.

“In any team, if we don’t fight for our place then you will only get to sit on the bench. Even at Felda, I’ve been put on the bench. It will be tougher at JDT but sitting on the bench it’s not something I’m thinking about because I would not be here if I only think of that."

Mohamed Salah should hate Real Madrid, not want to join them, says John Aldridge, with the Liverpool forward suggesting that he may be open to making a move to Spain at some point.

The Egyptian has sparked fresh speculation regarding his future by admitting that he cannot rule out a move to Santiago Bernabeu, or to Barcelona on the other side of a fierce Clasico divide.

Salah has told AS: “I think Madrid and Barcelona are two top clubs. 

“Who knows what will happen in the future, but right now I am focused on winning the Premier League and the Champions League with Liverpool again.”

Aldridge is not surprised to see transfer talk rage around a global superstar, with Salah now forming part of world football’s elite, but he would like to see the 28-year-old steer clear of Madrid given that the Blancos – and Sergio Ramos in particular – dashed his Champions League dreams in controversial circumstances back in 2018.

“If you’re a player of Salah’s quality, you’re always going to be linked with Real Madrid, Barcelona and other such deals. Harry Kane will be the next one as Tottenham fall away. That’s just the way it is,” former Reds striker Aldridge told the Liverpool Echo.

“Sadio Mane is talked about too. We’re talking about one of the very best forwards in the world. Mane, Salah - they’re always going to be linked with Real Madrid.

“Personally, I think after the experience of the Champions League final and the way Ramos treated him, I’d have had a hatred for Real Madrid if it was me, after that incident. It wouldn’t appeal to me but I wouldn’t want to leave Liverpool anyway.

“It’s up to Jurgen Klopp and what he wants. You have to trust the manager to deal with such situations when they arise in the right way. Players are so strong now, if they want to go then they’ll go. End of story.

“But Liverpool have got the best front three in the world, that goes without saying. Tottenham have got a fantastic front three and there’s other clubs as well, but you wouldn’t swap Salah, Mane or Firmino for anyone.”

Salah stepped off the bench to bag a record-setting brace for Liverpool in their 7-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, with Sadio Mane less than impressed at having to make way for a club colleague that he has not always seen eye-to-eye with.

Aldridge has no issue with a public display of frustration from a Senegalese winger, adding: “I’m made up when players don’t want to come off, I used to do it all the time. I never wanted to come off, especially for Ireland. Jack Charlton always used to take me off with 15 minutes to go in a lot of games and I used to hate it and have a little go at Jack.

“But he knew what was best for me and I’m sure Jurgen has told Sadio, ‘I’m protecting you, I need you, you’re vital for me. I just don’t want you to get over-worked or injured.’

“That will have been the only reason and it was great to see his reaction because he’s hungry for goals. He’s not been scoring lately and he’s got his first goal back, that’s all it is.

“He wanted more and I have no problem with that.”

Express FC head coach Wasswa Bbosa is contented with how his charges have launched their campaign to win the elusive Ugandan Premier League (UPL) title.

The Red Eagles have started the 2020-21 season with two wins and two draws and are now on eight points and with a game on the leaders.

The team’s latest result saw them come top in the derby as they edged out SC Villa 1-0 at Wankuluku on Saturday.

With the top-flight taking a break until February 2021 to pave way for the African Nations Championship (Chan) to be held in Cameroon, and where Uganda will be represented, Bbosa has now said he is satisfied for now.

“First of all people have to know we started the league under adversity [Covid-19] so players had taken a while without training as a group which is hard to handle coming into a new season but am glad we’ve managed to slide through,” Bbosa said as quoted by the club’s official website.

“My technical team especially strength and conditioning led by Helen Buteme has done a fantastic job and I know we have more work to do but worry not, we shall be ready when the league resumes again.”

On beating Villa in the derby, Bbosa said: “The most important thing is that we have earned the three points in the derby, our target remains trying to win silverware, this is now done, we look forward to the next game, come next year," he told the same publication.

Against Villa, Express delivered an early Christmas present to the fans after George Ssenkaaba cooly and calmly slotted home from the left-wing, leaving shot-stopper Saidi Keni helpless, for the winning goal.

The game saw both teams cancel each other out in either half with few chances to write home about. Forward Eric Kambale rattled the crossbar 18 minutes into the game while Kabonge Nicolas sent his freekick off the mark from just outside the 18-yard area.

The Red Eagles, who are in position six on the 16-team log, have had a seven-year silverware drought with 2012 being the last time they won the league title.

After signing a three-year deal to handle the side, Bbosa revealed one of his main targets is to help the club to reclaim the league title.

Orlando Pirates begin their 2020/21 Caf Confederation Cup campaign with a first round visit to Angola for Tuesday’s clash against Sagrada Esperanca at the Coqueiros Municipal Stadium.

After the disappointment of preliminary round elimination from last season’s Caf Champions League at the hands of Zambian side Green Eagles, Pirates are back in Africa.

They will be hoping for improved fortunes in the second-tier continental club competition, in which they last participated in 2015 when they reached the final and lost to Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel.

It will also be the first time ever for Pirates and Sagrada Esperanca to face each other.

Interestingly, the game in Luanda will be Pirates' third straight match in three different competitions after lifting the MTN8 trophy on December 12, before beating Chippa United in a league match four days later.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

The game will be shown live on SuperSport TV

Squads & Team News

Tuesday’s match will see Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer taking charge of his first ever African inter-club match.

Expectations are high for the German to see if he can steer Pirates back among the most feared sides on the continent, and the 1995 African champions, who also reached the 2013 final of the Caf Champions League, are expected to reach the latter stages of the Confederation Cup.

At his disposal, Zinnbauer has seasoned players in the form of Bafana Bafana captain Thulani Hlatshwayo, Ghana number one goalkeeper Richard Ofori, Innocent Maela, Deon Hotto as well as forwards Frank Mhango and Thembinkosi Lorch.

DR Congo forward Jean-Marc Makusu has experience in the Confederation Cup after helping AS Vita reach the final of this tournament in 2018 where he finished as the competition's second top goalscorer.

It is, however, not yet clear if the Congolese will be available to play on Tuesday.

Match Preview

In terms of match fitness, Pirates go into this match with a huge advantage over their opponents who were last involved in competitive action in March just before the Angolan Girabola was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

That tips the odds in favour of Pirates who have played 11 matches across all competitions this season and are yet to lose a single match.

The Buccaneers start their Confederation Cup journey at this stage of the competition after receiving a preliminary round bye. They now face their Angolan opponents, whose last appearance in Africa was a play-off stage exit from the 2016 Confederation Cup after getting past three hurdles.

Sagrada Esperanca accepted to participate in this season's tournament as replacement for Interclube who opted against taking part. They then earned a first round spot without kicking a ball after their preliminary stage opponents Mbabane Swallows withdrew from the competition.

It is not the first time for the Angolan side to take on a South African opponents side as they eliminated Cape Town Spurs (then as Ajax Cape Town) from this competition in the 2016 edition’s preliminary round on a 3-2 aggregate scoreline.

Mamelodi Sundowns’ eight-match unbeaten run will be tested against Jwaneng Galaxy on Tuesday when the two sides meet in a Caf Champions League first round match at Lobatse Stadium.

Arriving in Botswana against a backdrop of five Premier Soccer League wins and three draws, Downs will be looking to add a positive result on the continent to that domestic form.

They face a Galaxy side that have a contrasting profile to theirs and will be keen to avoid an upset.

While Sundowns are celebrating 50 years of existence and having established themselves as continental heavyweights, Galaxy were founded in 2005 following a merger between Jwaneng Comets and Debswana Youngsters and are new to the Champions League.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

The game will be shown live on SuperSport TV

Squads & Team News

Themba Zwane is Sundowns’ man of the moment so far this season after managing seven PSL goals in as many league matches.

After the attacker was rested for Downs’ last league match away at Golden Arrows, he is expected to be back for the Galaxy assignment together with Kermit Erasmus, who has not featured in Masandawana’s last two games.

The Botswana champions could be in for a torrid afternoon if Zwane combines with Erasmus and Peter Shalulile to complete an attacking partnership that has terrorised PSL defences.

In the Arrows game, Sundowns' coaches also rested other key players like captain Hlompho Kekana and Rivaldo Coetzee, who could also be given a run on Tuesday.

Jwaneng Galaxy will be welcoming back Botswana international goalkeeper Ezekiel Morake who rejoined the club on a two-year deal from PSL side TS Galaxy.

It is a big boost for the Jwaneng-based outfit, who have also confirmed that attacker Gift Moyo and defender Lesego Keeredilwe are available for selection after recovering from injuries.

Midfielder Gape Mohutsiwa has also been certified fit to play.

Match Preview

Jwaneng Galaxy and Sundowns have never met before.

Since football was suspended in Botswana in March owing to the coronavirus pandemic, Galaxy's only taste of competitive action since then was the recent Champions League preliminary round victory over Zilimadjou from the Comoros.

A 5-1 aggregate victory was recorded by the Botswana champions from the two-legged stage saw them win 4-0 at home, before forcing a 1-1 away draw.

Coach Sikalame ‘Six’ Keatlholetswe will be hoping that those two games were enough to gear up his side for the Downs challenge.

Sundowns players, meanwhile, arrive at Lobatse Stadium with a lot of game time under their belts after playing nine games in all competitions so far this season and have been in fine form.

The winner of this round will proceed to the Champions League group stage.

For a team that is making their maiden appearance in the Champions League, it would be a massive achievement if Galaxy beat Downs and reach the tournament’s next round.

Azam FC have vehemently denied reports the team’s recent poor run in the Mainland Premier League is a result of player bonuses being reduced.

The Chamazi-based giants started the season on a flying note, winning seven straight matches which saw them top the 18-team table for almost two months.

However, after losing to Mtibwa Sugar away, the team’s problems started, as they moved to sack coach Aristica Cioaba and later appointed Zambian George Lwandamina to handle the side on a one-year deal.

And despite hiring Lwandamina, the ‘Ice Cream Makers' have not won a match since firing Cioaba and now they have gone for six straight matches without a win, their latest result a 2-2 draw against Ruvu Shooting at Chamazi Complex Stadium.

The club’s CEO Abdulkarim ‘Popat’ Amin has now come out to explain that the team’s run of poor results is not because they decided to reduce bonuses of players, insisting they had instead, improved them.

“About the issue that we have reduced bonuses of our players is not true since we have never owed any player, including coaches, any form of either signing fees or monthly salaries,” Amin said as quoted by Daily News.

“Instead, this season we have improved the status of player bonuses such that previously, they used to share the allowance given to them with the technical bench but now, players have their own bonus so is the coaching staff.”

Amin further explained in the final meeting with players before the 2020-21 season kicked off, they had agreed if they win three consecutive games, they will be given an extra bonus.

On whether they have tried to find out what could be the reason behind the run of poor results, Amin said: “Under the new coach [Zambian George Lwandamina], the team can now score at least more than two goals and at the same time create numerous scoring chances even though we still have a problem of conceding goals.

“I think the coach has seen the issue of creating scoring chances has at least been resolved hence he needs to find a long-lasting solution to arrest the problems of conceding goals.”

Azam, who are third on the 18-team table, will end their first-round fixtures with a clash against champions Simba SC.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has partnered with Pearson, a leading global education company, to offer BTEC International Level 3 qualifications which are designed to provide pathways into a career in sports. 

The qualifications are recognized internationally by governments, industry and higher education institutions and support learners’ progression into the workplace, further augmented in India via joint qualifications of AIFF certified Diplomas, Graduate and Post Graduate University Degrees. 

The curriculum has been created by Pearson with real-life content from Liverpool Football Club across five career pathways - Sport, Fitness, Coaching & Development, Sport Business & Management, Sports Facilities Operations and Management.

Praful Patel, President of AIFF, was jubilant after introducing the course, the first of its kind in India. 

"We are proud to announce that for the first time in India, high school students, college students and postgraduates will have the opportunity to learn from the best in global sports and global education and gain internationally recognized vocational education training across a wide spectrum of career-focused sports courses such as sports psychology, sports journalism, sports nutrition, sports performance analysis, sports development, sports business, sports facilities, operations and many others. This will help them better understand and experience career pathways and provide our nation with well-trained and internationally certified young professionals," stated Patel. 

Mr. Kushal Das, General Secretary of AIFF added, "Young learners aged 16 and above, wishing to pursue and make progress in their careers will acquire up-to-date industry knowledge, skills and behaviours that open doors to a range of exciting careers in sport. Building on Liverpool FC's experience as a major sports employer, the BTEC programs will ensure that learners have their learning brought to life in real-world sports contexts."

These programs give an advantage to those who are seeking internationally accepted qualifications in sports with the intention of working or studying further in the global sports industry.

Eligibility for applying

All potential students who are 16 and above are eligible to apply for all qualifications irrespective of their stream of study or education board.

Admission process in 3 Steps

1. Visit the education platform at www.edu-aiff.com and review the qualification options.

2. Fill in your contact details and have the program counsellor call you within 24 hours.

3. The Admission Letter will be generated and emailed after ensuring that the applicant's aspirations match the qualification outcome.

It was expected to be a battle of wits between two astute tacticians Antonio Lopez Habas and Carles Cuadrat as old foes ATK Mohun Bagan met Bengaluru FC for the first time in the Indian Super League (ISL) on Monday.

A tactical match was always on cards as both teams prefer to play in a pragmatic manner more often than not. But Antonio Habas surprised everyone including Carles Cuadrat as ATK Mohun Bagan took an attacking approach right from the off.

Habas deployed his side in an attacking 4-3-3 formation with David Williams, Roy Krishna and Manvir starting in the front three and Spanish attacking midfielder playing an advanced role. Pronay Halder and Carl McHugh stayed deep in midfield to provide the balance.

In the absence of Javier Hernandez, Edu Garcia was assigned the responsibility of dictating the game down the middle and the former Bengaluru man did not disappoint. The Spaniard was the focal point of most of ATK Mohun Bagan’s attack and played a pivotal role.

The trio up front were a constant threat David Williams and Manvir operating freely on the flanks. Both Harmanjot Khabra and Rahul Bheke had a forgettable outing as they failed to keep a check on Williams and Manvir. 

The Australian forward had been struggling to find his best form this season, due to fitness issues, but he decided to light up in a big game. David Williams was ATK’s saviour in last season’s second leg semifinal clash and this time he proved to be ATK Mohun Bagan’s knight in shining armour against a team Habas considers to be one of the best in the league.

Bengaluru FC are known for their quick movements down the flanks but thanks to some efficient defending by Pritam Kotal and Subhasish Bose, Sunil Chhetri and Udanta Singh were kept quiet for most of the game. In fact, Cuadrat was forced to bench Udanta at the beginning of the second half as the India international failed to have an influence in the game. The Blues also missed the swiftness of Ashique Kuruniyan on the left side as Rahul Bheke was nowhere close to the Malayali player in terms of agility.

Cleiton Silva and Dimas Delgado failed to make an impact in the game. Credit must be given to McHugh and Halder for now allowing any open space to the Blues duo.

ATK Mohun Bagan’s defending has been top-notch right from the first game but they did not look fluent. But this match showed that Habas’ side are capable of playing an attacking style of play. They did so well in the first half before playing defensively in the second half. It also helped that Garcia, Williams and Krishna were all good on the ball and were able to negotiate tight spaces with ease.

The ATKMB players are getting fitter with every passing game and this performance would have pleased Habas.

Former NorthEast United head coach Robert Jarni had said that the 20-year-old midfielder Lalengmawia, part of the India U17 team which participated in the 2017 U17 World Cup, was one of the top three midfielders in India. 

The defensive midfield talent, who impressed under the Croatian last season, has continued his development this season as well. He recently became the youngest player to be named captain in the league and the Highlanders boss Gerard Nus has also praised the youngster recently, saying he expects a lot of good things from the player. 

"It’s been a good progression. All the hard work is paying off and I hope to continue doing well for myself and for the team," Lalengmawia told Goal. 

He has started six out of seven games NorthEast has played and has become a key player for Nus alongside Khassa Camara in the centre of the midfield. 

"For any player, game time is always important. It boosts your confidence and there are so many things that you can learn by getting to play and being in the midst of things. 

"Gerard Nus has been fantastic and is always motivating us. This helps us on the pitch. My role in midfield is similar to what I did last season," the former Indian Arrows midfielder explained. 

It is difficult for footballers to play amid a pandemic while staying inside a bio-bubble for several months. For a 20-year-old, it could be a monumental task but Lalengmawia is passing time by playing games on his Playstation. NorthEast United have struggled to compete for the playoffs in the last few seasons and ISL's youngest ever captain is hopeful that things will soon fall into place. 

"I don’t want to dwell on the past, but we wish to take it a match at a time and give our best. Everything else will fall in place. 

"Staying inside a bio-bubble is difficult no doubt but we have to adapt to the circumstances. At least getting to play football brings a smile to our face. I mostly pass my time by playing on the PlayStation," he said. 

The Highlanders lie fourth on the league table with 10 points from seven matches.