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Express FC coach Wasswa Bbosa has reminded his team to remember how big their derby against SC Villa is as the two giants face off in a Ugandan Premier League (UPL) match on Saturday.

With 22 league titles between them, the Red Eagles and the Jogoos fixture has always been a sharp divider in Ugandan football for time immemorial and the latest meeting which comes on matchday five finds the Red Eagles in pursuit of a second league win of the season.

Bbosa, who has managed both sides, has now told his players to know the importance of the match and promised a win from the fixture to be played at Wankulukuku.

“We’ve been working on our finishing which I felt was lacking when we plated against Mbarara City,” Bbosa told the club’s official website ahead of the match. “We know how big a game this is but the players know the target is a win but we respect Villa because they are a decent side.”

On his part, Express captain Enock Walusimbi, who is returning to the squad after a three-match serving suspension for a straight red card he received against Onduparaka FC, feels they have what it takes to win the derby.

“Am glad to be back from suspension, the team has trained well and worked on their mistakes,” Walusimbi told the club website.

“The competition for who starts is healthy and whoever the coach will choose will have one target to win the game.”

The last 12 meetings between the two sides have seen Express win thrice while Villa have managed six victories with three draws between them.

Express FC are unbeaten this season managing five points from a possible nine in the three games played so far but must be wary of Villa, who won this fixture home and away last season.

Despite Walusimbi returning to boost the Red Eagles, midfielder Ibrahim Kayiwa is not available due to an ankle injury, forward Kiragga Mustafa will miss out due to a delayed ITC, Kakooza Mahad Yaya has already been ruled out due to a knee injury while Musiige Charles will face a late fitness test with his muscle injury.

The spate of draws that had marred Owen Coyle's Jamshedpur FC this season finally came to an end on Friday evening after a 1-0 win over NorthEast United FC. 

They had played out four draws, a win and a loss in their six matches prior to this game and an inability to convert results was starting to become a concern. However, after a fighting performance against a side that was unbeaten going into the game, Coyle must be pleased. 

Coyle is slowly and gradually stamping his mark on Jamshedpur FC. After the opening day loss to Chennaiyin FC, a game in which they suffered two injuries and missed at least a couple of key players, the Men of Steel have been resilient, to say the least.
 
In the following five matches, they haven’t suffered a defeat and have gone on to defeat the reigning champions, ATK Mohun Bagan, stop Mumbai City FC’s winning run and end NorthEast United’s unbeaten streak.

However, it was not a game to remember by any means. There was a lack of intensity in the final third from both sides which did not make for a good watch. It was no wonder that both teams registered only one shot on target in the first half. 

There was no real flow to the game, with both sets of players misplacing their passes, with a lot of long balls being the feature of the day. Jamshedpur FC, in particular, missed Aitor Monroy in the game as their distribution looked scrappy in the first half.

While Nerijus Valskis cut a frustrated figure due to the lack of service, Idryssa Sylla and Kwesi Appiah were also in a similar predicament at the other end. The defences of both sides reigned supreme, with Peter Hartley and Benjamin Lambot shining. 

However, after the break, Jamshedpur improved slightly and started opened up spaces in between the NorthEast backline. Though the quality in the final third was still missing, promising positions were opening up for the Men of Steel. 

It was only fitting that a fortuitous deflection paved the way for Aniket Jadhav to open the scoring, though he reacted well to convert the chance. However, Jamshedpur's lack of clinical finishing and clumsiness at the other end could have seen them throw away another lead. 

Before the start of the season, the goalkeeper was a position which was identified was their Achilles Heel. However, T.P.Rehenesh, apart from the mistake made against Odisha FC where he was sent-off, the Kerala-born custodian has been at his best.
 
The former Kerala Blasters goalkeeper once again was called upon when NorthEast United won a penalty, after a clumsy foul by Stephen Eze. Rehenesh dived to his left to deny Idrissa Sylla a chance to equalize and thus, help his side retain their slender 1-0 lead.

For NorthEast United, this will be the real test of their resolve. It must be remembered that last season too, they made a fantastic start under Robert Jarni and had 10 points from six games. But thereafter, a few injuries and their season went downhill and they never really recovered.
 
Although Gerard Nus has assured that this season won’t be a repeat of what one saw last time around, it remains to be seen how they react to this result. What is certainly fortunate is that their next game is against Odisha FC, a team struggling for form and confidence.

With two points from their first five matches, Kerala Blasters are off to a poor and winless start in the 2020-21 season of the Indian Super League (ISL) in Goa. 

While short pre-season due to the Coronavirus pandemic has had an impact in the preparations of all the clubs, Blasters are only one of three teams who are winless after the first five rounds. 

Kibu Vicuna has had issues in finding out his best starting lineup. Their main striker Gary Hooper, who replaced the club's all-time topscorer Bartholomew Ogbeche, is yet to find his scoring boots from open play. In their own third, they have conceded 10 goals - no other team has let in more in five matches. 

Lack of chemistry

A lack of chemistry in the final third is evident. Of the five goals that Blasters have scored, only two have come from open play. In five games, Vicuna's team has attempted 24 shots (least among all teams) out of which eight were on target (again, least among all teams), with a shooting accuracy of 33.3 per cent.

Sergio Cidoncha seemed to emerge as a key player in Vicuna's system but his long-term injury does not bode well for the team's attack. The midfield lacks a player who can unlock defences and be influential in getting the ball and passing it around higher up the field. Based on the data collected on December 14, only East Bengal had fewer touches in the opposition's box (43) compared to Blasters' 57. 

Even from wide areas, there just has not been enough quality in the deliveries by the wingers and the full-backs. Only nine of their 59 attempted crosses have reached the intended target - that amounts to a meagre 15.3 per cent accuracy, placing them at the bottom half in the respective chart. 

Right-sided attack 

In Blasters' games, they have predominantly used the right flank to attack the opposition except when they faced Chennaiyin. Their right flank has been occupied by multiple players so far, namely Ritwick Das, Rahul KP, Seityasen Singh and Facundo Pereyra. This also raises questions about the quality on the other side, where Nongdamba Naorem and Puitea have struggled to make a mark. 

Blasters have not attacked through the flanks more than they have through the centre and this is expected because of the type of striker they have brought in. Gary Hooper feeds on balls into the box and is a good poacher from inside the box. But has he done what is expected of him? 

Not so Super Hooper

Gary Hooper has had only six touches inside the opponents' box in five matches. The table below shows a comparison with the other top strikers in the league after first five games. 

While it is true that Hooper has not had the kind of service into the box that he may have hoped for, it doesn't help that the English striker has not fitted into Kibu Vicuna's system properly. There was not enough off-the-ball movement from the former Celtic forward until the Yellows' last game where he was deployed slightly deeper behind Jordan Murray in a two-striker formation.

Hooper was heavily involved in the opening goal against Bengaluru when he dribbled more than half the field before assisting Rahul's opening goal. It came from a quick counter-attack but it showed that Hooper's presence and work rate need not be questioned - he just needs to do it more often and not be isolated for the rest of the game. 

Blasters have always been slow starters in ISL but they are off to their worst start this season. It is also the first time in their history that they have been winless after the first five matches. Vicuna has now had more than five days to work with the team to make the necessary corrections ahead of their sixth match against Robbie Fowler's East Bengal who have also been terrible so far. Kerala simply have to go on a winning run to save the season. 

The stats used in this article are from Opta and recorded on December 14, 2020. 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic said he cannot be tamed, while the evergreen Milan star insisted he is ageing better than Benjamin Button.

Ibrahimovic has shown no signs of slowing down this season, despite the 39-year-old's advancing years.

The former Manchester United, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward has scored 10 goals in six Serie A appearance in 2020-21 – a joint-high alongside Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Inter's Romelu Lukaku.

Ibrahimovic's exploits have helped unbeaten Milan top the table in pursuit of their first Scudetto since 2010-11, the ex-Sweden international's first spell at the club.

Asked who is less likely to be tamed, Zlatan or a lion, Ibrahimovic told UEFA.com: "Zlatan, 100 per cent.

"You can tame a lion, but you cannot tame Zlatan. It's a different animal."

When asked who is ageing better, Zlatan or Button – a fictional character – he replied: "I'm doing it better, because I'm living proof of it. Benjamin Button is just a made-up story.

"I'm the perfect profile for that movie. I'm doing the real movie, and Benjamin Button was a movie for the cinema."

"I'm 39 and with what I have done, I have no obligation to work anymore, but I still have this passion for what I'm doing," Ibrahimovic continued. "I'm never satisfied, and I always want more.

"I don't see a lot of players who are my age who were, or are, performing like I am doing. The moment a player goes above 30 is [meant to be] when they start to go down and they quit. Above 30 is when I started to become even better.

"I hear athletes from [the] US say that they spent more than one million [dollars] to keep their body in shape. I am 39. I am in shape. I perform at the highest level. I spend zero to stay in shape.

"The secret is not how much you spend, the secret is in your head – how much you want it, how much you're willing to sacrifice. That is the secret. It's the mentality and mentality doesn't cost anything."

Ibrahimovic added: "I would like to have the brain of Zlatan in a 25-year-old body! I get tired faster now, compared to when I was younger. I'm sleeping a lot because I need to recover more.

"Let's say after the games, before it probably took me one day to recover and to feel good and really fresh. Now I need between two and three days, which is normal for the age that I am.

"And as long as I can perform, I will play at a high level. The day I stop performing, I will not play anymore because I need to feel alive. I need to feel I give something back.

"I don’t want to have any advantages because I am 39 and they say 'hey, you slow down' and that. No, I want you to consider me on the world-class level and compare me to everybody else, because then I push myself even more."

Hansi Flick admitted he was "a little disappointed" to miss out on The Best FIFA Men's Coach award after Bayern Munich's stunning run of trophy success.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp edged out Flick to take the award on Thursday, after leading the Reds to a first English league title in 30 years.

Flick, who took over in mid-season last term when Niko Kovac left a flagging Bayern, guided the German giants to a treble consisting of Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League titles.

Bayern's achievements were reflected in Bayern's Robert Lewandowski winning the top player award and Manuel Neuer being named best goalkeeper in the world.

Flick would have been proud to join them as a winner but said: "We always take this like sportsmen. 'Kloppo' for sure deserved this title as well with his staff. The same as my staff would have deserved it."

Klopp admitted he had been surprised to pip his fellow German to the award, albeit grateful to secure another award, while Lewandowski said Bayern's players regarded Flick as the pick of the nominees.

Flick said: "Life goes on. Of course, we were a little disappointed last night, which is normal.

"If you get among the top three, you also want to win. We live in a society of performance, so we also would have liked to win.

"But everything goes on, we have new goals to attain. Now, this is closed. The team has attained exceptional results. With Manu [Neuer] and Robert, we have two of the best players.

"Robert as best footballer and Manu as best goalkeeper, and Joshua Kimmich, Alphonso Davies in the world XI ... Thiago [Alcantara] as well, although he is with Liverpool now unfortunately.

"So we can say that this has been an exceptional season for us." 

Bayern travel to Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday for a top-of-the-table battle in the Bundesliga - their last match until a January 3 clash against Mainz.

The Bavarians, and Leipzig, are sitting one point behind Leverkusen on the league standings, with 12 matches played.

Everton host Arsenal at Goodison Park this weekend on December 19 and Alex Iwobi will probably still harbour sad memories over events from almost a year ago when both sides met on December 21 in the corresponding fixture.

Facing off with his old side at his new stomping ground, the Nigeria attacking midfielder coming back to haunt his ex-teammates made for one of the interesting sub-plots on Merseyside before kick-off.

With Carlo Ancelotti and Mikel Arteta confirmed as the clubs' coaches after disastrous endings to previous regimes under Marco Silva and Unai Emery in the hours leading to the encounter, the fixture was billed as one for the selected personnel to try to prove their worth in front of the new men at the helm.

However, for Iwobi, this chance was short-lived; an early hamstring injury barely 10 minutes in the game at Goodison saw the West African replaced; thus failing to 1) impress the new boss and 2) fail to show his old side what they were missing.

The graduate of the Gunners academy didn’t play again until early February and was playing catch-up for the rest of the season trying to cement a first-team role.

The reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium didn’t go according to plan either. Despite posting quite noteworthy underlying stats in North London, the ex-Arsenal player was replaced by Bernard on the hour, as the Toffees went on to undeservedly lose 3-2.

2019/20 was turbulent for Iwobi in every sense of the word, and his paucity of direct goal contributions — one goal, no assist — meant it was easy to claim Everton hadn’t been beneficiaries of the former prodigy’s acquisition.

In a sense, the same could have been said for Arsenal; whose glaring lack of creativity and absence of an effective link-up player indicated they hadn’t benefited from the sale of the product of their developmental squad.

While the issues plaguing the three-time Premier League winners are still prevalent, the Merseyside club have grown from strength to strength, overcome a rough patch and look to be on the up again going into the festive period.

Indeed, Iwobi has played an important role for Ancelotti’s men in recent weeks; initially moonlighting as a wing-back, playing an hour at right-back before deputising for injured James Rodriguez in wins over Chelsea last weekend and Leicester on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old was the home side’s most-effective ball carrier against Frank Lampard’s side and only Richarlison (five) completed more dribbles than the Nigerian (four) in the 1-0 success.

Midweek at the King Power Stadium was even better. Unsurprisingly, the Super Eagle carried the ball toward the opponent’s goal productively than any teammate on the night, completed all three of his attempted dribbles and was involved in four shot-creating actions, higher than all his colleagues.

Furthermore, he created the highest volume of chances (three) against the Foxes, along with Gylfi Sigurdsson and played more accurate passes into the penalty area than any member of the Everton side.

An impressed Ancelotti lauded that Iwobi performance as the best the Nigeria superstar had shown since he took charge. When you consider the experienced Italian has been in the hot seat since December last year, the effusive praise was striking.

“It’s his [Iwobi's] best moment since I arrived [at Everton],” Ancelotti told the Everton website. “He is showing confidence, is really good in one-versus-one situations and he is working hard. The key is to work hard – the team is working hard.

“I said to the players that we have to be satisfied but we have to work and we have to improve.”

Even though Iwobi is yet to score this season, his assist for Richarlison’s strike means he’s now surpassed last season’s tally.

Two goal contributions may seem undistinguished at first sight but the underlying numbers so far show a player who’s integral to the Toffees.

Among teammates with significant minutes, only James beats the West African for shot-creating actions per 90, while he sits a respectable fifth for goal-creating actions per 90. Iwobi also ranks fifth for progressive passes per game and third for accurate crosses and pin-point passes into the area p/g.

Furthermore, only Rodriguez and Lucas Digne rank higher than the former Arsenal man for Expected Assists per match while he’s second to Richarlison for completed dribbles per 90.

After giving a good account of himself at wing-back, Iwobi has proven his undoubted quality having been reinstated in the attacking third with the side’s creative hub out with a slight injury.

Ancelotti has acknowledged the Nigerian’s soaring confidence in recent weeks and it puts him in the right state of mind to finally be third-time lucky against the side that let him go over a year ago.

Everton head coach Carlo Ancelotti has admitted he is open to a January move for Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira.

Khedira has been left out in the cold by Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo, with the 33-year-old yet to play a single minute this season. 

With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, Goal reported this month there is optimism from both Juventus and the player that his contract will be terminated in January.

Such a move could open the door to a reunion with Ancelotti, who coached Khedira during his time in charge of Real Madrid. 

Everton could be in the market for central midfield reinforcements, with Allan facing a spell on the sidelines after being stretchered off against Leicester in midweek with a hamstring injury.

Asked about the prospect of a move for Khedira, Ancelotti admitted that a deal could be possible next month. 

"No. Sami Khedira was my player at Real Madrid, an important player for us," Ancelotti said when asked about a deal for the German. "I have a good memory of him but I don't think we are looking for him at this moment."

He then added with a smile: "Maybe in January."

Earlier this month, Khedira added to the speculation of a move to Merseyside when he admitted he had been speaking to Ancelotti.

“We spoke on the phone and wrote,” Khedira told Bild. “You know my situation.”

Ancelotti said his side weren't looking to make a big splash in the January market, with Ben Godfrey's emergence as a left-back option reducing his team's need for a replacement for the injured Lucas Digne.

"We are looking for January transfers but not we are not crazy for this," Ancelotti added. "The squad is competitive.

"We were a little bit worried when Digne was injured but the rehab of Digne is going really, really well and really, really fast.

"The fact that Ben Godfrey adapted really well as a left-back [means] we are quieter for this."

Everton, who are fifth in the Premier League table and just five points behind first-place Liverpool, will host Arsenal at Goodison Park on Saturday.

Manchester City talisman Sergio Aguero has asked for time to get back to his best as he revealed he is still struggling with a knee injury despite making a recent return to the first team.

The 32-year-old has only made three starts in six appearances across all competitions this season and it appears to be a week-to-week proposition with his fitness.

Aguero played 37 minutes combined in the matches against Marseille and West Brom but was missing from the squad against derby rivals Manchester United in between his two recent appearances.

The Argentina international spoke of the troubles he is having with his knee and said it would take time for him to get back to peak form.

"It’s difficult,’ Aguero told The Sun. "Sometimes my knee is good, sometimes a little bit bad. I’m doing everything to help the physio and medical staff to improve.

"I need a little bit of time but I came back in the week, and I hope to be at my best. Now I need time, but it’s a long season."

Aguero's sporadic appearances in the first team have coincided with an inconsistent period of form for Manchester City, who currently sit in ninth position in the Premier League, eight points behind leaders Liverpool but with a game in hand.

However, the striker believes City can still figure in the league title race and that a burst of good form will get the team back near the top of the table.

"I know it’s difficult because the results haven’t been good," Aguero said.

"We always believe [we can challenge for the title]. In the Premier League, you win two games and then you’re near the top.

"We need to be calm, play the same way, because Man City always fights for the titles, always."

Manchester City have a tough run of fixtures over the Christmas and New Year period with five games in 16 days, including four of them on the road.

Pep Guardiola's side start with an away clash against high-flyers Southampton on Saturday before travelling to Arsenal for the Carabao Cup quarter-finals three days later.

City will then host Newcastle on Boxing Day before tough away fixtures against Everton and Chelsea sandwich the New Year changeover.

Hansi Flick's only chance to collect The Best FIFA Men's Coach award in future is if Bayern Munich find new competitions to win, Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho suggested.

Last season, Flick led Bayern to a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble, while they have also lifted the UEFA Super Cup and DFL Super Cup in 2020.

So, a few eyebrows were raised when Flick was overlooked for best men's coach at FIFA's annual awards ceremony on Thursday, with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp retaining the prize.

Klopp led Liverpool to a first English top-flight title in 30 years last term, but when addressing the media on Friday admitted his own surprise by saying: "I'm grateful for it, obviously. From the first moment, like everybody else, I was looking at it a bit wide-eyed, like, how did that happen?"

Mourinho, whose Tottenham side were beaten by Liverpool 2-1 on Wednesday, was asked about the decision when previewing Spurs' clash with Leicester City.

"I think the only chance for Flick to win is that Bayern find two or three more new competitions to win it," Mourinho said with a laugh.

"So maybe if he wins seven titles in one season maybe he wins the award, because I believe he only won the Champions League, Bundesliga, Pokal, European Super Cup, German Super Cup - he only won five and the biggest one of all.

"So I think poor Flick the only chance is for Bayern to try and find two or three more trophies to see if he can win it."

Spurs' defeat to Liverpool saw Mourinho's side surrender top spot in the Premier League to the Reds, who they now trail by three points.

Many pundits have noted Tottenham's propensity to sit deep and play on the counter-attack this season, particularly in bigger matches.

Against Liverpool, Spurs had just 24.2 per cent possession, had 254 passes to Liverpool's 813 and had a pass accuracy of just 61.4%.

The numbers were not dissimilar when Spurs triumphed 2-0 against Arsenal in the north London derby on December 6. On that occasion they had 30.2% possession, 288 passes and 67.4% passing accuracy.

Indeed, Spurs' average of 48.01% possession is only 12th in the league this season, while they rank in the same spot for passing accuracy (80.39%).

Mourinho, though, is mainly interested in one statistic, which is how many goals a team scores.

"You love the word 'possession' and you love the stats," Mourinho said. "You [the media] in general. It is a little bit like the efficiency of players and sometimes you say 'the stats say player B had 92% of efficiency on his passing.'

"But the stats don't say that that player only made passes of two metres... they don't say that that player was a centre-back that only passed to the other centre-back or a number six who only passed the ball to number eight, and the guy who had 65% efficiency on his passes is the guy that made the assists... the guy that makes the tight passes, the guy that makes 60 metres passes to change the direction of the play.

"So the stats, many, many times are like an incredible piece of meat or fish but badly cooked. It doesn't tell me much. What tells me is the number of goals that you score and the number of chances that you create."

Jurgen Klopp has hailed the progress of Liverpool teenager Curtis Jones, and admitted the midfielder has exceeded all expectations at Anfield this season.

Jones, 19, has been in sparkling form for the Reds. He was man of the match in Wednesday’s top-of-the-table clash with Tottenham, emerging as a serious first-team option in the midst of the champions’ injury crisis.

Indeed, the home-grown prospect, who has been at the club since the age of six, has already made 15 appearances this term, more than the 12 he managed in the whole of last season.

And Klopp said that while other young talents – notably defenders Neco Williams and Rhys Williams, and more recently goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher – are being dipped in and out of action, allowed to develop at their own pace, Jones is the exception to the rule, an established Premier League player well before his 20th birthday next month.

“Probably some people will tell you that in Liverpool, you grow up quickly,” Klopp told reporters on Friday. “And I don’t mean the club, I mean the city.

“Curtis is 19 until he enters the pitch. And that’s how they all have to be. Most of the time when a player is 19 you say he’s allowed to make this mistake or that mistake. Every player is allowed to make mistakes, that’s no problem.

But when we speak about the kids we forget Curtis, constantly. Because we don’t see him as a kid anymore.

“But he is. He just has to work hard. Working hard will keep him grounded. It’s all great, and if he does that then the future could be pretty bright.”

Jones is likely to start once more as Liverpool take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday, looking to secure top spot in the Premier League for Christmas.

The Reds will welcome back Joel Matip, who missed the game against Spurs with a back injury.

“He trained yesterday completely normal, so it looks like [he will be available],” Klopp said. “I’m not 100,000 per cent sure, but it looks like it.”

Liverpool head into the weekend boosted by that victory over Tottenham, in which Roberto Firmino netted a last-minute winner.

It was only the third goal the Brazilian has managed this season, but it was reward for Klopp’s unwavering faith in his all-action No.9.

“Yes, Roberto wants to score goals,” Klopp said. “We had conversations about that. It’s not that I tell him he doesn’t have to score goals or that he tells me he can’t score goals.

“You don’t score because you want to. All strikers in the world want to score more, even Mo Salah or Robert Lewandowski. But when a player is only concerned about scoring, then the problems could theoretically start. Luckily we don’t have those.

“Roberto knows about the job he has to do in the game, and in the end it’s important that the team scores.”

Taiwo Awoniyi found the back of the net in Union Berlin’s 2-1 victory over Youssoufa Moukoko’s Borussia Dortmund in Friday’s Bundesliga game.

Awoniyi teamed up with the Stadion Alte Foersterei outfit in the summer on a season-long loan from Premier League side Liverpool.

The Nigerian forward was handed his eighth league start and made the most of the opportunity to score his second consecutive goal for the Iron Ones.

Cameroon forward Moukoko also opened his goal account for the Black and Yellows, becoming the youngest goalscorer in the division.

 Awoniyi put Union Berlin in front in the 57th minute following an assist from Grischa Proemel after both sides failed to break the deadlock in the first half.

Moukoko then levelled proceedings three minutes later after receiving a timely assist from Raphael Guerreiro.

Marvin Friedric then sealed the victory in the 78th minute to help Union Berlin bounce back to winning ways after a four-game winless run.

Awoniyi featured for 86 minutes before he was replaced by Akaki Gogia while Moukoko played for the duration of the game.

With the result, Union Berlin moved to fifth on the Bundesliga table after gathering 21 points from 13 games.

Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, dropped to the fourth spot with 21 points from the same number of matches.

Awoniyi has now scored four goals and provided one assist in 11 appearances for Union Berlin since his arrival at the club.

The forward will hope to continue his impressive form in front of goal when his side take on Paderborn in a DFB Pokal tie on December 22.

Awoniyi has represented Nigeria at the U17, U20 and U23 but he is yet to get a chance to feature for the Super Eagles.

The forward recently revealed he would continue to give his best for his club while hoping to get a call-up to the national team.

Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has thanked medical staff in Germany fighting the Covid-19 pandemic by buying pizzas and distributing them across 13 hospitals.

The German international bought the pizza for the staff at Covid-19 intensive care units at 13 hospitals across 10 different cities in Germany, with 420 staff in total receiving the gift from the 27-year-old.

Rudiger said he wanted to express his gratitude to all the people fighting coronavirus on the frontline and thank them for the personal sacrifices they make in helping others deal with the illness.

"It is tragic how the situations in the Corona intensive care units have worsened again in recent weeks," Rudiger told Goal .

"The people who work there do an incredible job. For me, they are all men and women of honour!

"With this action I would like to say thank you above all, thank you to the many hospital employees who put themselves and their health on the back burner to help other people.

"For me, it was all about the gesture. You can't thank them often enough. However, you shouldn't just thank the staff this year, but every year - and not just during a global pandemic."

Rudiger has found himself on the outskirts of Chelsea's first team this season with Frank Lampard choosing Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma as his main centre-half pairing for the majority of the campaign.

The German centre-half - who was linked with a move to Tottenham in the off-season - has only made five appearances for the club this season, with four of those coming in the Champions League and only one in the Premier League.

Chelsea have had a mixed season to date with a 14-match unbeaten streak in all competitions recently snapped by consecutive defeats in the Premier League to Everton and Wolves.

The Blues have also failed to defeat a team in the top half of the Premier League table this campaign and have dropped to seventh in the standings - six points behind leaders Liverpool.

Lampard's side have a tough run through the Christmas-New Year period but do have three of their four matches at home in contests against West Home, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Manchester City.

Youssoufa Moukoko became the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history on Friday with his first strike for Borussia Dortmund.

Moukoko became the German top flight's youngest debutant in November, coming off the bench for Erling Haaland against Hertha Berlin aged just 16 years and one day. 

The following weeks have seen him also break the records for the youngest Bundesliga start and the youngest player to feature in the Champions League, beating marks set by Nuri Sahin and Celestine Babayaro respectively. 

In six appearances for Dortmund, though, Moukoko, who came to the fore for his prodigious scoring rate at youth level, was still waiting for his first senior goal. 

That wait is now over as he provided an instant response for Dortmund after they fell behind against Union Berlin on Friday.

The youngster, who started his second consecutive Bundesliga game, was on target on the hour to equalise, just three minutes after Taiwo Awoniyi had fired Union into the lead. 

He breaks the record set six months ago by Florian Wirtz, who was 17 years and 34 days old when he netted for Leverkusen towards the end of the 2019-20 season. 

However, Union Berlin struck again on 78 minutes through Marvin Friedrich, who provided the winning goal in a 2-1 victory for the capital side. 

Dortmund are keen to get back on track after a rotten run of form which led to coach Lucien Favre losing his job this week, following a 5-1 home drubbing at the hands of Stuttgart. 

One of Favre's biggest legacies at the club was his promotion of young talent, with the likes of Erling Haaland, Jadon Sancho, Gio Reyna and Jude Bellingham all receiving ample chances to shine while teenagers; and now Moukoko is keen to become Dortmund's latest sensation.

"I can't do anything about being good at football," he said in an interview with DAZN. "The one who works harder gets rewarded in the end.

"It was always my dream to become a professional football player. And if you have that dream you have to chase it like a lion."

Mikel Arteta admits that while he cannot fault his Arsenal team for effort, their current performances in the Premier League are "not good enough." 

The Gunners are without a win in all of their last six outings in the league, a run which included a timid North London Derby defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Tottenham. 

That awful form has seen them drop as low as 15th in the standings, just five points clear of the relegation zone with 12 games played. 

Arteta as a result has seen his position called into question just one year after taking over, and the manager is anxious for Arsenal to turn the corner. 

"We have faced one of the most challenging and difficult years in our history. We have made a lot of progress and implemented a lot of things that are working really well," the Spaniard signalled in an interview with Sky Sports. 

"The biggest highlights are the two trophies we won in this period, but at the same time, these last results in the Premier League have taken the gloss off the progress and all the work that we have done. And we know that it is not good enough.

"I have zero doubts what the players are trying to do. We are all united, we are all ready to fight against the cause.

"Things have been difficult, many different circumstances have put us in this situation - the amount of suspensions we are getting, the injuries, some of the chances, and the way we have lost football matches.

"But this is the reality and what you cannot fault is the spirit, the fight, and the togetherness around the team."

There was some cheer midweek at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal fought back to claim a point after going down to Southampton, a result that Arteta believes speaks volumes about the Gunners' spirit.

"Normally in difficult moments is when you see the real people, personal and professional, and it is a necessary thing to go through for a team, as well as a club," he added.

"I'm saying as a club as well, because in these moments is when you really see who we are. When things are going well, it is really easy to be supportive and being in the photograph."

"But when things are not going well, then that is when you have got to be prepared to do that - first of all, to defend our players as much as possible and give them confidence, and as I've said, they have to take on responsibility on the pitch and get the results that we need."

Arsenal are back in action on Saturday, when they visit Everton at Goodison Park.

Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer has been highlighted as a January target for French side Nice, Goal understands.

The Ligue 1 side are in the hunt for a new centre-back after seeing Brazilian veteran Dante suffer a cruciate ligament injury in November.

Nice confirmed on Friday that the 37-year-old has signed a contract extension, but he could be out for the remainder of the campaign.

"Yes, we are at work to recruit a defender," director of football Julien Fournier told RMC Sport. 

"It's easy to take a player but we are looking for specific characteristics and not just adding a player to the team."

Norway international Ajer fits that profile and the French club have been impressed by the 22-year-old, whose contract at Celtic runs until 2022.

Nice will have to match Celtic's asking price, however, which is thought to be around €13 million (£12m/$16m).

They could also face competition as AC Milan have been heavily linked to Ajer for several months.

Although a natural central defender, Ajer has been used at right-back on occasion at Celtic.

Ajer joined the Scottish giants from Norwegian side Start in 2016 and spent a brief spell on loan at Kilmarnock the following year.

He has made 153 appearances for the club in all competitions, helping them to three Premiership and League Cup titles as well as two Scottish Cups.

But Neil Lennon's side have had a difficult start to the 2020-21 campaign. They finished bottom of their Europa League group with just one win from six matches, having beaten Lille 3-2 in the final round of fixtures.

They are also second in the Scottish top flight with 10 wins from 15 games, leaving them 13 points behind fierce rivals Rangers, though Steven Gerrard's team have played two more matches.

Nice, meanwhile, also finished bottom of their Europa League pool and are 11th in Ligue 1 after a rough start to the season that saw Patrick Vieira fired from his role as coach at the start of December.

Nice won for the first time in nine matches on Wednesday when they beat Nimes 2-0.

Watford forward Isaac Success has resumed training ahead of their Championship game against Huddersfield Town on Saturday.  

The centre-forward has been on the sidelines since June after suffering a hamstring injury during a training session.

Success has taken to social media to reveal his delight to rejoin the rest of his teammates in readiness for their clash against the Terriers.

“Feels good to be back training with the team,” Success posted on Instagram.

The Nigerian forward has struggled to establish himself at Vicarage Road since teaming up with the side from Spanish side Granada in 2016.

Success has managed seven goals in 49 league appearances for Watford since he joined the club due to injury problems and loss of form.

The forward recently expressed disappointment in his inconsistent showings for the Hornets and promised to make a more meaningful contribution on his return from injury.

“It's been tough. It was painful, but it's football and it happens. I'm just trying to work my way back to the squad as I've missed playing with the team,” Success said.

“We need to get back to the Premier League as quickly as possible, so I'm looking forward to getting back and achieving our goals.

“I'm very excited. The last five months have been boring. I've done a lot of work and I know it's going to be an emotional first game back after six months out, but I'm ready for the challenge.

“Sometimes I feel disappointed with myself as I've got the qualities and everything a forward player will need.

“I need to do the right things and wait for my chance. I think I've got lots to offer the team. It's been disappointing not getting the chance [over the years] and being injured a couple of times when it was time for me to explode.

“I just need to keep working as there is so much more to come. It's time for me to deliver for the team and the fans as they have been waiting too long. The wait is now over.”

Watford are third on the Championship table after gathering 34 points from 19 games and will hope to secure all three points against Blackburn Rovers to boost their return to the Premier League.

Kaizer Chiefs have not enjoyed their recent meetings with their Premier Soccer League (PSL) rivals Bloemfontein Celtic.

The two teams are set to meet in a league match on Saturday with Chiefs desperate for a win in order to snap their five-match winless run in the league. 

Amakhosi tend to struggle against Siwlele having recorded just one victory in their last six competitive matches, while registering two defeats and three draws in the process. 

Siwelele have a psychological edge over Amakhosi having thrashed the Soweto giants 3-1 in the last meeting between the two sides.

Sera Motebang (brace) and Victor Letsoalo inspired Celtic to a victory over Chiefs in a league match at Tuks Stadium in August 2020.

It was Amakhosi's heaviest league defeat in two years and the result also had an impact on how the team performed in their following matches.

Chiefs then went on a four-match winless run - recording three defeats and one draw and ultimately, they lost out on the PSL title on the last day of the season.

In fact, since the loss to Celtic, the Glamour Boys have won just two of their last 12 matches in the league. 

However, Chiefs can take heart from their last home match against Celtic in which the Naturena-based giants secured a 5-3 victory 12 months ago. 

It was a game which saw an Ernst Middendorp-coached Chiefs side show character as they came from behind three times to defeat a resilient Phunya Sele Sele team.

Now under the guidance of coach Gavin Hunt, Amakhosi should relish facing Celtic with the accomplished tactician having masterminded two wins over Siwelele last season. 

Hunt led the now-defunct Bidvest Wits to a 4-2 victory over Phunya Sele Sele in the first round league match, before guiding the Clever Boys to a 3-2 win in the reverse fixture. 

Furthermore, Chiefs can take encouragement from the fact that Celtic have struggled on the road this year. 

The Free State giants are winless in their last nine away matches in the league having registered three draws and six defeats.

This includes a 4-2 loss to Cape Town City in the Mother City which was their most recent game on the road. 

It is the perfect time for Chiefs to face Celtic at their home ground, FNB Stadium as they look to get their league campaign back on track.

Qatar has inaugurated a new venue for the FIFA World Cup 2022 - the Ahmad Bin Ali stadium - on Friday evening. The stadium – will be the new home of Qatar Stars League (QSL) outfit Al Rayyan Sports Club. 

December 18 is always special for Qatar. It is the Qatar National Day and the 2022 World Cup final will be held on December 18 two years later at the Lusail stadium.

Goal provides you with 10 interesting facts about the stadium that hosted its first match in the form of the Amir Cup final between Al-Saad and Al Arabi.  

1)  Ahmad Bin Ali stadium is the fourth stadium in Qatar that is ready for for the global showpiece event in 2022 after Khalifa International, Al Janoub and Education City stadiums. The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) has now inaugurated four venues for the World Cup, with exactly two years left for the marquee event. 

2)  The Ahmad Bin Ali stadium is set to host seven matches up to the Round of 16 stage during the World Cup. 

3) The stadium symbolises different aspects of Qatar - the importance of family, the beauty of the desert, native flora and fauna, and local and international trade. Its dune-like structures resemble the sand dunes that surround traditional desert tents. A fifth shape – a shield – brings together all the others, representing the strength and unity that is relevant to the city of Al Rayyan.

The SC was awarded the Stadium Design of the Year award for the Ahmad Bin Ali stadium Stadium at the 2016 World Stadium Congress in Doha.  

4)  The capacity of the stadium is 40,000. During the Amir Cup final, it operated at 50 per cent of its capacity. Fans were seated two seats apart and were required to present a negative COVID-19 test or positive COVID-19 antibodies test in order to enter the stadium.

5)  The stadium is a 30-minute drive from Doha and is also accessible by metro as it is within walking distance of Al Riffa Metro Station – on Doha Metro’s Green Line. It is situated in one of Qatar's most historic cities and is close to Doha on the way to some beautiful desert landscapes. The community in Al Rayyan will also be served the sporting complex around the stadium that includes six football training pitches, a cricket pitch, horse riding track, cycling track, gym equipment and an athletics track. 

6)  The venue's design, construction, management and energy efficiency are in line with the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) by the Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (GORD). As a result, GSAS Design & Build Certification (four-star rating), GSAS Construction Management Certification (Class A*) and GSAS Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) Compliance Certificates have been awarded to the Al Rayyan stadium.

7) The stadium was constructed after demolishing the former Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium. Most of the materials from the demolished stadium were used in the construction or were recycled. The project achieved a landfill rate of 90 per cent, given that they kept construction and demolition waste to a minimum. It is also 20 per cent more energy-efficient compared to other venues and uses 20 per cent less water, thanks to sustainable measures. 

8)  India's biggest construction firm, Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T), along with Qatari contractor, Al Balagh Trading & Contracting have built the architectural marvel.  

9)  The stadium has achieved a significant health and safety milestone after becoming the first project site to complete 20 million working hours on two occasions without a Lost Time Injury (LTI). An LTI is an injury sustained by an employee that leads to loss of productive work in the form of absenteeism or delays.

10)  After the FIFA World Cup, its capacity will be brought down to 20000 and its modular upper tier will be removed and donated to a suitable footballing project overseas in developing nations. 

Qatar have thrown open the fourth venue for the 2022 World Cup on Friday with the inauguration of the beautiful Ahmad Bin Ali stadium at Al Rayyan city. 

Incidentally, Friday is Qatar's National Day and it is only fitting that the stadium that symbolises various aspects of the Middle-East nation's culture was unveiled on this day. 

The stadium’s façade is glowing and is comprised of patterns that symbolise different aspects of Qatar - the importance of family, the beauty of the desert, native flora and fauna, and local and international trade. A fifth shape – a shield – brings together all the others, representing the strength and unity that is relevant to the city of Al Rayyan.

To put it simply, Ahmad Bin Ali stadium is a venue that tells the story of Qatar in a spectacular way.

However, what is interesting is that there are Indian 'touches' all over the construction of the Ahmad Bin Ali stadium. 

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), the organisation responsible for the delivery of the World Cup, had entrusted the task of building the 40000-seater stadium to a Qatari-Indian Joint Venture between Qatar's Al Balagh Trading & Contracting, and India's biggest construction firm - Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T). 

Importantly, the fact is that this was the first time ever that an Indian firm has been involved in any capacity whatsoever when it comes to building infrastructure for a World Cup tournament. 

And the work carried out by L&T had come in for praise for much earlier when the venue achieved a significant health and safety milestone after becoming the first project site to complete 20 million working hours on two occasions without a Lost Time Injury (LTI). An LTI is an injury sustained by an employee that leads to loss of productive work in the form of absenteeism or delays.

The stadium has been awarded several glowing Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) ratings, thanks to the considerable sustainability and efficiency measures that have been embedded in the design to reduce the stadium's carbon footprint. 

"L&T is extremely proud to have been chosen by the SC along with our partner Al Balagh to deliver their World Cup vision for 2022. This is a big achievement in the company's history," L&T Whole Time Director & Senior Executive Vice President (Buildings, Minerals & Metals) MV Satish was quoted saying after the firm was announced as the main contractor. 

Satish also had revealed back then that his organisation's Indian engineering procurement construction (EPC) project delivery expertise will be the DNA of the Ahmad Bin Ali stadium project. 

"We were up against a tight deadline for the project and are proud that we completed it on time," said Satish later. 

They've definitely completed the project right on time, despite the challenges thrown up by the Coronavirus pandemic which brought the entire world to a standstill for most of 2020. And now, Qatar's latest jewel in their crown is shining bright, thanks to an Indian firm in no small part. 

The Ahmad Bin Ali stadium is set to host matches up to the quarter-final stage of the World Cup, following which it will function as the home ground of Qatar Stars League (QSL) outfit Al Rayyan SC.