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Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has confirmed Leon Balogun will miss their Premiership fixture against Motherwell on Saturday.

Balogun suffered a head injury as the league leaders suffered their first defeat of the season in a League Cup game against St Mirren on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old was dizzy after the clash with St Mirren’s Jonathan Obika in the 84th minute and he required some minutes for treatment on the field.

Saturday's outing at the Ibrox Stadium comes too early for the former Brighton and Hove Albion defender, and Gerrard will not be taking a risk to have him in his team.

“Balogun is unavailable for tomorrow as we are following medical protocol after a head injury. Jack is close but won't make the weekend,” he said in a press conference on Friday.

Balogun has been a key player for the Gers since his arrival from Wigan Athletic in the summer.

He has helped them maintain an unbeaten run of 17 games in the Scottish top-flight this season with 10 matches under his belt.

However, Gerrard is demanding a reaction from his players on Saturday after their 27-match unbeaten streak ended in the League Cup quarter-final.

“We’ve been talking about blind spots and watching out for complacency, staying humble and realising the amount of work there is to do and where we are in the season. You know the messages we’ve been giving the players. They are well aware of that,” the former Liverpool captain said.

“But that still doesn’t take away from the fact that we’ve been disappointed with Wednesday night’s result.

“I can totally understand the fans’ frustrations and shock. They’ve just watched their team go on a 27-game unbeaten run and very rarely concede a goal while qualifying in Europe top of their group. To be in a bit of shock, to be disappointed and frustrated is pretty normal.

“It is what it is. It’s done now. We can’t change it. All we can do is control the future and it’s our job to get ready for tomorrow’s challenge in Motherwell.”

Vipers head coach Fred Kajoba has insisted he will not be leaving the club despite their Caf Champions League elimination by Al-Hilal Omdurman of Sudan.

The Ugandan champions exited the continental stage at the preliminary round and thereafter rumours emerged the coach was to leave, but he has now stated the main objective that will keep him at the Premier League champions.

“I told you that I came here to stay, even Lawrence Mulindwa [Vipers chairman] knows it,” Kajoba told Sports Nation. Many thought that I was going to be fired after champions League games but Mulindwa called me and told me that he loves what I am doing.

“What brought me here is to win trophies and I don’t have to look at how others perform, I just need to win my games.”

Vipers drew the opening match of the league before they laboured past Kitara FC in the second game and the tactician has explained what could have led to the struggle.

“I am very happy with my players, I think Vipers are a big team, they play good football from the word go to the end and I am very happy with the boys,” Kajoba added.

“When we are coaching, you can’t know at what time the goal is going to come, and for that, there are goals missed, denied by posts and those that failed to cross the line and that’s the thing which saw us bundle out from Champions League because.”

He also spoke about Bobosi Byaruhanga, David Bagoole and Jamil Kalisa, who have not quite settled since their arrival.

“Byaruhanga is a very good player but I personally want him to learn from Siraje Sentamu,” Kajoba concluded.

“Bagole is really a good player but there are a lot of things we need to get out of him and if he improves on what he plays and that ‘spinning’, will be good to go.

“Kalisa is always substituted because that’s how football is, if you don’t deliver what you supposed to deliver on the pitch, you have to be substituted, so at Vipers if you don’t play well you have to be outside the pitch.”

The Venoms will face Busoga United on Sunday for their third match of the season.

Paul Pogba has been challenged to “make a difference for Manchester United in every game he plays”, with Rene Meulensteen looking for the World Cup winner to become more consistent.

Dips in form from the Frenchman have become all too familiar throughout a second spell at Old Trafford.

Flashes of brilliance have been delivered, but they have often been countered by forgettable displays and off-field antics that make the 27-year-old an easy target for critics.

Pogba was back to his creative best in a 3-2 victory over Sheffield United on Thursday, as United collected another comeback win on the road, and Meulensteen wants to see those standards maintained.

The former Red Devils coach told Stadium Astro: “I thought Paul did really well, he was positive and there were some nice pieces of skill on the ball. That is what you want to see from Paul Pogba week in, week out.

“He is the sort of player that needs to make a difference for Manchester United in every game he plays. He needs to play every game and be important in every game.

“Paul is a player, and there are many of them, that has world-class attributes and world-class moments. To be classed as a world-class player, when you talk about the players that spring to mind from past and present, they have performed time and time again, they have won championships and titles for their teams. Paul, in my opinion, has not done that often enough.

“This is the form you want to see. This is Paul Pogba - confident, great passing, getting his head up, great skills. If he can add a bit more of a goal threat then he is heading the right way.

“Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] has not always picked him to start games, which is difficult. When he’s come on he has had an impact at times and in other games he hasn’t had that. In other games he has been slow because the rest of the team has been slow.

“This is the Pogba that we want to see and the fans want to see.”

Having shown that he can operate alongside Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes, with the pair starting together at Bramall Lane, Pogba will be looking to nail down a spot in Solskjaer’s plans for the hectic festive period – with a home date against arch-rivals Leeds next up for United.

Only one stadium has been approved ready for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations as Cote d'Ivoire continue to build three new stadiums while two are under renovation.

Newly-built Ebimpe Olymic Stadium, which was opened in October, is the only stadium passed ready with a capacity of more than 60,000 seats.

Renovation works will start at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in January 2021 to install metal roofs while the Peace Stadium in Bouake is currently ongoing an overhaul to increase its capacity from 25,000 to 40,000 seats by the end of 2021.

The constructions of the Yamoussoukro Stadium, Poro Stadium and Stade San Pedro are still in progress, and they are expected to be completed by the end of 2021.

Earlier this month, a Caf inspection delegation led by Deputy General Secretary Anthony Baffoe visited Cote d'Ivoire to check the level of preparation for the tournament which will take place in June 2023.

Baffoe expressed satisfaction with the work done so far and he is confident the constructions will be completed before the deadline.

“Cote d'Ivoire is a country that I know very well. The visit was well orchestrated. We are very satisfied with the way the inspection visit went, and with the work done by the Local Organizing Committee (LOC),” Baffoe told the Caf website.

“For us, infrastructure and access routes are very important, and this is what interested us in each city. We first landed in Abidjan and in the next day we went to Korhogo. We drove from for three hours Korhogo to Bouaké without encountering any problem. From Bouaké, we continued to Yamoussoukro. After Yamoussoukro, we returned to Abidjan where we spent two days.

“In the capital we visited all the stadiums and hotels, and we also held a feedback meeting with the LOC. We also met the Minister of Sports. The delegation visited the family of Sidy Diallo (late President of the Ivorian Football Federation who died on 21 November) to show our respect for the illustrious deceased.

“This is how the inspection visit went. There are details to be perfected in various stages, but my message is clear: We are happy with what we saw. Meeting deadlines will also be important.”

Ivory Coast will host the continent event for a second time in history having previously staged the Afcon tournament in 1984.

Swansea City talisman Andre Ayew believes their dream of securing Premier League promotion remains alive despite Wednesday's Championship defeat to Derby County.

On their 19th game of the season, the Jack Army proved inadequate before the Rams as they succumbed to a 2-0 loss at Pride Park Stadium.

Ayew and his side, though, have a prompt chance to make amends as they welcome Barnsley for a showdown at Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

“We are always disappointed to lose. Overall, it’s been a decent start, but that’s all that it is so far,” Ayew said, as reported by his club's official website.

“There are so many games to play, even within the space of a week the table can change so much, but that’s the nature of the Championship and it’s what we have to deal with given the congested fixture list due to Covid.

“We have things we need to build on and things we need to improve on, I think that is the same for every side.

“I hope to bring my experience to help the team because, even though you will lose games, it is about how you handle those things.

“I think we have been good at that this season, we have to keep that going and make sure there are more good things than bad.”

Swansea currently occupy the fourth position on the league table, having won nine, drawn six and lost four of matches played so far.

Last season, the Jack Army came close to securing a return to the Premier League but their quest ended in the play-off semi-final following a defeat to Brentford.

Ayew was Swansea's main man in last term's push and has remained the danger man this season too.

Last year, the attacker, who celebrated his 31st birthday on Thursday, netted 16 times in 46 appearances, ending the term as the club's top scorer and most valuable player.

In the current campaign, the Ghana star has scored seven times in 18 matches, sitting as the club's top scorer. His solo effort against Sheffield Wednesday in November was recently voted as Swansea’s Goal of the Month.

Mikel Arteta is adamant he still has the full backing of everyone at Arsenal and says stability is now key to turning the club’s fortunes around.

A run of just one win in his last nine Premier League games has seen the pressure increased on Arteta, who takes his struggling side to Everton on Saturday sitting 15th in the table.

But despite Arsenal’s current form, club bosses Vinai Venkatesham and Edu have both publicly come out in support of Arteta in the past week, reaffirming their belief that he is the right man for the job.

And ahead of this weekend trip to Goodison, Arteta says he appreciates that support and insists he feels the same level of backing from everyone else at the club.

“I said it from the start, that I felt really supported by the owners, by the board, by the technical director and then by everybody that is at the club,” said the Spaniard.

“Because at the end of the day it is a feeling that I feel with the staff, with the coaches, with the players - which is the most important one.

“What chemistry do you have with them? What understanding do you have? Do they follow you? Do they believe in what you are trying to do? And I always have to say 'thank you', because I haven’t seen anything that goes against what we are trying to do.”

Arteta added: “After a big shake-up, we need to find stability and in order to do that we need time.

“We all knew, at least the people that made the decision with me to start this new project, that this wasn’t a quick fix and it was going to take time.

“And when you are shaking things up, things can take a while.”

Saturday’s game at Everton will mark Arteta’s first year in charge of Arsenal.

Despite the huge challenges of working through a global pandemic, there were clear signs of progress when the FA Cup and Community Shield were won in August with victories against Chelsea and Liverpool.

The recent run of poor form in the Premier League has certainly taken the gloss off those successes at Wembley, but Arteta is convinced that significant progress has still been made.

“I think it has been one of the most challenging years of the club’s history for many, many different reasons,” he said.

“We have made a lot of progress and we have implemented a lot of positive things that have worked really, really well. We have gone through structural changes all across the club, that obviously has shaken the club big time.

“I would say the highlights of this year are the two trophies that we have won together. And the most disappointing thing is that we haven’t had our fans with us to take us through this difficult moment.

“I think it could have been a really, really positive year - but the recent form in the Premier League is taking the gloss off what we have done in a calendar year.

“But we have to accept that the Premier League form, in recent weeks, has not been good enough for this football club.”

Nigeria women's team alongside Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania moved up on the last Fifa women's ranking for 2020 released by Fifa on Friday, December 18.

The Super Falcons rose one spot to 37th on the new global rankings despite a 14-month hiatus since crashing out of the 2020 Olympic qualifiers after a 1-1 draw with Cote d'Ivoire in October 2019.

Cameroon are still occupying 51st position despite losing the coveted Caf Olympic Games ticket to Zambia on the away goal rule following a 3-3 draw on aggregate in the final qualifying stage in March.

South Africa also remained stagnant in 53rd place despite claiming a record fourth consecutive title following a 2-1 victory over Botswana in the final of the 2020 Cosafa Women's Cup in November.

While Ghana moved up two spots to 58th spot thanks for a runners-up finish at the 2020 Turkish Women's Cup in March before the convincing back-to-back triumphs over Morocco last month. 
 
Elsewhere, Kenya made a huge leap as Cecafa Women's Cup champions, climbing up 13 spots to 124th place, along with Tanzania (13 places up) to 126th, while Uganda were unranked due to prolonged inactivity.

In Africa, Nigeria are still ranked the best on the continent, with Cameroon, South Africa, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire (61st), Tunisia (71st), Morocco (77th), Mali (78th) and Algeria (79th) and Senegal (80th) occupying the top 10 spots.

Globally, the USA ended the year 2020 at the summit as reigning world champions followed by Germany, France, the Netherlands and Sweden in the top five of the rankings.

Botswana, Comoros, Mauritius, Eswatini and Madagascar were rewarded with rises of 17 spots following their activities in 2020, with only 28 of 56 nations in Africa ending the year on the rankings.

The next edition of the women's ranking will be released on March 26, 2021.

Mohamed Salah was voted as the best player in the world in his position, beating out his strong oponents Lionel Messi and Riyad Mahrez becoming the next player to cement his position in the Goal's Top eleven powered by FIFA 21as we attempt to identify who you think are the best footballers around the world.

Salah led the table with 41% of the votes (17000) beating out the rest of the competition. Messi was close with 34% of the votes (14000) followed by Mahrez with 19% of the votes.

Gnabry and Sancho were fourth and fifth respectively.

Stay tuned to this space as we ask for your help to identify the best players in their respective positions globally.

Asante Kotoko have parted ways with head coach Maxwell Konadu, the club have announced.

The development comes a day after the Porcupine Warriors suffered a 1-0 defeat to Great Olympics in the Ghana Premier League (GPL).

So far in the top flight this term, the Kumasi-based outfit have won only one of four matches played, drawing two and losing one - the Olympics disappointment being their first defeat of the season.

"Management of Asante Kotoko Sporting Club wishes to inform the general public that it has decided to part ways with coach Maxwell Konadu as its head coach with immediate effect," Kotoko posted on Twitter on Friday.

"[Assistant] coach Johnson Smith has been appointed to lead the team in the interim."

Kotoko opened their GPL season with a 1-1 home draw with Eleven Wonders before holding Berekum Chelsea to a 1-1 statement on matchday two.

Last week, the Porcupine Warriors registered their first win of the season in a 1-0 result over Legon Cities. Thursday's 1-0 loss to Olympics owing to Michael Yeboah's 54th-minute goal for the away side proved the coach's last straw.

"It was a difficult game. The first half we didn’t look good but we came into the second half and started doing the basic things," Konadu said at the post-match press conference.

“We have taken lessons from this and will work on them.

“Some of the new players are only beginning to settle in. They will get better because they know the demands of the supporters and will respond accordingly.”

Kotoko appointed Konadu as head coach in December 2019 following the dismissal of Norwegian trainer Kjetil Zachariassen.

It was the Ghanaian's second stint in charge of the Porcupine Warriors, having led the side to the Premier League title in 2011-12.

He has previously worked as an assistant coach of Ghana's national team as well as head coach of Ghana's home-based national team, whom he guided to the final of the 2019 Wafu Cup of Nations in Senegal.

Interim coach Johnson Smith will lead Kotoko into Sunday’s Premier League away encounter with Dreams FC and next week’s Caf Champions League first-round showdown with Al Hilal of Sudan.

The criticism being aimed at Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane this season has been “unfair”, says Iker Casillas, with the Blancos considered to have “a very good coach” doing a “great job”.

The legendary Frenchman delivered another La Liga title to Santiago Bernabeu in 2019-20, with a domestic crown and three Champions League triumphs delivered during a previous stint in the Spanish capital.

Building on those successes has proved tricky in 2020-21, with Madrid struggling for consistency alongside arch-rivals Barcelona.

Questions have been asked of Zidane’s ability to keep Real in contention for major honours at home and abroad.

A positive response has been offered by the Blancos over recent weeks, with encouraging results collected in La Liga and the Champions League, and Casillas believes they still have the right man at their helm.

He told The National of Zidane: “Let’s start from the point that Real Madrid is always a target for criticism. Right now, this is a bit out of place because it’s not a catastrophe; it’s not until May that competitions are decided.

“The criticism Zidane has been receiving has also been unfair because he’s been a very good coach and he’s earned his right to lose. He’s won three Champions Leagues, two leagues in Spain and he’s doing a great job. So I don’t think we can demand a lot more from him.

“He’s giving that continuity that's really important for the team. We cannot forget that, while Real Madrid is a club that has many big names - Ramos, [Luka] Modric, [Toni] Kroos, [Karim] Benzema - it has a very young pool of players that also need to find their place and come through.”

Casillas claims Zidane will have turned a deaf ear to his detractors and the World Cup winner is not about to change his ways for anyone.

“The reason is his style is very suited to the intensity of the situation,” Casillas added on his former team-mate.“Also, he is able to surround himself with the right staff. Besides that, given his career as a football player himself, he can read and understand the life of the players, and realises the mentality that going from competition and from game-to-game requires.

“He has won many titles; he has lived through it all, both personally as a player and as part of a team. He’s been able to take this experience onto the pitch as a coach as well. Other than that, besides a coach, he’s also a great manager, because it’s a very difficult skill to be able to manage a club and a team.”

Former Singida United player Simbarashe Nhivi has warned FC Platinum to step up their game when they come up against Simba SC in the first round of the Caf Champions League on Wednesday.

The two sides will square off in the first meeting in Harare and Nhivi, who played in the Tanzania Mainland Premier League in 2017, believes Simba have grown in status and will present a stern challenge for the hosts.

“Simba is the biggest team in Tanzania if not Yanga [Young Africans] and they are a very competitive side with foreigners almost in every position who can score if given an opportunity,” Nhivi said as quoted by Daily News.

“You cannot underestimate the team at all. They have quality and can be a threat if not handled well. You need to be professional in your approach when playing such teams.

“Simba have a strong technical department as well and have been regulars in the Champions League now. FC Platinum are playing a good side, but they [FC Platinum] also have quality on their side.

“They can beat any team if they believe in themselves and have more desire to win this game.”

Platinum are currently led by former Chippa United coach Norman Mapeza, and Nhivi believes he can make the difference during the two-legged affair.

“Mapeza, who has returned to Platinum has energised the team and he is a very qualified and professional who is not new to these kinds of games,” Nhivi continued.

“The Champions League is a tough competition because it’s played by respective league champions. Whoever wants it more on the day and who is better prepared mentally physically and tactically will win.”

Platinum eliminated Costa Do Sol of Mozambique after a 4-1 aggregate win while Simba progressed after knocking out Plateau United of Nigeria 1-0 on aggregate.

Simba squad; Goalkeeper: Aishi Manula, Ally Salim, Beno Kakolanya.

Defenders: Shomari Kapombe, Gadiel Michael, Mohamed Hussein, Erasto Nyoni, Ibrahim Ame, Joash Onyango, and Pascal Wawa.

Midfielders: Jonas Mkude, Mzamiru Yassin, Said Ndemla, Taddeo Lwanga, Larry Bwalya, Hassan Dilunga, Francis Kahata, and Clatous Chama.

Strikers: Meddie Kagere, John Bocco, Chris Mugalu, Miraji Athumani, Luis Miquissone, and Ibrahim Ajibu.

Thiago Alcantara is still wary of setting a date for his return to action at Liverpool, with the Spain international having been out of action since October with a knee injury.

Alongside centre-half Virgil van Dijk, the  playmaker picked up an injury during the Merseyside derby with arch-rivals Everton.

He has not been seen in action since the 2-2 draw at Goodison Park on October 17, with just two appearances for the Reds on the back of a high-profile summer transfer from Bayern Munich.

Liverpool had high hopes for Thiago and were encouraged by his early showings in England. Jurgen Klopp is eager to welcome the 29-year-old back into his plans, but no unnecessary risks will be taken on his fitness.

That means the former Barcelona star continues to take his recovery “step by step”, with no need to rush with Liverpool back at the top of the Premier League table.

The plan is for Thiago to step back in at some point in the near future, but no definitive fixture is being lined up.

Pressed by the Reds’ official website on whether he has a date in mind, Thiago said: “No, just taking it step by step.

“We always try to [do it] like we have a wall in front of us, saying ‘OK, you have to make a step back before you can advance.’ Now we think we are in a right mood and looking forward to the end of the year to try to train another time with the team.”

Thiago has been watching on as Liverpool have overcome a wretched run of luck on the injury front to force their into another Premier League title race and through to the last-16 of the Champions League where they will face RB Leipzig.

Progress by Klopp’s side has been impressive, but not all that surprising given the success they have enjoyed during a trophy-laden couple of seasons on Merseyside.

Thiago added: “The team were doing good the last years, it’s not just about this season, it’s about the last years – they were doing an amazing performance not just in the Premier League but also in the Champions League.

“The positive part is [the opportunity] to learn more about the club and to learn more about the players from outside the pitch.”

Liverpool will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to Crystal Palace.

Mikel Arteta deserves to be shown the trust once afforded to Arsene Wenger says Martin Keown, who says the Spaniard requires time and the backing of his board in order to deliver on expectations.

Uncomfortable questions are starting to be asked of the man calling the shots at Emirates Stadium.

With the Gunners enduring their worst start to a Premier League season, as they look anxiously over their shoulder towards the drop zone, inevitable criticism has been aimed in the direction of those on and off the field in north London.

Keown can appreciate why pressure is building at Arsenal, but he believes patience should be shown with the rookie coach.

The former Gunners defender said: “I think it is not a time for panic, Arteta has shown he can win. People would always say: 'Trust in Wenger'. Now we need to do that with Arteta.

“He wants to make changes and sometimes, when you make changes, you go backward first before you can go forward.

“The confidence has been massively dented by results, so it is a difficult time now. I think it came as a bit of a shock to the manager how they were dismantled by Aston Villa and they haven't really recovered.

“He needs to be backed. I am really pleased Edu is speaking now in support of the manager - he should have spoken far sooner.

“I think if the fans were all allowed back in by some miracle next week, they would be behind the manager.”

Keown is also looking for Arteta to be given more money to spend in the transfer market, saying Arsenal are still in need of strengthening down their spine.

He added: “The long-term vision [Arteta] has for the team in terms of how they want to play was affecting the short-term results. They needed to go back to a back five but then you can't be as creative.

“I do feel that the transfer window can't come soon enough for him. The midfield area is still a problem. He needs Thomas Partey back and he also needs another top-class midfielder to play along him.

“You look at [Pierre-Emile] Hojbjerg at Spurs and you think: 'Why were Spurs the only team going after him?’ He is a good player who has made a difference. Until he can control the midfield, he is not going to be able to play the back-four system he wants.”

Arsenal, who sit 15th in the table as things stand, will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to Everton.

Martin Keown, McDonald’s Fun Football ambassador, was speaking at the opening of a new playground made from 1 million recycled Happy Meal toys at RMHC Oxford, the first of at least 15 to be built over the next year. To find out more visit mcdonalds.co.uk/family.

Simba SC assistant head coach Selemani Matola has been reportedly linked with a move to Football Kenya Federation Premier League side Gor Mahia.

Gor Mahia have been without a coach since Roberto Oliveira left last week after Caf and the FKF stated he was not eligible to oversee K’Ogalo in either continental and local competitions.

Oliveira had been appointed to steer the Kenyan champions after Steven Polack left but ended up just taking charge in friendly games before Caf ruled he was not eligible to be part of the technical bench for the Champions League tie against APR of Rwanda.

The Green Army had to find a stand-in coach and they fell back on Posta Rangers Sammy Omollo who ensured they saw off APR and progressed to the first round of the competition.

Omollo, who was seen as the frontline candidate to take over the position in a permanent position, has since returned to Posta Rangers.

Matola, who also acts as Simba B team coach, has now reportedly entered into the fray. He is an experienced coach having joined Wekundu wa Msimbazi from Polisi Tanzania early this year and was part of history that saw the Mainland giants win a treble that also included a league title for the third time in a row.

Gor Mahia have won a game and lost the other after they opened their FKF Premier League campaign against Ulinzi Stars before they were humbled by Tusker.

The club’s management is expected to be keen enough to hire a coach that meets the qualification bar set by Caf and FKF.

In a recent communique, the African football-governing body laid down qualification requirements that coaches of teams participating in their events must possess.

“Through the implementation of the Caf Club Licensing system, all head coaches of clubs engaged in the 2020/2021 edition of Caf Champions League Caf Confederation Cup must have the 'Caf A' coaching license,” the federation said.

“These new coaching license requirements for Caf club competitions are just one example of how the new Club Licensing system will spur change in African football.

“This approach has already started to bear fruit through a better awareness of the need for qualified coaches. As proof, several Member Associations have contacted Caf to plan training courses for their coaches.”

Should Gor Mahia settle on the Tanzanian, they would have deviated from a tradition of appointing foreign coaches outside the continent.

Bobby Williamson, Frank Nuttall, Ze Maria, Dylan Kerr, Hassan Oktay and Polack are the men who have overseen the successful recent history at K’Ogalo.

Thiago Silva is determined to add to his trophy collection while on the books at Chelsea, with the experienced defender setting his sights on Premier League and Champions League crowns.

At 36 years of age, the Brazil international is approaching the end of a distinguished career.

He is, however, not ready to hang up his boots just yet and is eager to ensure that he bows out on a high whenever the day comes to head off into retirement.

Chelsea have offered him another prominent stage on which to perform in the twilight of his playing days, with the South American snapped up as a free agent over the summer.

A move to England was made on the back of eight memorable years at Paris Saint-Germain, while a spell at AC Milan prior to that delivered more major honours.

Having grown accustomed to picking up medals on an annual basis, Silva says he will be doing all he can to ensure that Frank Lampard’s side secure silverware in 2020-21.

He told the Blues’ official website: “I try to leave a mark wherever I go.

“I left my mark at RS at the start of my career, then at Juventude, then after at Fluminense, then Milan and Paris, and I aim to leave my mark here as well.

“This is my focus and plan, and I’m so scared of letting down people who showed so much belief in me. I aim to work hard and focus a lot on my opponents so that I can make as few mistakes as possible in games to help me and the team perform really well.”

He added: “The choice to join Chelsea wasn’t hard.

“You’re talking about a club with Chelsea’s history, their great and respected shirt, our coaching staff, first and foremost the gaffer who was really successful here playing for Chelsea, and the squad which really caught my eye in terms of the quality of the team.”

Having welcomed the opportunity to take on a new challenge in west London, Silva hopes he can help to get Chelsea back on top of domestic and continental games.

He went on to say of his ambition: “At Milan I won Serie A and the Italian Super Cup, and at PSG I won basically everything possible, except the Champions League, we reached the final.

“With Chelsea my main objective is the Premier League, of course. It’d be a dream come true to win it and there’s no doubt we’re looking at winning the Champions League and the cups as well, so it’s a matter of working.

“I think Chelsea aren’t just 11 players, they’ve got a group of 22 players who have what it takes to go far in all competitions.”

Chelsea have made their way into the last-16 of the Champions League, where they will face Atletico Madrid, while they also sit seventh in the Premier League and are preparing to open another FA Cup campaign in 2021.

Nigeria captain Ahmed Musa voted Lionel Messi as the best men’s player for 2020 while coach Gernot Rohr picked Robert Lewandowski for the Best Fifa Men's Player award.

Following an incredible 2019-20 season with Bayern Munich, Lewandowski claimed the coveted recognition on Thursday after beating Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Messi to the top prize.

Despite their contrasting choice of winners, Rohr and Musa both had an African star who helped Liverpool end their 30-year wait for an English top-flight title and also won the Fifa Club World Cup last season, in their picks

After selecting the Polish striker as his winner, Rohr picked PSG star Kylian Mbappe for the second spot while Senegal’s Sadio Mane was placed in the third position.

Musa, on his part, chose Messi to lead his pick followed by Lewandowski and Mane in the second and third places, respectively.

When the official voting results were released, Lewandowski had a total of 58 points while Ronaldo managed 38 points and Messi had 35 points.

For the Best Fifa Men's Coach for 2020, Musa and Rohr chose Hans-Dieter Flick for the honour after the German’s success in his first season at Bayern Munich.

Flick led the Bavarians to a domestic treble of Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal (German Cup), and the DFL-Supercup. He also guided them win the 2019-20 Uefa Champions League and the Uefa Super Cup.

They both voted Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp as the second-best manager in the world after his Premier League success last season but the third spot took a twist.

Musa went for Sevilla’s Julen Lopetegui as his third choice after he helped the Liga club win last season’s Uefa Europa League, while Rohr chose Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane, having led the Blancos to claim the Spanish top-flight crown in July.

Although he was level on 24 points with Flick, Klopp was declared winner for the second time in a row after gathering the highest number of votes from national team coaches while Leeds United's Marcelo Bielsa was third with 11 points.

Zaragoza have received a huge boost after Hellen Mubanga and Rachel Nachula were welcomed back into the fold on Friday.

The Zambia internationals left Spain to represent the Copper Queens in international friendlies against Chile on November 23.

The Zaragoza duo featured for the duration in their side's 2-1 comeback victory over La Roja in their first-ever meeting, with Nachula scoring the crucial winner with a header in Santiago.

However, the second tie of the doubleheader against Jose Letelier's ladies, earlier scheduled for December 1, was suspended a few hours prior to the kick-off time due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With seven players testing positive for Covid-19, the Zambian delegation was placed in quarantine for 14 days to comply with health protocols.

Having completed the period on Tuesday, Mubanga and Nachula were allowed by Chilean authorities to leave for Spain on Wednesday.

In the absence of the Zambians, Zaragoza suffered a 1-0 defeat to Seagull at home and a 2-1 loss at Deportivo Alaves before a 3-0 victory over Espanyol and the recent 1-1 draw at Barcelona.

Having returned to Zaragoza on Friday morning, they are expected to reunite with their teammates in training ahead of their Sunday's final match of the year against AEM at home. 

With the duo's return, Zaragoza will hope to end the year in the top four after garnering 12 points from eight matches this season.

Manchester United will be Premier League title contenders if they keep Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes on the pitch and out of the stands, says Michael Owen.

The Red Devils last enjoyed domestic dominance back in 2013, as Sir Alex Ferguson prepared to head into retirement.

Alarming regression has been endured since then, with 13-time champions slipping a long way off the pace with David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho at the helm.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been charged with the task of delivering a reversal in fortune, with the Norwegian looking to replicate the successes of his playing days.

He has found the going tough at times, with consistency often proving to be elusive, but a faultless away record in 2020-21 has United daring to dream once more.

A 3-2 win over Sheffield United last time out has the Red Devils within five points of leaders Liverpool while still boasting a game in hand.

Owen believes a push for the summit can be staged at Old Trafford, but only if key men are kept fit and firing – with Solskjaer being urged not to rest and rotate.

“Well, they can. I think there’s a few teams that can this season,” former United striker Owen told Amazon Prime when asked if the Red Devils can challenge for the English top-flight crown.

“I think the only way they can though is to get their best players out on the pitch.

“If you’ve got Pogba in your squad, Fernandes, these great players, you can’t possibly win the title if they’re going to be in the stands.

“You’ve got these unbelievable players that you’ve invested millions in. You have to find a way, because the only way United will win the title is with their best players playing.

“You take three or four out the team and all of a sudden they’re an okay team. So Solskjaer needs to keep finding ways of getting the likes of Pogba, Fernandes and those front three [in the team].

“That’s such an exciting team out there and he’s got to find a way of playing that team more often.”

United lined up at Bramall Lane with Pogba and Fernandes operating behind an attacking unit of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood.

Edinson Cavani will return to that pack at some stage, with Owen of the opinion that the Red Devils boast one of the most fearsome front lines in the Premier League.

He added: “It's no real secret, they're one of the best counter-attacking teams in the country, if not the best.

“It's the other side that they have to get on top of, at Old Trafford.

“When you've got those front five attacking players - the likes of Pogba, Fernandes and the front three - there's not many better attacking units in the world of football than that.

“If they can just shore up at the back, be better in possession, then they will have a right run for this title.”

Gordon Igesund, who previously won the league title with both Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, believes the Buccaneers are strong title contenders.

Sundowns are the defending league champions and have won the last three championships.

In total they have won the Premier Soccer League (PSL) 10 times, with five of those coming in the past seven seasons. It was in 2007 that Igesund helped the Brazilians claim the league title.

But while Masandawana are currently top of the league standings this season, Pirates have also made a strong start and are just two points behind the Brazilians.

"It is still early days, but I think that Pirates pose the biggest threat to Sundowns,” Igesund said in an interview with the Sowetan.

“They are challenging them this year and have recruited well in the market. Sundowns look strong to win their fourth title in a row, and they started the season strongly. But the Soweto giants will push them all the way,” he added.

It was in 2001 when Igesund was in charge of Pirates and they won the league. Since then the club has added two more titles, to make it a total of four in the PSL era.

Having recently ended a six-year wait for a trophy at the club by winning the MTN8 against Bloemfontein Celtic last weekend, spirits will be high in the Bucs camp.

However, with only seven matches played, Igesund has cautioned that a lot could still change this season.

"The title is not won after six, seven, or 15 games,” said the former Bafana Bafana coach, who also won the league title with Santos and Manning Rangers.

“It's a marathon. I don't read too much in the log because it is still early. But for me, the league is between Sundowns and Pirates this season. It is going to be a two-horse race.“

Sundowns are in action this weekend, away to Golden Arrows in a league fixture on Saturday afternoon.

Pirates, meanwhile, have finished their domestic schedule for 2020, their final match of the year is a Caf Confederation Cup game against Sagrada Esperanca, away in Angola on Tuesday afternoon.

Uganda Cubs head coach Hamuza Lutalo has disclosed how they plan to face Ethiopia in the Cecafa U17 Championship game on Friday at Umuganda Stadium in Rwanda.

The Cubs have already qualified for the semi-final after their huge 5-0 win over Kenya in matchday two and Lutalo has insisted they must treat the Ethiopia game with the seriousness it deserves.

Uganda are seen as one of the favourites sides to win the title especially given how their senior brothers have performed before.

The Cranes are the reigning champions as well as the U20 side, who defeated Tanzania in December to claim the title in Arusha.

If Uganda lose against Ethiopia, they will finish second in Group A which also has Kenya as the other rivals.

“I know what our second game on Friday means to us, we shall not take anything for granted,” Lutalo explained ahead of the game as was quoted by the Fufa website.

“Yes, we know we already qualified for semis but we shall treat every game in a special way possible. We have to give it utmost attention and the best shot by parading our best players on the battlefront.”

On his part, Ethiopia’s coach Endrias Berhanu Woldamanuel stated they will fight for a win in order to secure a place in the penultimate stage.

“We need a good result to be able to qualify for the semi-final and Uganda should expect a very tough challenge,” Woldamanuel told Cecafa Online.

“I watched them beat Kenya 5-0 and I know what to expect and how to counter their threat.”

Ethiopia and Uganda met in 2018 in the same tournament and the Cubs emerged 3-1 winners in Tanzania then.

A slim loss, a draw or victory will surely guarantee Ethiopia a place in the next phase and are likely to offer the Cubs the toughest game so far.

The Cecafa U17 semi-finals will be played on Sunday while the play-off for third place and the final will take place on December 22.

The finalists will be guaranteed a place in the African Cup of Nations U17 tournament set to be held in Morocco in March 2021.