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The 2020-21 season saw Arsenal set an unenviable record as they got off to their worst-ever start to a Premier League season.

Mikel Arteta's side lost five and drew one of their opening 10 games, gathering just 13 points, and their form heading into the turn of the year prompted much concern among the Gunners faithful.

They suffered disappointing losses to the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and arch-rivals Tottenham, as well as defeat to teams such as Wolves and Burnley, who they would ordinarily be expected to beat.

Words like "crisis" and "meltdown" have been used to describe the situation in north London, while doomsayers are even panicking about potential relegation form.

So, with anything possible, Goal brings you a reminder of Arsenal's worst-ever Premier League finish.

What is Arsenal's worst-ever Premier League finish?

Arsenal's worst-ever Premier League finish (since 1992-93) came in the 1994-95 season when they ended the campaign in 12th place in the division.

It was the season which spelled the end of George Graham's tenure as Gunners boss as he was relieved of his position in February after a terrible start in which they lost four and drew two of their first 10 games.

Their form in the league never really recovered as they managed just 13 victories all season, losing 17 matches and drawing 12 in the 42-game campaign.

That year, Arsenal also suffered defeat in the UEFA Super Cup, succumbing to AC Milan - and while they reached the final of the Cup Winners Cup, they were beaten by Real Zaragoza.

Arsenal's finish in 1994-95 PL season

It truly was a season to forget as they were eliminated from the FA Cup at the first hurdle, going down to Millwall in a replay, and they were knocked out of the League Cup - then the Coca-Cola Cup - by Liverpool.

Prior to 1994-95, their 10th-place finish in the 1992-93 season - the first year of the Premier League as we know it - was Arsenal's worst performance in the competition.

After the 1994-95 campaign, Arsenal went 22 seasons without finishing lower than fifth in the Premier League, with Arsene Wenger ushering in an era of success. 

However, things have been in gradual decline since the tail-end of Wenger's tenure. Their sixth-place finish in 2017-18 was a low point in the modern era and it was the final year of the French coach's stewardship.

That disappointment was then eclipsed by their eight-place finish in 2019-20, a season in which the only sheen came in the form of a successful FA Cup campaign.

When was the last time Arsenal were relegated?

Arsenal have never been relegated from the Premier League, but they have been relegated from England's top tier. However, it happened at the beginning of the 20th century, during the 1912-13 season.

Then known as Woolwich Arsenal, they spent two seasons in the Second Division before football was officially postponed in England following the outbreak of World War I.

Interestingly, the Gunners were promoted to the First Division when football resumed in 1919-20, despite the fact that they had finished fifth in the Second Division back in 1914-15.

They were promoted to the new league along with Derby County and Preston North End, leapfrogging Barnsley and Wolves, who both finished ahead of them in third and fourth.

In the Premier League era, the Gunners have never really come close to relegation, though it is true that they were only six points from safety in their worst-ever season in the competition, back in 1994-95.

Arsenal posted a total of 51 points in that season and Crystal Palace were relegated with 45 points.

The 1994-95 campaign remains the only season in which the Gunners finished in the bottom half of the table.

Before the low point of the mid-nineties, the closest Arsenal came to relegation was 20 years earlier, in the mid-seventies, finishing 16th in 1974-75 and 17th in 1975-76.

They were four points from safety in 1974-75 when they ended up in 16th place and six points from relegation in 1975-76 - notably, the same margin as in 1994-95 - when they finished 17th.

Read more about the last time Arsenal were relegated here.

Fabrice Ondoa has been fired by KV Oostende having “violated all corona measures” in Belgium amid allegations he organised a party during the lockdown.

The 24-year-old Cameroon international joined De Kustboys on a four-year contract from Sevilla B in 2018.

According to a statement released by the Belgium top-flight side, ten of Ondoa’s guests violated all Covid-19 procedures, while they “verbally harassed” the police who were called up to call them to order.

"During the night from Saturday to Sunday, the Ostend police were called up because of noise nuisance in the apartment building of Fabrice Ondoa in the Koningsstraat,” Oostende wrote on their website.

"It turned out to be a lockdown party in which ten people violated all corona measures.

"When the police arrived, they were also verbally harassed by the revellers and 11 police reports were drawn up."

In his response on social media, the goalkeeper denied holding a party while expressing his dissatisfaction with how the club handled the situation.

"I just heard the news this [Tuesday] afternoon in an e-mail almost at the same time as the press," he wrote on Twitter.

"They are taking such a serious decision without even bothering to hear me. I just got a letter from their lawyer. It's scandalous!

"If they had bothered to invite me to explain, they would have understood that I have done nothing wrong. I have not organized anything at all and it sure wasn't a lockdown party."

In the same vein, Oostende president Gauthier Ganaye said the behaviour of the former Barcelona goalkeeper was irresponsible.

"As a football club, we cannot tolerate such selfish and irresponsible behaviour," said Ganaye.

"We are relieved that we have not had any Covid contamination so far and we are doing everything we can to keep it that way.

"That is why we always remind our players of their duties and they also assume their responsibility.

"KVO as a club is above the individual and given the seriousness of these facts, we, therefore, feel compelled to initiate the dismissal procedure against Fabrice Ondoa."

Since his move to the Versluys Arena, the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations winner has played second fiddle to former Belgium youth international Guillaume Hubert.

West Brom have sacked head coach Slaven Bilic just one day after their impressive draw against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium.

The Baggies pulled off one of the surprise results of the season by earning a 1-1 draw away at City on Tuesday night, with a Ruben Dias own goal cancelling out Ilkay Gundogan's opener in the first half.

Despite seeing his side pick up a credible point in Manchester, Bilic has now been relieved of his managerial duties, with West Brom confirming his departure via their website.

"West Bromwich Albion have today parted company with Head Coach Slaven Bilic" an official statement released by the club on Wednesday reads.

"Assistant Coaches, Dean Računica and Danilo Butorović, and First Team Coach Julian Dicks have also left the club with immediate effect.

"Albion would like to thank Slaven and his coaching staff for their efforts in achieving promotion last season and wishes them all well in the future. 

"The club will make no further comment at this time."

More to follow.

Mamelodi Sundowns star midfielder Themba Zwane has downplayed their performance in the 2-0 Premier Soccer League (PSL) victory over TS Galaxy, saying “we didn’t play the way we wanted” amid a difficult time for the club.

Going into the match following reports that Downs defender Motjeka Madisha died in a car crash on Sunday, and also without two coaches on their bench, the Brazilians persevered through an emotional evening to maintain a two-point gap on top of the PSL standings.

Although Zwane is not convinced with the way they played, it was yet another polished display by Sundowns especially the goals scored by Zwane and Peter Shalulile.

Man-of-the-Match Zwane struck his seventh goal of the season in seven games and also provided an assist in another prolific showing by the Bafana Bafana star.

“I just want to thank my teammates for the effort, we fought today,” Zwane told SuperSport TV.

“We didn't play the way we wanted to but we managed to get two goals and what matters is the three points at the end of the day. We are happy with the three points.”

Following the reported death of Madisha, Sundowns cancelled Sunday’s training session and had a workout on Monday ahead of hosting TS Galaxy.

Steve Komphela led the technical bench in the absence of the suspended Manqoba Mngqithi, while the absence of Rhulani Mokwena was not explained.

“It was difficult, obviously it was mental, coach Steve told us we need to be strong mentally so that we can push for this game and win it,” said Zwane.

“Honestly we had one day [of training] yesterday [Monday]. On Sunday we didn't train obviously we were not well as a team, we took a break and trained yesterday and we tried to watch TS Galaxy, their strengths, so we can plan against them.”

Sundowns now prepare for their next match as they travel to Durban for a date with Golden Arrows on Saturday.

It will be a return to KwaZulu-Natal where they were recently frustrated by a 1-1 draw with basement side Maritzburg United.

Kenya international Victor Wanyama has admitted he was disappointed after Montreal Impact failed to make it to the Concacaf Champions League on Wednesday.

Although Montreal Impact emerged 1-0 winners, they were eliminated as they tied on a 2-2 aggregate, and Club Olimpia of Paraguay advanced courtesy of the away goals rule.

The Canadian outfit inflicted Olimpia's first loss after they enjoyed an unbeaten record across all competitions; a period that dates back before coronavirus shook the football world.

Wanyama, who featured in the match, has admitted he was left disappointed with the outcome of the game because it was not the result he wanted.

“Disappointed with today’s [Wednesday] result as we wanted to have a good run in the Concacaf Champions League but we got knocked out in quarter-final,” Wanyama wrote on his Instagram page. “We will be back stronger, it has been a very difficult season for all of us and hopefully next season our fans will be back in the stadiums.”

Wanyama, who joined Montreal Impact from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, also hinted at playing for the Major League Soccer (MLS) side in the new campaign.

“I want to thank the fans for all the extraordinary support you have given us despite the difficult circumstances which were beyond our control, the coaching staff my family, and everyone involved with Montreal Impact.

“I wish you all a Merry Christmas and happy new year, enjoy your holidays and see you next season.”

In a previous interview, coach Thierry Henry explained why the players should not be entirely sad despite exit.

“We’re out so the emotion is, obviously we’re sad of being out,” Henry said after the game as per MLS Soccer. “But we beat a team that didn’t lose a game for a very long time, and rightly so, by the way. But we couldn’t score the second goal.”

Montreal Impact would have progressed had Rudy Camacho been clinical enough with a late chance but Henry did not blame him and chose to pick other factors that might have affected them.

“If Rudy scored that would have been the cherry on the cake but obviously it didn't happen,” added the Arsenal great.

“But I'm proud of my team. Once again, what can I say? We didn’t train for two weeks, we were in quarantine, guys were missing, we trained six times only – seven times but the day before the game, you don’t count that – and we performed.”

The match against Olimpia was Wanyama’s first game since representing Kenya in the November international assignments while Uganda international Mustafa Kizza also started as he continues to enjoy minutes since his November arrival.

Orlando Pirates assistant coach Fadlu Davids has emphasised that they have to “quickly” suspend MTN8 celebrations and fully focus on Wednesday’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) confrontation against Chippa United at Orlando Stadium.

Pirates are in high spirits after edging Bloemfontein Celtic 2-1 last Saturday to lift the MTN8 trophy, their first piece of silverware since clinching the 2014 Nedbank Cup.

“Of course coming from a fantastic MTN8 victory, lifting the Cup, we are really proud of our players,” Davids told Pirates media.

“I thank our supporters for being behind us. But quickly we have to put the celebrations on hold because the next target is already staring us in the face. That next target is the league and it starts with Chippa United at Orlando Stadium.”

Currently placed sixth on the PSL standings seven points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, a win for Pirates could see them climb as high as third if Baroka FC lose to Celtic on the same evening.

The Buccaneers face a Chippa United side which is struggling for form and sitting fourth from bottom, four points ahead of basement side Maritzburg United.

While Pirates are fresh from tasting cup success, they are however keen to recover from dropping four points in their last two matches which ended in draws against Baroka and Cape Town City.

“Our last league match against Cape Town City we did not get what we deserved for all our chances, for our dominance,” Davids said.

“Not getting the result that we wanted but still coming back home with a 2-2 draw. So we now know that the Chippa United game is a match when we can rectify that, converting our chances is the main key focus for us to be able to collect the three points.”

Pirates’ last four games across all competitions have also seen them coming from behind to avoid defeat.

The Buccaneers are yet to lose a match this season and the last time they tasted league defeat was during the PSL bio-bubble in August when they lost to Cape Town City.

In all competitions, they have gone for 13 consecutive matches undefeated.

SC Villa coach Edward Kaziba has admitted he was not satisfied with his team’s performance despite a 2-1 win against Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA FC) on Tuesday.

The Jogoos scored a goal in each half to sink the reigning champions at Bombo Military Barracks Grounds and end their fine start to the campaign.

Despite taking the bragging rights of the first season derby, Kaziba has insisted he was not satisfied with the result, claiming his side should have scored more goals.

“Our players were well prepared mentally, I am very happy they executed the instructions given to them by the coaching staff as a result giving us a win in this game,” Kaziba said as quoted by the club’s official website.

“We scored two goals today [Tuesday] but I am not satisfied, our strikers need to improve on their scoring rate as we play more games time. We played as a unit despite the fact we didn't play at the level we wanted, this is a big motivation for the players and I believe we shall continue to improve.”

Striker Ronald Ssekiganda, who was voted man of the match after notching a double said: “I am very happy that as a team we have happy. I am happy to have scored in my derby appearance, a goal which won my team all the three points. I hope to score more beautiful goals for Villa.”

Nicholas Kabonge put the Jogoos ahead three minutes past the half-hour mark after he volleyed the ball into the left bottom corner of the net to send SC Villa supporters into wild cheers.

Benson Muhindo was introduced in the place of Goffin Oyirwot, and was returning from suspension made an instant impact when he beat KCCA defenders with his pace and ran with the ball into the opponents’ box and set up Ssekiganda, who flicked the ball past KCCA goalkeeper Charles Lukwago for Villa’s second of the evening.

KCCA pulled one back from a penalty converted by Brian Ahebwa a minute later and the game ended with Villa claiming a first derby victory over KCCA in three years.

The Kasasiro Boys had won their first three league games before their fall to Villa while the Jogoos came into the game on the back of a 2-1 loss to URA FC but looked a completely different side.

Frank Leboeuf has slammed Kai Havertz for his poor start to life at Chelsea, insisting the £70 million ($61m) midfielder is "almost invisible" on the pitch.

Chelsea beat off competition from a whole host of top European clubs to bring Havertz to Stamford Bridge from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer transfer window.

The Blues tied the 21-year-old, who became one of the top players in the Bundesliga during his time at BayArena, down to a five-year contract after forking out a lofty fee for his services, and Frank Lampard has wasted no time in testing his skills in west London.

The Germany international has already featured in 17 games across all competitions for Chelsea, but has only managed to contribute four goals and four assists to their cause, leading to question marks over his impact.

Havertz's latest underwhelming display came during a 2-1 defeat to Wolves at Molineux on Tuesday night, as the young playmaker struggled to affect the game in any meaningful way before being hauled off for Mateo Kovacic in the 71st minute.

Leboeuf does not believe that a big-money signing has shown any indication of living up to his price tag as of yet, and has suggested that he should have adjusted to his new surroundings by now.

Asked to assess Havertz's performance at Wolves, the former Chelsea defender told ESPN: "Almost invisible. I touched on the point some weeks ago. We heard Frank Lampard say, 'no, we need to give him time'.

"But I don’t know, it’s something that I don’t like, the way sometimes it feels like he’s not there, that he’s not trying to compensate for a lack of confidence with a desire or just being a warrior, showing us that, 'okay, I’m not good at the moment, but I’m going to fight for the club and not be invisible.'

"We share texts during the game and we were wondering if he was on the field. You can be bad – [Timo] Werner didn’t have a good game – but we saw him trying to get something going.

"We don’t see Havertz getting anything. I’m very concerned about that guy.

"I don’t forget the price they paid and I know he’s only 21 but we see players who arrived last summer who didn’t need much time to adapt and being very influential.

"I don’t understand what Havertz is doing right now but I want answers."

Havertz will be back in contention for a place in Lampard's line-up when Chelsea play host to West Ham in a London derby on Monday.

Arsenal technical director Edu has said that the club “need to talk” to William Saliba regarding the young centre-back's future, whilst also admitting that the Gunners are missing a creative spark in the middle of the field.

Saliba signed for Arsenal 18 months ago and was immediately loaned back to Saint-Etienne for the season, with the 19-year-old having been tipped to play a key role for his new club in the 2020-21 campaign.

Things have not gone to plan for the Bondy-born defender, however, with the France Under-20 starlet still to make a competitive appearance for Mikel Arteta's struggling side.

Indeed, Saliba recently commented that he has been “locked up” behind the scenes at the Emirates, while Arteta claimed that the centre-half's future would be “decided soon”.

And Edu has now admitted that the situation needs to be resolved, telling an Arsenal fan forum: “Maybe he needs a little more time.

“He's a bright talent. We need to talk with him and Mikel to plan for next year.”

Arsenal's struggles on the pitch this season are well documented and were further highlighted in their shock 1-0 loss to Burnley last time out. 

An inability to create chances and score goals have some wondering whether Arteta is the right man to lead the club, with the Spaniard having left Mesut Ozil out of the squad entirely for at least the first half of the season.

The door appears to have been opened for a January return for Ozil, however, and Edu admits that the club are in dire need of a creative presence in the centre of the pitch.

“It’s quite clear what we need,” he said. “We need a player with creativity in the middle, we don’t have that in the squad right now.

“As a Brazilian, I’m very open. I’m not scared to say things. We are not comfortable in this situation we’re in. Every single club has problems.”

On a potential rift between Arteta and his players, Edu added: “The stories about a split between the players and Arteta are not true. Stories about players not believing and not trusting Mikel are not true.”

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) formally launched its bid to host the AFC Asian Cup 2027 in New Delhi during an illustrious event attended by Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, President Praful Patel, former India player Gouramangi Singh and women's national team star Ashalata Devi. 

The Indian FA emphasised that it aims to take Indian football to new heights by working in partnership with the AFC to unlock new commercial opportunities, drive growth and build on an ever-growing love for the sport among the country’s youthful population.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran are among the four AFC Member Associations bidding to host the AFC Asian Cup 2027 alongside India. 

Patel mentioned that hosting the Asian Cup will be a unique opportunity to popularise the game in the country. 

"It has taken a lot of hard work to reach the level we are at today, where we can think of hosting international events year on year. The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India left an indelible mark on our country and we're now working towards ensuring FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup go down as two of the most successful women's international football tournaments. 

"We're continuously working on infrastructure upgradation and football development, and India would be honoured to be selected as the host for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. It is an unparalleled opportunity to take Asian football to new heights and create a Brighter Future Together, for India, for the AFC and for our whole continent," he stated. 

Whereas Member of Parliament, Rijiju assured that the government would provide every kind of support to AIFF so that India gets to host the tournament. 

"Hosting Asia's biggest football event, the AFC Asian Cup 2027 will be a huge milestone for Indian sports. Our nation is perfectly poised to host a mega sporting event of this magnitude. We have extensive experience over the last two decades of successfully planning, organising and staging some of the world’s biggest sporting events and are looking forward to hosting two more big events in 2022 - the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and AFC Women's Asian Cup. I assure you that all government support will be given in getting this tournament to India, and making it a memorable one for everyone involved."

The government has been investing heavily in football infrastructure over the years in order to facilitate the growth of the sport and within 2027 the progress will be manifold. It has already hosted the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017 - the most attended FIFA youth tournament in history with a record 1.34 million spectators -and is also due to host the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2022.

The India 2027 campaign's logo, revealed at the launch, represents the ambition, commitment, focus and spirit of the bid, epitomised by the royal tiger. The tiger is also an emblem of India’s national team, the Blue Tigers. The slogan, Brighter Future Together, highlights the exceptional opportunity the bid presents for AFC and AIFF to work in partnership and take Indian and Asian football to the next level.

Football Kenya Federation Premier League side Sofapaka have settled on Ken Odhiambo as John Baraza’s successor, Goal can report.

Baraza stepped aside from his position after leading the 2009 champions to an unconvincing start to the season and upon leaving, Mike Mururi, who was his assistant, was appointed to spearhead preparations for the next game against Kariobangi Sharks.

A close source at Sofapaka has told Goal, the club’s hierarchy have settled on Bandari’s Odhiambo, who is also an assistant coach for the national side Harambee Stars, to take charge and rescue the season while it is still early.

“Sofapaka had settled on two coaches but Odhiambo is likely to take the job,” the source who preferred anonymity said.

“Sofapaka are now engaging Bandari over the possible release of the coach and they remain hopeful everything will go as targeted.”

Baraza left after the club lost the season opener 1-0 against the Dockers in Mombasa before they picked a 3-1 win against Western Stima.

The 3-0 loss at Kasarani against AFC Leopards on Saturday is the result that saw Baraza consequently step aside as head coach.

“Physical trainer Diallo Kwasi and assistant coach Martin Ndagano have also been dropped from the main team to the club’s youth team,” Sofapaka said as they confirmed other changes at the club.

“We have asked coach Baraza to step aside as we plan to take him for further studies either in Norway or Germany.  

“For now Mururi is in charge of the team as we prepare for our next match against Kariobangi Sharks and we will announce the new head coach anytime from tomorrow [Wednesday].”

In an interview, the club’s President Elly Kalekwa revealed to Goal their next choice would be a local tactician.

“Although Baraza exit could have also been contributed majorly by the performance which has not been good, the main reason is that he is leaving for further studies,” Kalekwa further confirmed in a separate interview with Goal.

“We are likely to settle for a local coach.”

Should the tactician accept and be confirmed as the club’s new coach finally, he will face Tusker, Nairobi City Stars, his former side, Ulinzi Stars, Bidco United and AFC Leopards in his first five matches.

Tomas Trucha was the first coach to leave in the 2019/20 season after he oversaw Ingwe during the opener alone. The Czech cited threats to life as he tendered resignation before he landed another job in Malaysia.

Chippa United coach Lehlohonolo Seema says he is certain their next Premier Soccer League (PSL) opponents Orlando Pirates’ MTN8 success is now “water under the bridge” and it would be a huge mistake for his side to think the Buccaneers may still have a 'hangover' from their cup triumph.

Pirates edged Bloemfontein Celtic last Saturday to claim the MTN8 title, their first major trophy since lifting the 2014 Nedbank Cup.

Now the Bucs shift focus to hosting Chippa United in a league match at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday.

While there could be a possibility of over-excitement in the Pirates camp which could distract them from the Chilli Boys assignment, Seema is refusing to let his mind entertain such thoughts.

“That would be suicidal, that would be suicidal for us to say they still have a hangover from the cup,” Seema told the media as per iDiski Times.

“I am sure immediately after they left Durban, it was water under the bridge, as much as it has been long for them since they won the cup. You know the quality that Pirates have got, on Wednesday you don’t even know who you expect to see on the field of play, it’s difficult to plan against them, such quality that they have.”

The MTN8 triumph could also act as a confidence booster which might push Pirates to end their a two match winless run in the league and Seema is aware of the “danger” their hosts pose to his team.

Chippa have been struggling for form this season, having won just one match, drawn two and lost three, a run that has left them fourth from bottom with four points better than basement side Maritzburg United.

Seema noted his side's seriousness in approaching matches especially with Pirates on the horizon.

“We have to make sure that we do not take anything for granted, we don’t get complacent, we’ll have to prepare very well and expect a very difficult game from the MTN8 champions,” said Seema.

“And congratulations to them, tough luck to Bloemfontein Celtic. We are fully aware of the danger of Pirates, that they can pose on the day, because they quality.”

Pirates’ quality could be highlighted by the fact that chief striker Frank Mhango and attacker Terrence Dzvukamanja both spent the entire match on the bench in the victory over Celtic.

Kevin-Prince Boateng is bubbling with joy having found the net twice as Monza decimated Virtus Entella 5-0 in Tuesday’s Serie B encounter.

Fuelled by a 2-0 win at Venezia last time out, the White and Reds brought the Black Devils to their knees at Stadio Brianteo, with the former Ghana international finding the net twice.

The 33-year-old began the harvest of goals in the 10th minute after beating goalkeeper Alessandro Russo thanks to an assist from Giuseppe Bellusci.

In the 29th minute of the five-goal thriller, he completed his brace after being released by Marco Ezio Fossati – which he accompanied with an acrobatic goal celebration.

Mario Sampirisi’s double and Dany Mota’s second-half strike completed the rout as Vincenzo Vivarini’s returned home with heads bowed low.

After a notable shift, Boateng was replaced by Davide Frattesi with 22 minutes left to play in the encounter.

Since his two-goal heroics against Werder Bremen on November 9, 2013 during his time at Schalke 04, the midfielder cum forward had found it a near impossible task to score more than one goal in a game.

And having broken the seven-year jinx, the former AC Milan, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund took to social media to celebrate his new-found form.

“Age is just a number, Still Flying,” Boateng tweeted.

He had earlier tweeted to acknowledge the impressive performance of Cristian Brocchi’s team, while urging them to maintain their ‘attitude’.

“Great team performance! Let’s go on with this attitude. Dai Baga.”

Thanks to this result, Monza moved to eighth in the second tier having accrued 20 points from 12 games - five points below leaders Empoli. They are guests of relegation-threatened Pescara in their next outing on Saturday as they continue their chase for a place in the Serie A next term.

After completing a loan move at Besiktas, Monza completed the permanent signing of Boateng on a one-year deal from Fiorentina. The deal includes the option for an additional year if the White and Reds earn a promotion to the Italian topflight.

The move also reunited the 33-year-old with former AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi who took him to the San Siro Stadium during his reign at the club.

Ghana U20 coach Abdul Karim Zito reveals his team have achieved their main target of the ongoing Wafu B U20 Cup of Nations by their qualification for next year's Africa U20 Cup of Nations tournament in Mauritania.

The Black Satellites sealed their progress with a 5-3 penalty shoot-out win over Niger in the Wafu Cup semi-final which also guaranteed a place in the final of the competition.

The match had ended 0-0 after extra-time at Stade de Gaules in Porto Novo in Benin.

“We came in for the qualification. After securing that, we’re going to also fight for the cup,” Zito told Silver FM.

“Personally, I am okay with the qualification. But if we are also able to win the cup, that will be great.

“We are not going to relax in our pursuit for the ultimate, we will go all out [to win the trophy],”

Ghana's shoot-out win was remarkable considering the nation's penalty woes at various international competitions in recent times.

On Tuesday, all five penalty takers, including goalkeeper William Emmanuel Essu, who was introduced into the game just before extra-time full-time, expertly converted their kicks, much to the admiration of many.

“Penalties are often Ghana’s bane. So as part of my training, penalties are practised at the end of every session,” Zito said.

“We tried this severally before leaving Ghana for the tournament.

“The goalkeeper [Essu] we introduced for Danlad [Ibrahim] is good at taking penalties and also his frame makes him a good option to scare opponents in shootout scenarios.

“So we always leave one change available for such an instance. It is something we practice at training and you can see that for once we were able to score all the kicks.

“We were repeating this all the time so we were certain of those who would take the kicks."

In the final, Ghana are set to take on Burkina Faso who handed Cote d'Ivoire a big 4-1 defeat in the second semi-final fixture on Tuesday.

At the U20 Afcon next year, the top for nations will be rewarded with tickets to represent the continent at the 2021 Fifa U20 World Cup in Indonesia. 

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Steve Komphela was impressed by his players' mindset following the team's win over TS Galaxy on Tuesday evening.

It was Masandawana's first match without Motjeka Madisha, who is understood to have passed away in a car crash on Sunday morning.

Two goals from Peter Shalulile and Themba Zwane ensured that Sundowns secured a 2-0 win over Galaxy in a Premier Soccer League (PSL) match in Pretoria.

Komphela, who was in charge of the team in the absence of his seniors, Manqoba Mnqgithi and Rhulani Mokwena, praised the team's ability to thrive on challenges. 

"Yes, a difficult evening and we knew that it was not going to be a game that would be played through tactics, technique or whatever but from a physical point of view you could see that okay we're starting to drop, even towards the end of the first-half," Komphela told SuperSport TV.

"We dropped towards the end of the match, naturally so but I think the most important is the mental part of it. There are stages where you just have to focus, mind over matter. Destructions will always be there but champions will always say, they feed and thrive on challenges."

Madisha, who was nominated for the 2019/20 PSL Defender of the Season, is suspected to have died in a car accident that occurred in the East Rand, Johannesburg. 

The club appears unwilling to confirm the defender's passing until DNA results confirm it and as expected, Masandawana players came into the match against Galaxy in a sombre mood.

"Adversity is the breakfast for champions and compliment must be given to them and as well TS Galaxy, they played good football and I think coming to the resulting penalty, uncharacteristic of them to be playing a crossing game, they are more possession-based," he went on," Komphela continued. 

"So when they started crossing you go, 'Oh, this is not them' but a team that starts to lose character when circumstances and challenges start to be a little bit dynamic you think different, which is something that worked for us." 

Galaxy were awarded a penalty after Sundowns defender Brian Mandela Onyango handled the ball in the box, but goalkeeper Denis Onyango denied Ebrahim Seedat from the spot-kick.

"I must thank these players, all they said was that. 'We know what we're going through, it doesn't need an explanation, we're doing this for the supporters of Mamelodi Sundowns, we're doing this for a family that is facing a challenge and predicament, yet undefined,"  Komphela added. 

"We shall remain disciplined and focused while looking at how does it unfold, even in the midst unfolding in ways we don't expect, we need to remain disciplined."

Sundowns, who are sitting at the top of the league standings, will be in action this weekend as they take on Lamontville Golden Arrows on Saturday.

Lucas Torreira's agent has addressed rumours that the Arsenal star's loan stay at Atletico Madrid could be cut short.

When Ghana international Thomas Partey completed a £45 million ($61m) move to Emirates Stadium from Atletico on October 5, Arsenal allowed Torreira to head in the opposite direction on a season-long loan.

The 24-year-old was initially a big hit in north London following his £26 million (€30m/$34m) switch from Sampdoria in 2018, but he was only used sparingly by Mikel Arteta last season.

The Gunners were happy to sanction Torreira's temporary departure after signing Partey, who plays in the same position just in front of the defence, with the Uruguayan though to be a better fit for Diego Simeone's set-up at Wanda Metropolitano.

Unfortunately, the former Sampdoria talisman has been unable to hold down a regular spot in Atletico's starting XI, with all but two of his nine appearances to date coming from the bench.

Arsenal's fortunes have also taken a turn for the worst since Torreira's exit, with Arteta's side currently sitting 15th in the Premier League standings after losing seven of their opening 12 fixtures.

It is now being suggested that the Gunners will look to bring the midfielder back to the Emirates in January to boost their chances of climbing the table in the second half of the season.

Arteta refused to rule out such a scenario when quizzed on Torreira's situation ahead of Arsenal's midweek clash with Southampton, as he told reporters: "[Technical director] Edu has been dealing with that situation, but again, when the market opens and we have the possibility to bring players in and get players out, whatever we have to do, we will discuss it."

However, Pablo Bentancur, who serves as the Gunners loanee's main legal representative, has moved to squash the speculation surrounding his client's future once and for all.

The South American agent insists Torreira remains fully focused on his duties with Atletico, and is just beginning to find his feet in the Spanish top-flight.

"Lucas is calm and happy and has nothing in his mind beyond continuing with Atletico," Betancur told Gianluca Di Marzio.

"He is finishing his process of adaptation [to the team and La Liga]."

Torreira will be back in contention for a place in Simeone's line up when Atletico play host to Elche on Saturday afternoon.

Odisha have lost four of their five matches in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) season and face an unbeaten Bengaluru FC on Thursday.

However, the Kalinga Warriors' coach Stuart Baxter refused to blame his defence alone for failing to keep a single clean sheet and feels that all teams could have lost the games they have won, suggesting that no team has dominated the league so far. 

"I don't think conceding goals is a direct responsibility of the centre-backs and I don't think the [Odisha] centre-back's performances have been sub-standard. We have defended very well in some games. 

"Bengaluru have done well. They started with a few issues to iron out but they have been making progress. It will be a tough game for us but if you look at the league in general, every team who have won could have possibly lost the game. We have experienced it in our games," he said.

Against Bengaluru, the 67-year-old added, "We certainly need to be better at attacking more based on our possession. If we can gain momentum there and take momentum away from the opponents, that will help us."

Talking about the things that may have not gone their way, Baxter hinted that Odisha may have to look for reinforcements in the January transfer window.

"To sit and say what we're lacking would be highly disrespectful of the players who have worked very hard because even in 1-0 defeats the players have worked very hard. So I can't fault them for that. Certainly, we need to do better as a team - those small things in critical phases of the game that decide games.

"Identifying which players we need now is probably not a good idea. The January market is going to be one with danger. You've got a quarantine, you need to identify the player and he's got to acclimatise to the Indian game and team-mates. By that time it may be the close of the season. We will think about it but at this time, we don't have any concrete plans.

"The resources have not gone our way. I don't think that translates directly into a bad performance. Sometimes, yes, but not all the time. I think we have to make sure to turn that corner first. I hope the fans stick with us and I hope we can give them more to be happy about. If we stick together, it's a big step into turning this thing (season) around."

It seems that the misery gone through by Malaysia's footballing fraternity and its fans this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic will at last come to the end.

After a Malaysian Football League (MFL) board meeting that was held in Putrajaya on Wednesday, December 16, chairman Datuk Wira Hamidin Amin made several confident assertions regarding the Malaysian competitions for the coming year.

Hamidin, who is also the Malaysian FA (FAM) president, told the press that he will persuade the government to allow professional competitions to take place. This season, the FA Cup and Malaysia Cup were cancelled, while the Super League and Premier League were held in a truncated, half-season format.

"MFL and I have been working closely with MKN (Malaysian National Security Council) and the sports ministry to ensure that the league can be contested [in 2021]. Things are looking positive and I believe MKN will make an announcement.

"Clubs have been strict with the precautionary SOPs and we will follow any SOPs issued by MKN. I have insisted in meetings with the health ministry that football needs to continue to be played under the new norms.

"It's not just about [financial] losses; you can see that commuters can still take trains and busses... We want to be treated equally. If the government continues prohibiting us from operating, we will be forced to close shop," responded Hamidin to a question by Goal.

Hamidin Amin. Photo by MFL

Even better, the league organiser is also looking to convince the government to allow a small percentage of supporters to attend professional matches.

"Our affiliates have proposed the motion to convince MKN and the health ministry to allow a small number of fans to attend matches in 2021. 10 per cent [of the stadium capacity] is the figure we're looking for.

"The fans need to be there to make the league attractive, as well as to lure sponsorships. We'll start small before gradually increasing the size [of attendance]," he noted.

More assuringly, Hamidin has insisted that non-professional competitions will resume once again; such as the M3 third tier and youth leagues. These were all suspended this season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"They will all be held. By the end of this week we'll issue an announcement on the President's Cup (U-21), Youth Cup (U-19) and M3. We need to finalise the SOPs because these matches will be played at open-ground venues.

"The secretary-general will issue a letter on MPFL (professional futsal league), President's Cup, Youth Cup and M3. The formats will be different of course, due to the venues. We may even get the word out as soon as tomorrow," added Hamidin.

More importantly, the FAM president also revealed the national team's coming activity, in that they will return to training next month.

"Tan (Malaysia head coach Tan Cheng Hoe) is currently looking at his options, but God willing, it [centralised training] is going to be from 15 to 26 January in preparation for the next FIFA international calendar.

"We will be playing home and away normally [in the World Cup Asian qualifiers], but with a special dispensation. The team will be flying off on March 23 [for UAE clash] and will fly home on the 27th. Considering that the quarantine period [for travellers from outside of Malaysia] has been shortened to 10 days, we are hoping for a special permit from MKN and the health ministry, and to also allow as many fans into the stadium as possible for our crucial home match against Vietnam [on March 30]," he explained.