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Sofapaka head coach John Baraza has stepped aside after leading the club in just three games in the 2020/21 Football Kenya Federation Premier League season.

In his place, John Mururi has been appointed on an interim basis after serving as Baraza’s assistant since his arrival during the 2019/20 season.

Mururi has been tasked to lead the team in preparations ahead of the next game against Kariobangi Sharks at their new home in Wundanyi, Taita Taveta County.

The last game which Baraza oversaw Sofapaka was during a 3-0 humiliation by AFC Leopards at Moi International Sports Complex, Kasarani on Saturday.

The three goals for Ingwe were scored by Elvis Rupia who helped the club maintain an unbeaten run as he also became the 27th player to score a hat-trick for the local heavyweights.

Batoto ba Mungu started the season with a 1-0 loss to Bandari before they picked up a 3-1 win over Western Stima, a club that is yet to pick a win since they lost the majority of the first-teamers to other FKF Premier League sides especially Wazito FC and Gor Mahia.

The AFC Leopards loss was registered even though the 2009 league champions have dominated the fixture in the recent past.

“Physical trainer Diallo Kwasi and assistant coach Martin Ndagano have also been dropped from the main team to the club’s youth team,” the club statement confirmed.

“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].”

“Although his 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,” the club president Elly Kalekwa further confirmed in a separate interview with Goal.

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

Baraza is the second FKF Premier League coach to leave after the season had begun. Tomas Trucha, who cited threats to his life, was the first coach to exit the stage before he immediately landed a job in Malaysia.

Wazito FC and Fred Ambani parted ways before the new campaign began and Francis Kimanzi was appointed as his successor.

Lionel Messi remains the subject of incessant exit rumours at Barcelona but, despite the noise generated by ‘fake news’, Goal has learned that the Argentine superstar is yet to be contacted by any other club.

Naturally, as the six-time Ballon d’Or winner continues to run down his current contract, admiring glances from afar are being shot in the direction of an all-time great.

Various teams, amid talk of interest from the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, are keeping a close eye on events at Camp Nou.

No future calls have been made as yet, though, with Messi and his representatives eager to point out that now is not the time to be discussing such matters – with Barca still searching for a spark in 2020-21.

The 33-year-old’s father and agent, Jorge, will not be entering into discussions with any suitors at this stage.

For now, patience is the order of the day for those inside the Messi camp.

The player himself wants to avoid any distractions as he seeks to deliver his best for Barca, with there no need to rush a decision regarding his future.

He will be free to speak with interested parties from outside of Spain in January, with free agency still due to be hit in the summer of 2021.

Many in Catalunya have aired their desire to see fresh terms thrashed out as quickly as possible, with it vital that any possible exit doors are closed off.

Barca will be holding their latest round of presidential election on January 24, with power at boardroom level about to change hands.

Any incoming, or possibly returning figurehead, will be eager to know where Messi stands upon taking the reins.

Goal has, however, learned that there has been no contact between the presidential hopefuls and the talismanic captain at Camp Nou.

With Messi playing his cards close to his chest, it remains to be seen what the New Year will bring for the mercurial South American.

His intentions will only become clear once he makes a formal announcement.

The last time he discussed his plans in public was during an exclusive interview with Goal in September , with Messi revealing at that stage that he would be honouring his contract and avoiding any legal dispute with Barca.

He had been keen on opening a new chapter in his career prior to that, but his stance may have changed since then as he remains the subject of intense speculation.

Mikel Arteta says he is not ready to "throw everything away" with Granit Xhaka just because the midfielder made a mistake when he got sent off against Burnley.

Xhaka saw red during Sunday night’s 1-0 defeat after grabbing Ashley Westwood around the throat during an on-field melee sparked by a poor challenge.

Arteta labelled the incident as "unacceptable" straight after the game and there have been suggestions that Xhaka could be allowed to leave when the transfer window opens, either in January or in the summer.

But Arteta backed the Switzerland international when asked whether the 28-year-old still had a future at Arsenal following the latest in what has been a series of rocky moments during his stay in north London.

“He has and he’s not the only one, there is a lot of players who have had rocky moments,” said the Gunners boss.

“What I can say about Granit is his professionalism, his commitment with the club and his team is maximum.

“He knows, and we all know, that he had a moment where he lost it. I know the reason why, but what I cannot do is throw everything he has done away because he’s made a mistake.

“We all make mistakes and I’m here as well to protect the players when I see that they deserve that and, for sure, Granit is one of them for the way he approaches every training session, the way he wants to do things the right way all the time and the professional that he is.”

Xhaka is the second high-profile Arsenal player to be sent off during the club’s recent poor run of form.

Nicolas Pepe also saw red during the 0-0 draw at Leeds after he was spotted aiming a head butt at Ezgjan Alioski during an off-the-ball incident.

Pepe later apologised publicly for his actions, something Xhaka has yet to do.

Arteta wouldn’t be drawn on whether the midfielder had at least said sorry to his team-mates, although he did state the incident has now been dealt with behind the scenes.

“Whatever happened internally, I’m sorry but we cannot discuss,” he said. “It’s been resolved internally and this is what I can say.”

Mikel Arteta says he is ready to take "bullets" for his players and that he remains 100 per cent confident he is the man to turn things around at Arsenal.

Pressure has been growing on the Gunners boss following the club’s worst start to a league season since 1974 and four successive home defeats in the top flight.

Arsenal host Southampton on Wednesday night sitting 15th in the Premier League and just five points above the relegation zone.

Arteta accepts that results have not been good enough and understands the criticism that has been coming his way.

But he has issued a rallying cry to his players, calling for them to stand up and be brave in the face of such scrutiny and says he is ready to put his chest out and take anything that comes his way.

“I feel the pressure all the time,” said Arteta. “When we had those [good] spells [last season], everything was not beautiful. In the last few months of last summer there were a lot of difficult moments, believe me. It wasn’t everything nice and easy and enjoyable.

“But obviously when you are winning you create a different mood and then the pressure once you win is to win again. And the pressure is always going to exist.

“I prefer that pressure when you are always thinking about winning and going into the next trophy. But this is our reality right now and we have to face it.

“And we have to face it being brave, fighting and no-one giving up or anything because it is no time to hide, it’s time to put your face and your body on the line. At the moment, I’m sorry, but we have to take the bullets.

“We are not winning football matches and you have to put your chest out [and say] 'hit me because you have the right to hit me because I’m not winning'.

“So what else can I do? Put my head down, work harder and try to do things better and improve. It’s how we have to approach things in my opinion.”

When asked if he was the man who had to take the bullets rather than the players, Arteta added: “It’s natural, I accept it. It’s part of the job.

“When you are not getting results, at the end of the day it’s the manager who has the maximum responsibility.

“That’s why I accept them, because you can say whatever you want to explain but at the end you have to win football matches and this club is too big to accept this many losses in the last weeks.

“So my chest is here, hit me guys.”

Arteta has received the backing of Arsenal’s technical director Edu this week, who spoke about the need for stability at the club following a period of such dramatic change in recent years.

The Gunners’ boss says he "appreciated" the public show of support and was adamant he could get Arsenal back on track.

“Yes,” he said, when asked if he was 100 per cent confident he could turn things around.

“We all knew the bumps were coming. I think I said many times in this room, it's how we deal with them, how strong we are to get through them and sometimes when things get ugly it's necessary to get brighter and better.

“Nobody likes to be in the situation that we're in in the Premier League and it's not good enough and it's not acceptable. It's not a quick fix but that does not mean that we're accepting the situation, it's the contrary.”

Express FC coach Wasswa Bbosa has challenged his team to maintain their winning run when they face Mbarara City in a Ugandan Premier League (UPL) match on Tuesday.

The Red Eagles picked their first league win of the season on matchday two against Soltilo Bright Stars and will now shift their focus to picking up their first away league win of the season against the Ankole Lions.

Bbosa has now said they have prepared well for the match and he hopes his team will build from their last league win.

“We’ve been preparing well and we know it won’t be an easy task but our target is to keep the winning momentum going by winning away,” Bbosa said as quoted by the club’s official website.

“We have a few injuries but am sure the available players will do a good job.”

Winger Godfrey Lwesibawa also said that their first home win has motivated them ahead of the Wednesday fixture.

“The win at home in our last match gave us morale and we hope to ride on that to keep the momentum going, the boys are ready and we’re looking for a win,” Lwesibawa said.

Bbosa, will, however, miss the services of skipper Enock Walusimbi who is suspended but will be sitting out his final game, while midfielder Ibrahim Kayiwa will have to pass a late fitness test on his ankle injury.

Meanwhile, forward Kiragga Mustafa will miss out due to a delayed International Transfer Certificate (ITC), Kakooza Mahad Yaya is ruled out due to a knee injury.

On a positive note, midfielder Daniel Shabene is available for selection after healing from a hamstring injury he picked up against Bright Stars.

In a recent interview, Express forward Frank Kalanda confirmed he had set a target of scoring double figures in the 2020-21 Ugandan Premier League (UPL) season.

The burly star has already hit the ground running after notching in two straight games - the 1-1 draw away in Arua against Onduparaka FC on matchday one and the 2-1 win at home to Soltilo Bright Stars – which was also coach Bbosa’s first home victory.

“I want to thank God for the opportunity of being able to score in two straight games, am focusing and am working hard towards being the top scorer this season,” Kalanda said as quoted by the club’s official website.

"The competition we have amongst ourselves as players is very healthy, everyone knows the target at and, win silverware and have consistency and we shall overcome.”

Mbarara City are winless in their last three outings managing a draw and two defeats conceding six goals in the process and in the last six meetings between the two sides, Mbarara have managed three wins while Express have picked two wins, with one match ending in a draw.

FC Goa (fifth) and ATK Mohun Bagan (third) find themselves in the top half of the table when they face each other in the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) on Wednesday.

Goa have won their last two games whereas the Kolkatan outfit have dropped points in their last two matches after picking three wins on the trot. However, the Gaurs' coach, Juan Ferrando, believes that as games come thick and fast there is no time to think about recent form. 

"In the first three games we had two points but we played three games in seven days. Now, for example, we have four games in 10 days. In the end, we don't have time to think about what form we are in. 

"Everybody knows that ATK Mohun Bagan is a good team. In the last two games, maybe the score was not something that was expected but for us, it's very important to pay attention because all their players have quality and they are compact on (while defending) set pieces. It's very important to find and attack the space, and when we lose the ball we have to be alert because this club is very aggressive in attack," he said.

Both Igor Angulo and Roy Krishna have scored for their respective sides in four of the five matches this season. But Ferrando is not ready to focus only on the Fijian as he thinks there are other players to take care of as well. 

"Everybody knows about [Roy] Krishna but whether it is Krishna or Edu (Garcia), in the end it is the team (ATKMB). That's why it's important to prepare one plan, be compact and focus on all the details because you know this team works very hard. It's different between some teams that don't have the same focus but this team is incredible because they work hard throughout 90 minutes.

"I'm so happy about Angulo because he has been scoring goals, but if you look at Angulo it's a process of (Alexander) Romario, Brandon (Fernandes) and all the other players. Of course, the last action was of Igor but there are a lot of players who can work as the number nine because when we are in attack all the players are in attack and everybody has an equal opportunity," expressed the 39-year-old manager. 

Jorge Ortiz is the only other goalscorer for Goa apart from Angulo, who also boasts of having the most number of shots - 23. But the Spaniard is not thinking about individual laurels and instead credited the team for his superlative performance. 

"Everybody looks at these numbers but the aim is to help the team as much as possible, and if it's not me who's putting the numbers across, somebody else can do the job as well. We work as a team. If my numbers are high up there, it means that the team is working well as a unit," stated Ortiz. 

Frank Lampard is starting to sound like his Chelsea managerial mentor Jose Mourinho, says Glenn Hoddle, with the Blues very much in a Premier League title race despite their manager considering that debate to be “ridiculous”.

On the back of sizeable investment during the summer transfer window, those at Stamford Bridge are under pressure to force their way back into contention for domestic supremacy.

A positive start has been made to that quest, with the odd bump in the road hit along the way.

Lampard has sought to curb expectations at regular intervals, with the Chelsea legend eager to point out that he is working towards long-term goals in west London.

Hoddle considers such comments to be part of the mind games that have become commonplace in modern football, with few bosses prepared to talk up the claims of their respective sides to the grandest of prizes.

Former Blues boss Mourinho, who Lampard enjoyed many trophy-laden years playing under, has made a career out of diverting attention away from the supposed task that he has in hand.

One of his protégés is now taking a similar approach, with Hoddle of the opinion that Chelsea and Tottenham will be there or thereabouts when major honours are handed out in May.

The ex-Blues and Spurs player and coach told the Evening Standard when quizzed on Lampard downplaying title talk: “It is a little bit like Jose Mourinho saying Tottenham are like a ‘little pony’ in the race compared to the thoroughbred racehorses. I can see where Frank is coming from.

“But if there is ever a season where someone can come through and win the Premier League, it could be this year. You only have to look at the results this past weekend.

“Now Chelsea brought in Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech, they have unbelievable firepower, and they have brought Thiago Silva in and brought in a goalkeeper which seems to have sorted their defensive issues.

“I can see why Frank is underplaying it, and yes Liverpool and Manchester City are still the favourites, but Chelsea and Tottenham are in with a fighting chance.”

Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat at Everton in their last Premier League outing, but they remain fifth in the table and are only three points back on pacesetting Spurs and Liverpool.

Bruno Fernandes has a "massive heart and immense quality", according to Alex Telles, who has lauded his "decisive" Manchester United team-mate.

Fernandes has had an immediate impact on English football since completing a €55 million (£50m/$67m) move to Old Trafford from Sporting CP in January.

The 26-year-old was the driving force behind United's run to a third-place Premier League finish and three semi-finals in the second half of the 2019-20 campaign, as he hit 12 goals in his first 22 appearances for the club.

The Portugal international has carried that form into the new season, contributing 11 goals and six assists to the Red Devils' cause in 18 outings across all competitions, and he was rewarded for his performances in the top flight with the Player of the Month award for November.

Telles, who joined United for £18m ($24m) on deadline day, played against Fernandes on several occasions during his time at Porto, and says it's a "pleasure" to now be playing alongside the ex-Sporting star after his struggles against him in the Primeira Liga.

“So, me and Bruno have known each other for a while now,” the Brazilian left-back told Inside United.

“Bruno has always stood out wherever he played and he is undoubtedly our main player here today. 

“We were rivals on the pitch and today we're team-mates playing in the same team. I've said to him that at the time he was quite annoying to play against on the pitch, always wanting to win, obviously. 

“He's a guy with a massive heart and immense quality, it's there for everybody to see and I don't need to talk any more about Bruno's quality. It's a pleasure to play with him.

"He is a great guy who is always willing to help everybody and he really makes a difference and that's great.”

When asked to summarise Fernandes' recent form ahead of a trip to Sheffield United on Thursday, Telles added: “My summary is simple: decisive! He's a decisive player.

"He may not stand out in one game or another, but he's still decisive. 

“When he's in front of goal or from a free kick, or penalty, he's always showing his quality. He's got a strong mind and personality in his vision and thinking.

"It's a source of pride and an honour to have someone like this in the team, someone that can help and motivate us in every game.”

Petaling Jaya City's (PJ City) ambitious and daring plans to go through the 2021 season without the use of any foreign player received a big boost after they announced their latest signings.

Two Malaysian internationals have joined the fold in Ahmad Khairil Anuar (Beto) and Darren Lok, who will both be looking at a great opportunity to finally get more playing time than they have gotten in recent seasons.

Midfielder Beto has only ever been with Perak and had been patiently bidding his time for a prolonged run in the first team but only seemed to be a secondary option for Mehmet Durakovic, used often from the bench.

The 25-year-old earned his senior Malaysia cap in that thrashing from North Korea in the previous Asian Cup qualification but has not made the return to the national team set-up because he hasn't been able to show what he can do.

A stalwart with the Malaysia Under-23, Beto has the drive and ball-playing skills which would certainly add to P. Maniam's side at PJ City.

Meanwhile for Darren, it was a year to forget at Terengganu FC, the club he signed in 2020 after leaving Johor Darul Ta'zim II. Combination of shortened league and Dominique da Sylva's form put paid to his hopes of more minutes.

Many will remember Darren from that Malaysia side who competed in the 2016 AFF Championship (Suzuki Cup) but injuries since has robbed the striker of more opportunities to shine.

With PJ City opting to go fully local with their squad for the new season, both players may have took that into consideration when accepting the move and 2021 could potentially be a huge season for them where success at club level could propel them into Tan Cheng Hoe's thinking.

Leicester City midfielder James Maddison has expressed his delight with the performance of his teammate Wilfred Ndidi in their 3-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.

The Nigeria international recently returned from a groin injury which kept him out from action for more than four weeks.

The midfielder made a significant contribution to the Foxes in the encounter and won the ball to help Maddison score his second goal in the game.

Ndidi also made two tackles and had a 94 per cent successful pass rate in the match to ensure his side kept a clean sheet.

Maddison has praised the impact of the 23-year-old and also lauded the improvement since his arrival at King Power Stadium. 

“We actually won the ball in midfield. Wilfred Ndidi, [it is] really good to have him back, I feel safe when I'm in there with Wilf behind me,” Maddison told the club website.

“It's almost like he's two players, and what Wilf's improved on a lot, especially since I joined the Club, is his passing ability.

“It's improved a lot and [he] wins the ball back, and I remember, his first pass being forward to me. [A] forward, along-the-floor, hard pass and that's something that he's really improved on.

“And then we built [on that in] the game. Vards (Jamie Vardy) made a run in behind, came back to me and I remember being one vs. one. [I] shifted it on my right, got it back on my left, and I'm comfortable off my left.

“I feel just as confident shooting [with] my left as I do with my right, and it was one of them: I knew it was in straight away, so [I'm] really happy.”

Ndidi has featured in more than 130 appearances across all competitions since he arrived from Genk in 2017.

He played a significant role as the King Power Stadium outfit finished fifth in the Premier League last season to clinch a Europa League ticket.

The midfielder has played six games in the current campaign and will hope to continue the consistent form that has seen him become the toast of the Foxes fans.

Ndidi will be expected to feature when Leicester City take on Everton in their next Premier League game on Wednesday.

Vipers SC striker Muhamad Shaban has explained how the Ugandan Premier League debut goal against Waksio Giants would help him as he tries to regain full fitness after his long-time injury.

Shaban was sidelined for 493 days after suffering a knee injury while training with Raja Casablanca of Morocco and the tie against the Purple Sharks, where they drew 1-1, came at a time he is trying to get back to full fitness and hopefully get enough goals.

“It was a good workout,” Shaban told the club’s portal. "Obviously, I am disgusted it was a disappointing result for us because we wanted maximum points, but it was good to get 90 minutes into the legs because l have not done that for quite some time.

“I’m happy to make my debut and score my first goal for the club but I have a lot of work to do as we focus on an important reaction in the next game.”

“It [the goal] made me stronger, but I still have a long way to go. To score on my debut made me happy of course and I think it will help with the confidence.”

Vipers will play debutants Kitara FC on December 16 and are expected to welcome a few fans after the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) gave clubs the green light to host up to 200 supporters.

“We're excited to welcome back a limited capacity of 200 fans to St Mary's Stadium. Safety measures such as mandatory masks and social distance seating are a must,” Vipers announced.

The clubs will be allowed to have fans after putting in writing to Fufa confirming the appointment of a club medical liaison officer, club hygiene implementation officer and club safety and security officer.

“Registration of season ticket holders not exceeding 200, submission of the list of season ticket holders to Fufa with their full bio-data to facilitate tracing when the need arises,” Fufa said in its circular to clubs on fan attendance.

“Only season ticket holders [maximum 200] shall access the stadium during competition matches. No other persons shall be allowed access to the stadium beyond those stipulated in Article 13 of the Fufa Covid-19 regulations.”

“Any club or football entity that fails to abide by the conditions as set out above shall be liable to sanctions including but not limited to monetary fines and withdrawal of the privilege.”

The Kitara game will be the second for Vipers who were eliminated at the Caf Champions League preliminary stage by Al-Hilal Omdurman of Sudan.

Molde striker Leke James is confident of their chances against Hoffenheim in the Europa League round of 32 but he claims they expected a draw with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United.

After finishing second behind Arsenal in Group B, Erling Moe's side was handed a date with a German Bundesliga club with the first-leg scheduled for February 18 at the Aker Stadion.

Their opponents, Hoffenheim finished at the top of Group L without conceding a defeat, however, Leke is unperturbed by their unbeaten streak and he thinks Molde can advance to the last 16 stage for the first time in the club's history.

“There is a chance for us to move to the next round,” James told Goal. “We are capable, we have a lot of stars and this is football anything can happen but we will try to do things right and be optimistic.”

The Nigeria striker who is the leading top scorer for Molde with 14 goals across all competitions in this campaign, further revealed the team’s expectation before Monday’s draw in Switzerland.

James stated the Eliteserien club was hoping to get a tie that would reunite them with Solskjaer who left Molde to succeed Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford in December 2018.

Manchester United dropped to the secondary European competition after finishing third in their Champions League group behind Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig.

“Actually, we were expecting the bigger teams because they finished at the top,” he continued.

“Majority of the players were expecting United because of our former coach, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, to have a reunion with him.

“We had a good time with him, he is a great guy and we had great personal experience. I would like to play under him again, hopefully in the future.”

Unfortunately, James might not be present for the Europa League games next year and might leave Erling Moe's side as a free agent in January with his current deal set to run out at the end of 2020.

The 28-year-old who has been playing in Norway for over eight years, revealed ongoing talks with reigning Norwegian champions and he also confirmed offers for his services.

He said; “We are still on it [contract talks]. I have had a couple of offers from other clubs but Norway is like a home for me, it is second after Nigeria.

“I have spent a lot of years in this country, so I feel at home here but we will see what the future holds.”

Paulo Dybala does have a contract offer on the table at Juventus, as confirmed by club president Andrea Agnelli, but Goal has learned that said terms date back to June and that no fresh approach has been made.

As things stand, a highly-rated Argentine forward is due to hit free agency in the summer of 2022.

Juve are understandably reluctant to see a prized asset run down his deal and value in the transfer market.

There has been a desire on the part of those in Turin to put an extension in place, but discussions have stalled as no paperwork has been signed.

That is because the deal put to Dybala over the summer was deemed unacceptable, with the 27-year-old and his representatives of the opinion that they are deserving of better.

The South American frontman has been eager to avoid being dragged into a debate regarding finances and has accused those in the Juve boardroom of trying to turn supporters against him.

Dybala has told Sky Sport Italia on a long-running saga: “So many things that aren't true have been said in relation to my contract.

“My agent was in Turin for a long time and was never called up by the club. It disappoints me to hear talk of invested financial figures.

“It would be better if the truth could be told, because talking about those aspects in this period pits the fans against me, with all the love I have for Juventus.”

Those comments drew a response from Agnelli, with the Bianconeri president eager to point out that contact has been made.

He told Tuttosport: “Paulo had a difficult time after contracting Covid. I heard with great pleasure his love for Juventus. The love is reciprocated.

“We see him as the captain of the future.

“I know he has already received a proposal that would put him among the top 20 best-paid players in Europe. We’re looking forward to his response.”

It is understood that Juve’s proposal has not been updated since discussions were held over the summer.

There has been no movement since then, although Dybala’s entourage remain open to further talks.

They have welcomed Agnelli’s comments regarding a future captaincy role and it may be that, despite the clock ticking, a man who has been linked with Manchester United in the recent past could commit to a new deal at some point.

TS Galaxy coach Dan Malesela says it's important for his side not to show Mamelodi Sundowns too much respect.

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) newcomers take on Masandawana in a league encounter at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday night. Kick-off is set for 7:30 pm.

The game comes just three days after tragedy struck Sundowns when defender Motjeka Madisha was reportedly killed in a horrific motor vehicle accident. This was just three weeks after another of their players, Anele Ngcongca, was also killed in a car crash.

Speaking to his club's website team, Malesela kept the focus on the job at hand and is expecting a difficult game against a top-quality Downs side.

He says it's important for his players not to be star-struck by the star-studded Brazilians, who are currently top of the league standings.

"It is going to be a very difficult match considering that these are the league champions," said Malesela, himself a former Sundowns defender.

"But we have to put that aspect of respect aside. When you are competing in the same league, you have to put that aside and match each other.

"That’s what we will be doing. Knowing how Sundowns play, it will be an open game. On the day, the better team will win. We are really expecting a tough encounter," he added.

Galaxy are ninth on the table with four draws and a win from six matches. Their most recent game, against Stellenbosch FC, ended with their first defeat of the season.

With only three goals conceded, their defence seems watertight, but with only three goals scored, the Mpumalanga club is battling to score.

"We need to improve our goalscoring," Malesela said.

"We are trying to encourage all the attacking players to take the responsibility of goalscoring because if we are going to question them only, it is going to be difficult for them.

"I don’t think many clubs rely on strikers in our league,” he continued. “We all need to take responsibility. Even the defenders must take responsibility of goalscoring when they go up for set plays. They need to have that attitude."

Pep Guardiola has backed Gabriel Jesus' scoring drought to end "soon", while insisting the Manchester City star is one of the best strikers in the world.

Jesus has scored an impressive 71 goals in 162 matches since joining City from Palmeiras for £27 million ($36m) in January 2017.

Only three of those strikes have been recorded at the start of the 2020-21 campaign, though, with the Brazilian struggling for form in the final third despite enjoying an extended run in the team in the injury-enforced absence of Sergio Aguero.

The 23-year-old has drawn blanks in each of his last six appearances across all competitions, as the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Ferran Torres have stepped up ahead of him to put the finishing touches on City's best attacking moves.

Jesus was guilty of missing another clear chance during the Blues' 0-0 draw with Manchester United in a derby clash at Old Trafford over the weekend, but looks set to retain his spot in Guardiola's line-up for a home fixture against West Brom on Tuesday night.

Although the Catalan head coach is confident that the forward will be back among the goals in the near future, he has also been quick to highlight his outstanding work off the ball, which has helped City to build up an impressive defensive record.

“Yeah, he will do it (score) soon. I see him every day and I love him so much what he does,” Guardiola told a pre-match press conference.

“One of the reasons we concede so few is exclusively for him.

“I want his goals, but his contribution is as the best striker in the world at doing things that not any other striker can do for the team.

"Regaining the ball, pressing high, being in the opponents' 18-yard box - he helps us to do it.”

City are currently six points adrift of Premier League leaders Tottenham in ninth, but they do have a game in hand over Jose Mourinho's side.

Guardiola's men will be expected to make light work of a struggling West Brom outfit before their focus switches to a tough trip to Southampton on Saturday afternoon.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has confirmed the new date for the Tusker vs Gor Mahia Premier League match.

The match pitting the champions against the Brewers was first planned to kick off the 2020-21 season but was cancelled owing to Gor Mahia’s involvement in the Caf Champions League.

FKF has now confirmed the match will be played on December 16, Wednesday, at Kasarani Stadium.

Gor Mahia have also taken to their social media pages to confirm the new date by stating: “Our next assignment will be against Tusker on Wednesday, December 16, 2020, at Kasarani Stadium, kick-off 3 pm.”

Tusker under coach Robert Matano started the season with a 2-1 defeat against AFC Leopards then drew 0-0 against Bandari and thumped Western Stima 5-2 away in Kisumu.

On the other hand, Gor Mahia have only featured in one league match so far in this campaign – beating Ulinzi Stars 1-0 courtesy of Jules Ulimwengu's strike – on December 12 at Nyayo Stadium.

The league match will give Gor Mahia enough preparation as they prepare to take on CR Belouizdad from Algeria on December 22 in the second preliminary round of the Caf competition.

Gor Mahia secured their ticket to the stage after eliminating Rwandan giants APR on a 4-3 aggregate win, losing the first leg 2-1 in Kigali before returning home to win 3-1.

A week ago, FKF refused to sanction Gor Mahia’s request to play a lucrative friendly against Al Hilal Omdurman of Sudan away in Khartoum by stating the record champions were behind in the 2020 season and must play their league matches to catch up.

In the letter to cancel the friendly, signed by CEO Barry Otieno, FKF wrote: “Reference is made to your letter dated December 8, 2020, with regard to a friendly match between Gor Mahia FC and Al-Hilal Sports Club, scheduled to take place on December 16, 2020, in Sudan.

“In this regard, and as you are aware, we wish to inform you that the FKF Premier League is ongoing and your club has a match against Tusker scheduled for Wednesday, December 16, 2020.

“Consequently, we regret to inform you that it will not be possible for you to travel to Sudan from December 14, 2020, to December 17, 2020.”

Already Mathare United and Zoo FC have been removed from the league for failure to endorse the StarTimes, with the top-flight now having 16 teams.

Granit Xhaka could join Mesut Ozil as the next senior star to be frozen out at Arsenal, says Martin Keown, with the hot-headed midfielder warned that “huge mistakes” may leave him with no way back.

The Gunners saw another moment of madness from a seasoned performer hinder their cause during a Premier League clash with Burnley.

An all too familiar rush of blood from Xhaka saw a red card flashed in his direction, with Mikel Arteta’s side going on to suffer a 1-0 defeat with 10 men.

Keown admits changes need to be made at Emirates Stadium on the back of the club’s worst start to a season since 1974-75, with messages from the coaching staff not getting through.

The former Gunners defender wants to see the man calling the shots make bold decisions for the good of the collective cause, with it possible that Xhaka could become an outcast as part of that process.

“Mikel Arteta's long-term vision is clashing with Arsenal's current predicament,” Keown told the Daily Mail.

“It is something of an understatement to say his attempt to switch to a back four has not worked. The last four Premier League results playing that way are: lost three, drawn one. It is relegation form and Arsenal are in crisis.

“Going into the Aston Villa game last month, Arsenal had the best defensive record and had just won at Old Trafford for the first time in the league since 2006. All with the back five with which they won the FA Cup and Community Shield.

“True, they lost against Villa with a back five and the lack of creativity in a game they should have bossed was alarming - but I don't think the manager needed to change it because of one result.

“Clearly Arteta's plan is to play 4-2-1-3. But for that to work he needs two world-class central midfielders. He may have one in Thomas Partey but the Ghanaian is out for a while after being rushed back too soon from injury for the Tottenham game.

“Arsenal are still searching for the right balance in centre midfield, unlike Spurs, who have the perfect duo in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Moussa Sissoko, prepared to go to war for their manager.

“Which brings me to Granit Xhaka. Of course, he will be under fire after Sunday's sending-off against Burnley, and rightly so.

“He just does not get around the pitch quickly enough. He has made some huge mistakes - so many in fact you would be surprised if there is a way back under Arteta.

“If the experienced players cannot do it, it is time to trust a youngster in the heart of midfield. Ainsley Maitland-Niles is an England player and he was superb in that position against Rapid Vienna. He has great pace, is good in possession and can defend.”

Arteta will get the chance to tinker with his plans when Arsenal return to Premier League action on Wednesday in a home date against Southampton.

Chelsea have been guilty of trying to "play too nice" this season, according to Frank Leboeuf, who says the Blues must learn how to win "dirty".

Everton handed Chelsea their second Premier League defeat of the season at Goodison Park on Saturday night.

Gylfi Sigurdsson's first-half penalty was enough to give the Toffees a 1-0 victory as Frank Lampard's side struggled to create any clear-cut openings.

The result saw the Blues slip to fifth in the table, three points behind current leaders Tottenham, with a tough clash away at Wolves up next on Tuesday.

Leboeuf was disappointed by a perceived lack of fight from his old club against Everton, and has also criticised Thiago Silva and Edouard Mendy for their failure to prevent Dominic Calvert-Lewin from stealing in and winning the game's decisive penalty.

"I was upset because that game reminded me where Chelsea was full of international foreign players and not capable of fighting with the real 'English fighting spirit'," the former Chelsea defender told ESPN .

"It’s what happened on [Saturday]. You have to be a warrior, you have to sometimes be dirty and half of the team is not capable of doing that.

"The team is young, they have maybe no experience and you have to find a way to win.

"Don’t make mistakes at the back – like we saw the hesitation between Thiago Silva and Mendy – you have to make sure you score goals and steal a result in a way by winning 1-0.

"Chelsea tries to play too nice football, nice in the middle of the park but not effective on [Saturday], especially up front and at the back."

The Blues have already been dubbed serious title contenders after a strong start to the season, but Lampard played down any talk of a run to domestic glory ahead of his team's trip to Molineux.

“That’s just where we’re at this season, you’ve seen the results,” he told a pre-match press conference. “We felt it first-hand at the weekend at Everton. They’ve got good players; they invested in the squad, are well organised and made it difficult for us.

“We feel that we’ve already lost some points that we maybe shouldn’t have. Everyone will feel that in their own mind and I think the level of points will be less. I think we have to try and make sure we maintain our levels to keep improving.”

Rio Ferdinand has echoed Roy Keane in condemning the pleasantries which followed the final whistle in a Manchester derby date between United and City, with the former defender saying someone needs to tell Harry Maguire that the Red Devils do not do hugs.

The England international centre-half was seen embracing and joking with Three Lions colleague John Stones at the end of a drab goalless draw on Saturday.

Former United captain Keane spoke out afterwards against the apparent desire of those in the modern era to be “mates with everybody”, with passion ebbing away from what should be the most highly-charged of contests.

Ferdinand is another to have pointed out that “hugs all around” would not have been accepted during Sir Alex Ferguson’s iconic reign at Old Trafford, with Maguire and Co needing to learn quickly that there is no place for friendship in the heat of Premier League battle.

He told FIVE: “Boring Manchester derby. Normally there’s pushing and shoving, normally there’s some needle in the game, some goals. This was just a 0-0 borefest, and at the end hugs all around.

“I think it’s been well documented on social media. Listen, the new generation are different, we can’t expect them to be the same as the way we were. We weren’t hugging and kissing any Man City players or Liverpool players when we were playing because it was just a mad rivalry.

“Didn’t like them, didn’t like being at their stadium for longer than we needed to be, didn’t want to bump into any City fans during the week or after and the players, we were amicable. I get on with Joleon Lescott, Vinny Kompany among others, Joe Hart, Gareth Barry, all players who played for Man City at the time.

“But during the time we weren’t close and hugs wouldn’t have been part of what we were doing. A good shake of the hand, ‘how are you doing mate’ with a grimace. There was an undertone there because we were rivals, it’s as simple as that.

“I don’t understand, I don’t get the hugging really. It’s not something I’ve done, I would’ve been on at people for doing it. But I understand this generation are different.

“I’ll never forget, and this is what needs to happen. When I played for Man United, the first Manchester derby I played in was at Maine Road, the old Man City stadium.

“We got beat 3-1 I think, [Shaun] Goater scored a couple and they beat us. Coming into the changing room I could feel it, I could sense the atmosphere. Sat down, Ruud van Nistelrooy walks in with a Man City shirt. He’d swapped a shirt.

“Sir Alex Ferguson went off his head, he went nuts. He didn’t go red, he went purple. He went mad. He absolutely flipped, ‘don’t you ever come into a changing room after a derby with a shirt of theirs. Ever. Don’t bring one in this changing room’.

“From that moment I knew. I had the feeling before, but I was in no uncertain terms after I left the changing room that day that hugs and kisses, swapping shirts don’t happen in Man United vs Man City.

“That’s the way that I was shown at the beginning and that’s the way I continued. The question now is... is that the law being laid down now by the people that are there?

“Is there someone looking at a picture of the captain [Maguire] hugging one of their players? They might be mates, that’s fair, that’s fine, but is there someone in there saying, ‘listen, we don’t do that in here, what are you doing?’

“Who is that person telling him that? That’s the difference.”

Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula has explained why his team is struggling to post good results in the FKF Premier League.

The Kakamega-based side under coach Nicholas Muyoti has had a faulty start to the 2020-21 campaign with the team managing to secure one victory, losing one, and drawing one.

They started the season with a 1-0 win against promoted side Vihiga United, drew 1-1 with Posta Rangers, and then lost 2-0 to KCB in their last league match.

The club’s boss has now told Goal the reason they did not enjoy a good start as expected.

“I must admit we have not started well in this campaign and it is all because we don’t have our regular players in the squad,” Shimanyula told Goal on Tuesday. “We don’t have six players because of various reasons, some are injured and some are out because of sickness.

“We have been using players from our youth team in the league matches and remember they don’t have the needed experience, but I am happy they have always worked hard to get us results.

“Against KCB, our six regulars were not available, and the coach had to use the players from the youth team, it is the reason we are having a difficult time but I want to promise our fans that this will come to an end soon.”

Shimanyula continued: “Most of the players have now resumed training and could be available for our next assignment. I know we will see a great improvement from our first three matches.”

Last season, Homeboyz finished second behind winners Gor Mahia when FKF moved to end the season owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and Shimanyula is confident they will still fight for the title in this campaign despite the poor start.

“We don’t have to panic at all, it happens to many teams not only us, it happens even in Europe, you can see teams having a bad start but when they get things right, they go all the way to win the title,” Shimanyula continued.

“We don’t want to give up this soon, it is only three matches played and soon we will get our rhythm back.”

According to the fixtures, Homeboyz will next take on Gor Mahia at home on Saturday.