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AC Milan are ‘not fully satisfied’ after holding Parma to a 2-2 draw in Sunday’s Serie A outing, according to Franck Kessie.

The Rossoneri were shocked at the San Siro after goals from Hernani and Jasmin Kurti in the 13th and 56th minutes respectively gave Parma a 2-0 lead but the hosts showed resilience to secure a point and keep their unbeaten start to the 2020-21 league season intact.

Theo Hernandez was the hero for Milan as his brace saved the leaders from defeat in stoppage time.

Kessie who played the entire 90 minutes, assessed the team's performance and called for improved results when they battle Genoa, Sassuolo and Lazio before the winter break.

“We created a lot of chances but we didn’t make them count. When you miss a lot of chances, it is normal that you pay the price later,” Kessie told Milan TV.

“We left the pitch today feeling not fully satisfied, but we still have to work hard, there are three games before Christmas. We have to face these three games by putting in our best performance, the same way we started the season.”

The Ivory Coast international also praised the Rossoneri’s fighting spirit as a beautiful thing.

“This is the most beautiful aspect,” he said. “We didn’t give up until the final whistle, not even when we had just two minutes left to play. We believed and ultimately got a point which is important, but today we wanted to take all three points but this is Serie A.”

“Theo is very strong. Today he showed what he always does. Today he scored two goals, he always plays at the same high level.”

Former Arsenal forward Gervinho was also in action from start to finish for Parma while Algeria's Ismael Bennacer was forced off with a suspected thigh injury in the 75th minute.

Liverpool will take on RB Leipzig in the last 16 of the Champions League, Chelsea face Atletico Madrid and Lionel Messi’s Barcelona will take on Neymar and Paris Saint-Germain.

Elsewhere, holders Bayern Munich have been drawn against Lazio, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus tackle Porto and Manchester City must overcome Borussia Monchengladbach.

Sevilla’s meeting with Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid’s clash with Atalanta complete the fixture list for the first knockout round.

The standout contest at this stage of elite European competition will see Barcelona lock horns with PSG.

Ronald Koeman’s side could only muster a runner-up finish in their group, meaning that they always ran the risk of being paired with a continental heavyweight.

Last season’s beaten finalists will be their next opponents, with that two-legged tie set to pitch six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi against the familiar face of former Blaugrana star Neymar - if he shakes off his latest injury setback in time.

Another star-studded encounter involving a La Liga giant will see Atletico Madrid face off against Chelsea.

The Blues have spent big in an effort to become serious contenders for prestigious prizes at home and abroad and will get the chance to put down a European marker against Diego Simeone’s side – who will be spearheaded by Luis Suarez and Joao Felix.

Chelsea’s Premier League rivals Liverpool will line up against one of the surprise packages from 2019-20, with RB Leipzig eager to repeat their run to the semi-finals of this event.

Jurgen Klopp’s side reached back-to-back finals in 2018 and 2019, emerging victorious in the latter, and will have their sights set on more major silverware despite enduring injury struggles this term.

Juventus, with five-time winner Ronaldo within their ranks, must also be considered among the favourites to go all the way.

They will not have things all their own way against Porto, but will feel that the draw has been kind to them.

Things could also have been worse for Manchester City, who are yet to enjoy continental success under Pep Guardiola, but Monchengladbach will be eyeing up a notable scalp.

They are gracing this stage of the Champions League for the very first time, but edged out Shakhtar Donetsk and Inter at the group stage to reach this point.

Atalanta’s progress at this level no longer comes as a shock, but they will need to raise their game again in order to see off Real Madrid – despite the Blancos’ struggles for consistency in 2020-21.

Sevilla dropped out of the Champions League to win the Europa League last season, but will now be looking to chase down the top prize and dispose of an exciting young Dortmund side along the way.

Finally, Bayern Munich will be reluctant to relinquish their grip on a trophy that formed part of a treble triumph for them last season, with Lazio – who have reached the knockout stages for the first time in two decades – next to block their path.

Champions League last-16 draw in full:

Borussia Monchengladbach vs Man City

Lazio vs Bayern Munich

Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea

RB Leipzig vs Liverpool

Porto vs Juventus

Barcelona vs PSG

Sevilla vs Borussia Dortmund

Atalanta vs Real Madrid

The first legs of the last-16 ties will be played on 16, 17, 23 and 24 February, while the second legs will take place on 9, 10, 16 and 17 March 2021.

Erling Haaland has admitted to being "bewitched" by Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a youngster, while expressing a desire to "imitate" the superstar duo as his career progresses.

Haaland is still just 20 but has quickly established himself as one of Europe's top strikers and will collect Tuttosport's Golden Boy award on Monday.

Since joining Dortmund from Salzburg in January, the Norway international has scored 23 times in the Bundesliga - including a hat-trick on his debut against Augsburg - at a rate of one goal every 74 minutes.

Only Robert Lewandowski (28) and Ronaldo (27) have netted more goals in Europe's 'top five' leagues since that January 18 bow.

Juventus number seven Ronaldo is still among the best players in the world at the age of 35, while Milan's Ibrahimovic, now 39, has 19 goals over the same stretch.

Asked for his thoughts on the Serie A superstars, revealed by father Alf-Inge to be his role models , Haaland told Tuttosport : "Two champions, two phenomena.

"I was bewitched seeing them on TV. They are the idols of many footballers - including me, too.

"They are examples to imitate for the continuity that allows them to remain at the highest level for so many years."

Haaland is out until the new year with a hamstring injury, making his goalscoring return even more impressive, and Dortmund suffered in his absence on Saturday.

A 5-1 home defeat to Stuttgart was the first time BVB had lost in the five league matches they have played without Haaland since his arrival and it cost head coach Lucien Favre his job.

While Dortmund are down in fifth, Haaland has lofty aspirations for the club - including in the Champions League, where he had a joint-high eight goals in 2020.

"Winning the Champions League is obviously a great dream of mine," he said. "I want to win trophies with Dortmund.

"Right now Bayern Munich are the best team in the world and we must try to reach a higher level and beat them. We will try with all our strength."

Transfer speculation will surround Haaland as long as Dortmund are not competing for titles, but he is paying no attention to that.

"I only think about playing hard, training and improving every day," he added.

Paul Pogba leaving in January would be “the best thing for Manchester United”, says Paul Ince, with the French midfielder continuing to be an unwelcome distraction.

Questions continue to be asked of the World Cup winner's ongoing presence at Old Trafford, with his agent, Mino Raiola, keeping the rumour mill ticking over with regular public outbursts.

Pogba has claimed to be fully committed to the United cause, as he remains under contract until the summer of 2022, but his representatives are offering a different version of events.

Raiola claims “it’s over” for his client in Manchester, with plans already being drawn up to get the 27-year-old out of his current surroundings.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is now having to field questions on Pogba’s future when attention should be focused elsewhere, with fires needing to be fought that are not of United’s making.

With that in mind, Ince believes a parting of ways would now be the best option for all concerned, with another window of transfer opportunity set to open in the New Year.

The former Red Devils star told Stadium Astro : “The best thing for Manchester United is for Paul Pogba to leave.

“I actually thought, when they signed [Donny] van de Beek, that they were preparing for Pogba to leave.

“But they clearly aren’t as Van de Beek didn’t get on [against Manchester City], which is embarrassing for me.

“I don’t envisage him being at the club by the summer. He’s got to go - he wants to go. I think it’s best that both parties part ways.”

Ince believes United should have acted sooner to prevent an unwelcome Pogba saga from spiralling out of control, with the ex-England international saying Sir Alex Ferguson would never have allowed one player to make so many headlines.

He added: “Under [Jose] Mourinho, there were so many problems coming out in the papers.

“That would never happen under Sir Alex Ferguson, never. It’s from day one that this has happened.

“He’s never really adhered himself to the fans, despite joining as a young kid. His performances were very inconsistent and he started telling fans that he wanted to leave, so they never really took to Paul Pogba.

“Every week, every month, we see something coming out of Old Trafford about Pogba, his agent, and it upsets the club, the fans, the changing rooms.

“It wouldn’t have happened in our time with Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes. We would deal with players.”

Ronald Koeman has hailed Lionel Messi for his "decisive" contribution in the final third while insisting Barcelona can still win La Liga.

Barca welcomed Levante to Camp Nou on Sunday coming off the back of two successive defeats, with a 2-1 reversal at Cadiz last weekend followed up by a 3-0 humbling at home to Juventus in the Champions League group stage on Tuesday.

Atletico Madrid's 2-0 loss to Real Madrid gave Koeman's side the opportunity to gain some ground on the leaders after a poor start to the season, and they just about got the job done against Paco Lopez's well-organised outfit.

Barca dominated possession throughout the match and eventually got the goal that their constant pressure deserved in the 76th minute, with Messi firing home an unstoppable strike after being played through by Frenkie de Jong.

The Argentine's sublime effort marked his fifth goal in 11 La Liga appearances this term , with his output in the final third not quite as high as in previous seasons amid mounting speculation over his future.

Koeman defended Messi's modest record in front of goal post-match, though, highlighting the fact that the six-time Ballon d'Or winner still manages to make a huge impact despite being targeted as the danger man by the opposition before every match.

"You have to realise they don't make it easy for him," the Barca boss said of the club captain after the 1-0 victory over Levante. "He's marked by lots [of players]. But he's shown he's decisive."

Barca are now sitting eighth in the Liga standings, nine points behind early pace-setters Real Sociedad and Atletico.

It is already being suggested that the Blaugrana are destined to miss out on the top-flight trophy for a second consecutive year, but Koeman still believes his team can stage a comeback if they add a clinical edge to their game.

"Of course we can win [the title]," the 57-year-old told reporters. "If we improve and we have more confidence and we improve our effectiveness [in front of goal], there's a chance!

"There are still lots of games left remaining."

Barca will have the chance to build up some much-needed momentum when they play host to Sociedad on Wednesday, before focus shifts to a trip to Mestalla to face Valencia three days later.

Wakiso Giants midfielder Gadafi Wahab has revealed it will be emotional playing former team Onduparaka in the Ugandan Premier League (UPL) game scheduled for Tuesday.

The player ended his six and a half years association with the Caterpillars in January and went on to join the Purple Sharks alongside Geriga Atendele and Faizul Ibrahim. It will be the first time the midfielder will be playing against his former team.

"It is my first time to face Onduparaka and it is emotional," Wahab said as quoted by the club's official website.

"I enjoyed my time at the club, it was like a family and I spent six and a half years [there]. I still got friends there and because of the team, I am here at Wakiso Giants. 

"Without them, I would not be the player I am today."

The midfielder has, however, promised to give Wakiso his best to ensure they get a win over Onduparaka. 

"I have emotional attachments but I do not think that will hinder my performance against them because my home is currently Wakiso Giants.  

"The game has come at a time when we are desperate to get off the mark and we are targeting maximum points.  

"No, [I will not celebrate if I manage to get a goal against them]."

Meanwhile, in an earlier interview, coach Douglas Bamweyana has admitted he was left gutted after the team secured a 1-1 draw against Vipers SC on Saturday.

Viane Ssekajugo, playing his first game since February scored for the Purple Sharks in the second half to cancel out an early opener from Muhammad Shaban.

But despite picking up a draw against the UPL champions, Bamweyana was left disappointed with the result but happy with the boys’ performance.

"I am happy with the performance but very disappointed with the results," the tactician said.

"We were the better team on the day in my opinion and deserved more than a point."

Bamweyana was also not impressed with refereeing decisions during the match saying the Sharks were unfortunate with some calls in the afternoon.

"I thought we weren’t playing exactly as we should have on such a level of playing field in my opinion, we were probably like a foreign team in some aspects and it’s very unfortunate but we worked hard and deserved to win," Bamweyana continued.

"We had two good penalty calls but it wasn’t meant to be, luck wasn’t on our side from the officials. That said, we created enough chances to win it but never took them."

SC Villa have become the first club to confirm the return of fans to the stadium to watch their matches after the Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) issued a directive allowing the same.

The Ugandan Premier League (UPL) kicked off two weeks ago without fans owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, but after clubs wrote to Fufa asking if they can be allowed to have less than 200 fans, Fufa has granted the same.

The Jogoos have now confirmed they are working on having fans return to the stadium soonest.

“With gratitude, we receive the letter from Fufa about the return of fans into football stadiums,” Villa wrote on their official website . “On this note there we can confirm that very soon we will be able to welcome fans again at the Bombo Military Barracks Grounds once the prerequisites set by Fufa are met.

“We will now work together with all the stakeholders to ensure that fans are safely guaranteed access to watch their team safely in the stadium.

“Fufa stipulates that only season ticket holders and a maximum of 200 will be guaranteed access to stadiums. As of today, Villa have more than 200 registered season ticket holders and we are working behind the clock to ensure that all our registered members get a chance of watching the team live in action at our home ground.”

The statement continued: “SC Villa registered members will be required to confirm their attendance by sending an email to matchday@scvilla.co.ug or call the office on 0755 236 384 or 0393 236 384 to book a spot at the stadium before 5 pm.

“All season ticket holders should wear their masks or access will not be granted. Adherence to the Covid-19 standard operating procedures as released by the ministry of health will be enforced.

“Drinks sold at the stadium must be in disposable containers and the service provider shall ensure safe disposal of all used containers. Sale of any cold foods shall not be allowed at the stadium.”

In the letter to all top-flight clubs, signed by Deputy Chief Executive officer Kiiza Decolas Hantali, Fufa said: “Fufa has received numerous outcries by clubs and stakeholders about the need to allow fans into stadia under the existing directives and guidelines from the President, Ministry of Health and other government agencies.

“Pursuant to Article 10(2) of the Fufa Covid-19 Regulations “spectators shall only be allowed with written permission from Fufa.”

Villa have already played three matches so far in this campaign losing their last encounter 2-1 against URA FC but won their home match 3-0 against Mbarara City.

Rwanda U17 coach Yves Rwasamanzi has explained why facing Tanzania in the Cecafa U17 Africa Cup of Nations zonal qualification will be like a final.

Rwanda and Tanzania will clash on Monday for a Group B tie and Rwasamanzi has insisted his side must take each game with the seriousness it deserves.

“We are in a very tricky group and we must treat every game like a final. I know Tanzania have a good team and we must treat them very seriously,” the coach told Cecafa Online .

The nations would have played on Saturday at Umuganda Stadium in Rubavu but South Sudan’s disqualification from the junior tournament forced Cecafa to rearrange and reschedule the matches.

South Sudan were disqualified after four of their players were found to be overage after Magnetic Resonance Imagining (MRI) tests were carried out before the tournament.

The South Sudan Football Association (SSFA), however, promised to look into the matter as they affirmed their commitment to upholding the regulations of football .

The tournament is picking speed as Kenya and Ethiopia have already played. The two rivals fought and drew 2-2 on Sunday in a match where Oliver Page’s stars were destined for a win before Ethiopia rallied back to pick up a point.

James Gathongo had given Kenya a 14th minute lead with a low shot after Ethiopia were caught off guard in their own half. After Ethiopia had equalised in the 61st minute, Kenya were rewarded as they grabbed the lead again in the 84th minute when Umar Rajab tapped home from close range.

Kenya’s Hamisi Omari brought down Miraj Nagash and Ethiopia were given a penalty inside the added four minutes from which they scored and ensured the tie ended in a draw. Nagash converted to hand his side an opening point in Group A.

Kenya’s Umar Rajab, Khamis Nyale and Hamis Omari and Ethiopia’s Esmail Shamil were booked during a tense game in Rubavu.

The players will rest on Tuesday before the 2018 champions, Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi resume action on Wednesday.

The last group games will be held on Friday while the semi-finals are scheduled for December 20 and the final game will be played two days later. The best two teams will represent the Cecafa region in the U17 Afcon finals in Morocco in 2021.

Al Ahly have confirmed Junior Ajayi will spend up to three months on the sidelines to treat an ankle injury.

The club's director of football, Sayed Abdel Hafeez gave an update on the 24-year-old's injury after he missed the Red Devils' flying start to the 2020-21 Egyptian Premier League season.

Al Ahly kicked off their Premier League title defence with a 3-1 victory over Misr Lel Makasa, thanks to goals from Ali Maaloul, Mahmoud Kahraba and Amr Soleya.

Ajayi last played for Pitso Mosimane's side in their Caf Champions League final triumph over Zamalek on November 27 where he saw 67 minutes of action before his substitution.

Two years ago, the former Nigeria youth international suffered a knee ligament injury which ruled him out of action for the first five months of the 2018-19 season.

“[Junior] Ajayi will be absent for a long period of time that could extend to three months, due to the injury,” Abdel-Hafeez was quoted by King Fut.

“Ajayi’s injury is not related to his Achilles tendon, but to the ankle.”

Ajayi joined Al Ahly from Tunisian top-flight club CS Sfaxien in 2016 and he was handed a three-year contract extension in February 2016.

The former 3SC striker has thrived in Egypt since his arrival four years ago, winning four Premier League titles, two Egyptian Cups, two Egyptian Super Cups and a Caf Champions League trophy.

Former Liverpool and Lyon manager Gerard Houllier has died at the age of 73, according to reports in France.

RMC Sport has reported that the Frenchman, who also worked with Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain in his coaching career at club level, passed away in the early hours of Monday morning.

Houllier will be best remembered for the six years he spent at Anfield between 1998 and 2004.

He was initially appointed by the Reds as joint-manager alongside Roy Evans, but quickly took the reins by himself on Merseyside.

League title glory proved elusive for Liverpool under Houllier’s stewardship, but he did deliver six pieces of silverware.

Five of those honours were secured in a memorable 2001, with the Reds enjoying a remarkable run on the trophy front.

Houllier oversaw FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup, Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup triumphs that year, while going on to lift the League Cup again in 2002-03.

Liverpool had made their move for a highly-rated tactician after seeing him spend several years working within the France national team set-up.

After initially operating as assistant to Michel Platini with Les Bleus, Houllier oversaw a dramatic qualifying campaign that saw a star-studded French side fail to qualify for the 1994 World Cup.

He resigned on the back of that disappointment and went back to working with youth teams.

Liverpool eventually came calling, luring him into a senior dugout once more, and Houllier’s final coaching post would also be filled in England at Aston Villa.

Prior to joining the Villans in September 2010, two years had been spent back in his homeland at Lyon – who he led to back-to-back Ligue 1 title triumphs.

Those successes took his tally of French league titles to three, with his account having been opened with Paris Saint-Germain in 1985-86.

That win was the first in PSG’s history and helped to push Houllier – who had never been a professional in his playing days – into contention for top jobs around the world.

He was awarded the Legion d’honneur for his services to French football in 2002, along with an honorary OBE for his efforts in England.

Houllier also landed the European Coach of the Year prize in 2001 and will be held in the highest regard by all of those who worked under and alongside him over the course of a distinguished career.

KCB FC assistant coach Godfrey Oduor states his players have not yet hit their best despite recording three wins in a row in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League. 

The Bankers opened the campaign with an emphatic 3-0 win against Posta Rangers before they picked up three points against Nairobi City Stars in an encounter that ended with a 1-0 result.  

Last Sunday, they defeated Kakamega Homeboyz 2-0 to go joint top of the table with nine points. 

Simon Abuko scored KCB’s opener in the 40th minute in the first half where they were clearly a dominant side as they were also flagged for offside on two occasions.   

The Bankers had to wait until the fourth minute of added time to get the second one. David Owino scored the winning goal that gave the home side another win in the campaign.  

"The sun has started shining in our favour and we thank God for that," Oduor told Goal.

"The boys are giving their best; we had Covid-19 pandemic which affected us but we are trying to work on the players' fitness levels. Players like [Enock] Agwanda and [Ronald] Reagan have not hit their level best but we are happy that we are making progress."

The next assignment for the Zedekiah Otieno-led team will be an away trip to Bandari FC. The Dockers have been inconsistent in the league. They started their campaign with a 1-0 win over Sofapaka FC, drew 0-0 with Tusker FC before falling 2-0 to Nairobi City Stars.

"We are now focusing on Bandari in our next game and we are telling them we are coming for you," Oduor stated regarding their match away at Mbaraki Stadium.

Meanwhile, Kakamega Homeboyz head coach Nicholas Muyoti believes the team's plan was halted after conceding a goal in the first half.

"I appreciate KCB for their display against us," Muyoti told Goal.

"We had contained them well in the first half but they got their chance and used it. We were disappointed because our game plan was spoiled after they scored.  

"In the second half we tried to rectify things, it was much better but again they managed to get another goal in the latter stages of the game.

"It was a disappointing result from my boys, we will have to go to the drawing board once again to work and come up with tactics enabling us to win our next game."  

Elvis Rupia entered into AFC Leopards' Hall of Fame when he scored a hat-trick against Sofapaka on Saturday to ensure they kept an unblemished run in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League.

Rupia became Ingwe’s 27th player to record a hat-trick which propelled his tally to six goals in three games. The hat-trick against Batoto ba Mungu was the 43rd the club has recorded since its formation in 1964.

Stephen Baraza was the first man to register a hat-trick for AFC Leopards in 1964 when they were playing against Black Stars and the game ended in a 4-4 draw.

The club legend Joe Kadenge is among the few players to have earned multiple hat-tricks for AFC Leopards. Kadenge, a hero even for the national side, got his first against Nakuru All-Stars in 1966 before the second hat-trick against Ramogi in 1967.

The third for the legendary forward came against their then archrivals Maragoli FC, where he launched his career, and a third in 1967 was against Luo Sports.

Another legend Livingstone Madgwa, who played alongside Kadenge in the club’s formative years, earned four hat-tricks in 1967 twice against Home Bay and once vs Nairobi Wanderers. The fourth hat-trick came against Kitale FC where they won the game with a 9-1 scoreline.

Noah Wanyama, the father to Victor Wanyama and McDonald Mariga, is another AFC Leopards hero to have earned two hat-tricks. Wanyama’s first was against Nakuru in Kisumu in 1968 helping Ingwe emerge as 5-3 winners.

Wanyama had to wait for nine years before bagging another as he got goals from Kisumu Black Stars in a 4-0 win in 1977.

Joe Masiga, famously known as J.J Masiga, recorded three hat-tricks for the league heavyweights too. The first came in 1977 against Black Mamba at City Stadium; a ground where much of AFC Leopards’ history has been written.

The second one came in 1985 when Ingwe were a force to reckon with both within the country and in the regional front, against Nakuru Police while the third one was recorded in 1987 against KTM in Thika.

Francis Kadenge, the scion of the senior Kadenge, is also another man considered an AFC Leopards’ great given his heroics including three hat-tricks.

Kadenge Jr scored his first against Feisal at Thika Municipal Stadium, now Thika County Stadium, in 1987.

His second was achieved against Busia Simba at Afraha Stadium before he capped a memorable 1987 with another against Hakati Sportif at Woodley.

William Inganga also earned himself a place in the Hall of Fame given his achievement against Scarlet FC and Waterworks in 1993 at Afraha Stadium and Nyayo Stadium respectively.

Deomande Selenga, John Makwatta and Rupia are the players who scored hat-tricks against clubs currently in the top-tier; KCB, Zoo FC and Sofapaka respectively. 

David de Gea is daring Manchester United to “dream” of Premier League title glory, with anything possible in a “strange season”.

The Red Devils have seen an impressive run of form away from home keep them within touching distance of the early frontrunners in 2020-21.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side sit five points off the pace at present, with a game in hand and having just held arch-rivals Manchester City to a goalless draw at Old Trafford.

United offered little in that contest as an attacking threat, but have shown that they can contain domestic foes that boast similar ambition.

De Gea is looking to take positives from that heading into the hectic festive period, with the Spanish goalkeeper of the opinion that an English top-flight crown is very much up for grabs.

He told MUTV after a stalemate with City: “I think, defensively, we were perfect.

“They didn't create too many chances, maybe two or three big chances, but I think, against them, it was defensively a great game.

“So we need to be happy, of course, for the clean sheet but maybe it's not enough, you know. We played at home, we always want to win, especially against Man City, so I think we missed a big chance to beat them.

“But against players like [Kevin] De Bruyne, [Raheem] Sterling, good players, you have to be focused for the 90 minutes. So we did it, I think we showed our confidence in defence. I think the players played really good.

“For me, the most important thing in the team is the defensive part so we showed again that we can defend good.

“We can be very strong in the back four and I think, the whole team, we pressed really high.”

De Gea added: “So we made them make mistakes in the build-up. So I think it was a good game for us, a tight game, so the draw was fine. We looked very well, we looked strong.

“Now I think, this year, the Premier League is very open, many teams are fighting for the title. We have to dream, we have to believe that we can win the Premier League this year and go for it.

“It's a very strange season. To be honest, there are many teams fighting for the top place, so I think we need to be very focused every game and try to win the Premier League.”

The Red Devils will be back in action on Thursday when they take in a trip to rock-bottom Sheffield United.

Wakiso Giants coach Douglas Bamweyana has admitted he was left gutted after the team secured a 1-1 draw against Vipers SC in a Ugandan Premier League (UPL) match played on Saturday.

Viane Ssekajugo, playing his first game since February scored for the Purple Sharks in the second half to cancel out an early opener from Muhammad Shaban.

But despite picking a draw against the UPL champions, Bamweyana was left disappointed with the result but happy with the boys’ performance.

“I am happy with the performance but very disappointed with the results,” Bamweyana said as quoted by the club’s official website. “We were the better team on the day in my opinion and deserved more than a point.”

Bamweyana was also not impressed with refereeing decisions during the match saying the Sharks were unfortunate with some calls in the afternoon.

“I thought we weren’t playing exactly as we should have on such a level of playing field in my opinion, we were probably like a foreign team in some aspects and it’s very unfortunate but we worked hard and deserved to win,” Bamweyana continued.

“We had two good penalty calls but it wasn’t meant to be, luck wasn’t on our side from the officials. That said, we created enough chances to win it but never took them away.”

On the team’s performance from the three matches played, the coach said: “We are disappointed with the returns so far when you look at our games. When you compare them with our output, we certainly deserve better.”

During the match, Shaban nodded Disan Galiwango’s corner into the roof of the net to put the visitors into the lead but that awakened the Sharks who started with Yasin Mugume, Ssekajugo, and debutant Pius Kaggwa in attack.

Twenty minutes into the second half, Bamweyana made a double change introducing Rahmat Ssenfuka for Ibrahim Kasule and Mugume for Karim Ndugwa. And five minutes later, Ssekajugo got at the end of a pass from Lawrence Bukenya, raced on goal, and shot into the roof of the net for the equaliser.

Kaggwa had what appeared like a genuine penalty appeal turned down in the first half when he tumbled in the area under a challenge from Azizi Kayondo.

The Purple Sharks will next take on Onduparaka FC in Arua on Tuesday as the search for their first win of the season continues.

Timo Werner and Kai Havertz are still searching for a spark at Chelsea, with Tony Cascarino claiming struggles in their latest outing had the Blues “playing with nine men”.

Big money was invested in two Germany internationals over the summer.

Frank Lampard knew what he was buying into after seeing two proven performers thrive on a Bundesliga stage.

Werner and Havertz have already reached the top of the game, but still have plenty of potential to unlock at the ages of 24 and 21 respectively.

Chelsea are hoping to be the ones to benefit from undoubted ability, with Cascarino expecting expensive assets to come good in time.

Werner has shown flashes of the predatory instincts that have made him so prolific across his career to date, while Havertz has been held back by unfortunate spells on the sidelines.

Neither looked like bursting into life during a 1-0 defeat for the Blues at Everton, with their lack of contribution to the collective cause considered to have held Lampard’s side back.

Former Chelsea striker Cascarino told talkSPORT of two players scratching around for form: “Timo Werner struggled, he hasn’t scored for six games. I saw him against Rennes and I thought he was really poor.

“He’s devastatingly quick and he’s got a goal record, I expect him to get one at Chelsea too.

“He found it very difficult [at Goodison Park]. Kai Havertz, too, was absolutely on the fringe of the game – and he’s another very talented player.

“It felt like, at times, they were playing with nine men. They just didn’t make anything happen. [Olivier] Giroud didn’t get any service.

“Everton handled the game brilliant, [Carlo] Ancelotti showed his experience in the way he set up his team.

“Allan and [Abdoulaye] Doucoure were superb, they marshalled it well and they did a job.

“Chelsea are dangerous, they’ve shown how good they can be offensively. I thought [Christian] Pulisic would play, but for some reason he didn’t make the bench.

“Credit to Everton, I thought Alex Iwobi played really well, so did Mason Holgate.”

Chelsea need Werner and Co to start firing if they are to remain in Premier League title contention, with Lampard’s team set to return to action on Tuesday when taking in a trip to Wolves.

Former Orlando Pirates winger Dikgang Mabalane believes Deon Hotto is becoming increasingly influential for the Sea Robbers.

Mabalane was commenting in his capacity as a SuperSport TV analyst on Saturday evening, following the Buccaneers' 2-1 win over Bloemfontein Celtic in the 2020 MTN8 final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

Celtic had initially shocked Bucs by opening the scoring in the fourth minute through Siphelele Luthuli.

And while Thembinkosi Lorch, who came on as a 24th-minute substitute for Thabang Monare and was widely credited with changing the game, and also got the winner, Hotto played a crucial role as well.

It was his cool finish in the 32nd minute which got Bucs back on level terms.

"He (Hotto) also goes inside and tries to get into the box and into the danger areas and this is how he will start scoring goals in a team like Pirates," Mabalane pointed out.

"He used to stick too much on the line, more like an old fashioned winger. But now he's learning and changing his approach to the game, I think it will give him that element where he will add goals into his game."

The Namibian international is in his first season with Pirates, having signed from Bidvest Wits. He has tallied two assists and one goal in four MTN8 matches and also contributed two assists in six league appearances for the Buccaneers.

Fellow analyst and South African national U17 girls team coach Simphiwe Dludlu says she has been impressed by Hotto’s running lines.

“You hardly catch him offside, because he stays in a position where he says to a defender, ‘you see me now, you see me no more’.

“And that’s an incredible skill because you always want to go on the inside of defenders – they touch you and it's a penalty.”

The 30-year-old Hotto has been playing in South Africa since 2014, having signed for Golden Arrows from African Stars in Namibia. He also represented Bloemfontein Celtic before joining Wits and then Pirates.

In 154 Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches he has scored 15 goals and added 37 assists. In 27 cup games in South Africa he has four goals and six assists.