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Jurgen Klopp pointed the finger at his side’s slow start for their failure to beat Fulham at Craven Cottage, and suggested the packed schedule was to blame.

Liverpool fought back from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw, with Mo Salah's late penalty canceling out Bobby Decordova-Reid's excellent opener for the Cottagers.

Klopp’s side finished the Premier League clash on Sunday the stronger of the two teams, but they were fortunate to still be in the game after a poor opening 30 minutes.

The German manager was seen berating his side from the touchline early in the game, and it was in a bid to shake them into life.

“We didn’t play well [at the start],” Klopp told Sky Sports. “If they had to wake up I don’t know, but I cannot write a book and throw it on the pitch and tell them to read it. 

“What I wanted was to shake ourselves and start again. 

“A good start is nice, but if you don’t have a good start then you can start again, start again, start again. We needed half an hour pretty much to get our feet in the game.

“So that is why I shouted a bit at them.”

Decordova-Reid's powerful drive from the edge of the box was the least Fulham deserved from the opening half an hour, while the Reds were indebted to the returning Alisson Becker for making a string of saves to keep them in the game.

In the second half Liverpool came on strong and had opportunities to assert themselves, but Jordan Henderson failed to convert a chance and Curtis Jones was denied by Alphonse Areola.

“After half an hour it was better, not good but better, second half it was good,” Klopp said. “So with the momentum on Fulham’s side, the crowd here fighting for a result, lucky in one or two situations - Hendo’s chance was a big one, Curtis, a sensational run, really good finish ancd a good save. 

"We could have got more. But the first 30 minutes it was not good. We could have lost the game in that 30-minute period. We didn't and the next 60 was good.”

Klopp suggested fatigue could have played a part following their Champions League exertions away at Midtjylland on Wednesday.

“We are dealing with human beings and these things can happen,” Klopp said of the slow start. "When you look at the results, all the teams who played in the Champions League or Europa League had a tough one. It is crazy.

"After all the games it is hard. You have to fight against it (fatigue) and that is what the boys did. 

“First half an hour we could have lost it, in the next 60 we could have won it. Got a point.”

Former South Africa head coach Shakes Mashaba says Motjeka Madisha was destined to captain Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns in the future. 

The South African football fraternity is mourning the untimely passing of Madisha, who died in a car crash in Kempton Park, Johannesburg on Sunday morning.

Mashaba worked with Madisha during his time as South Africa under-20 coach and the team qualified for the 2015 Caf Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations finals. 

“He was a quiet youngster and he had the potential to become the captain of both Bafana Bafana and Sundowns. When water is spilt you cannot put it back into the cup, what else can we say… we are shattered,” Mashaba told The Citizen. 

Madisha also captained the South Africa under-20 side which won the 2015 Commonwealth Cup which took place in the Russian city of St Petersburg.

The no-nonsense defender was then promoted to the Sundowns first team from the club's academy and he went on to become one of the top centre backs in the PSL. 

His death comes barely a week since the burial of Sundowns right-back Anele Ngcongca, who also passed away in a car accident, and Mashaba feels that there is nothing much that PSL clubs can do to prevent such incidents from happening.

“It is becoming a problem because we always cry about these players; Richard Henyekane, Lesley Manyathela, Gift Leremi and others. Last month it was Anele who died in a car crash," he said. 

"I know when things are like this people will say players must be taught, but there is no way players will be taught things like these. They are not staying at clubhouses like a boarding school.

“It is really sad because they have not finished wiping tears because they just buried Anele, but we are saying Sundowns must be comforted at this point in time, they can’t be sitting and hanging themselves and say if Madisha was here and so forth."

Madisha, 25, had a successful 2019/20 season in which the Bafana international was a key defender for Sundowns as they clinched a domestic treble and he was nominated for the PSL Defender of the Season award

"He is not here anymore, sad and tragic as it is, it is reality. We have got to work hard to accept that he is no more and there is nothing that can happen now," Mashaba continued.

“Sundowns are really going to miss him at the back because of the responsibility that they gave him. He was playing more like a sweeper which is a very demanding position and he has been doing that very well and there was no one who doubted his abilities.”

Theo Hernandez struck twice as Milan recovered from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Parma and keep their unbeaten start to the Serie A season intact.

The hosts looked to be heading for a first defeat in 23 league outings - and a first in 11 games this term - after Hernani and Jasmin Kurtic had put Parma in control.

But Milan showed exactly why they are top thanks to a couple of goals from Hernandez - the equaliser in the 91st minute - as they dug deep in Sunday's clash at San Siro.

The point was the least Stefano Pioli's men deserved, having hit the frame of the goal four times - Hakan Calhanoglu responsible for three of those - and had a strike disallowed between the visitors' two goals.

Hernani side-footed away from Gianluigi Donnarumma for the opener following some good wide play from Gervinho, who got at league debutant Pierre Kalulu - an early sub for the injured Matteo Gabbia - and pulled the ball back towards the penalty spot.

Milan thought they were back on level terms 10 minutes later through Samu Castillejo's tap-in after Brahim Diaz flicked Hernandez's cross into the attacking midfielder's path, only for VAR to chalk it off for a slender offside.

Diaz then hit the crossbar, five seconds before Calhanoglu did likewise with a volley that bounced off the surface as Milan pushed hard for an equaliser before half-time.

And the home side were further frustrated when Calhanoglu clipped the outside of the post from a free-kick and then thumped a shot against the crossbar either side of the interval.

With Pioli's charges committing bodies forward, Hernani sent in a cross from the right that evaded Andreas Cornelius but was powered home by the head of an unmarked Kurtic in the centre.

Milan's response was instant, Hernandez sneaking in to meet Calhanoglu's corner as the hosts scored for a 31st league match running.

After probing away for the next half an hour, Hernandez found a way through for a second time as he reacted quickest to fire a loose ball into the bottom corner and salvage a late point.

Ghana prodigy Mohammed Kudus could make a quicker-than-expected return from injury, Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has revealed.

The 20-year-old has been in the treatment room since sustaining a meniscus injury on his Champions League debut against Liverpool in October.

An Ajax statement after the incident indicated he would be out of action "for many months", but media speculation suggested he faced a four to six-month spell on the sidelines.

"He is in his final phase of his rehabilitation," ten Hag said after his club's 4-0 victory over PEC Zwolle in the Dutch Eredivisie on Saturday, AD reports.

"There is a chance that he will come into action quickly.”

Kudus is among a long list of Ajax injury absentees from Saturday's game, the others being David Neres, Noussair Mazraoui, Zakaria Labyad, Lassina Traoré, Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, ​​Jurrien Timber and 18-year-old Dutch-born striker Brian Brobbey, who is currently in discussions with Ghana about a possible switch of international allegiance from the Netherlands.

"I hope that some of those players [[injury absentees against Zwolle] will be able to play against FC Utrecht again on Wednesday," ten Hag added.

Kudus joined Ajax from Danish outfit Nordsjaelland on a five-year deal reportedly worth €9 million in July, having been linked with AC Milan, Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund, Everton and Newcastle United.

He has scored once and provided three assists in four competitive appearances for the Eredivisie outfit.

"The operation went well. I have received nice messages from everyone. I want to thank everyone for those boosts," said Kudus in a video interview with his club last month.

"It |injured leg] is almost back to normal now. I can do almost everything again, such as driving and walking without crutches. I am doing rehab and it is now back to normal."

Ghana are keeping a close eye on Kudus' injury situation ahead of the resumption of the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in March next year, when the Black Stars engage South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe the qualifiers.

His has been unable to join Ghana’s squad for their last four matches.

Leon Balogun, Joe Aribo and Bongani Zungu were in action as Rangers stretched their unbeaten start to the 2020-21 Scottish Premiership season with a 2-1 victory over Dundee United on Sunday.

The triumph stretched the Gers' unbeaten run to 26 matches across all competitions this campaign, with 17 of them coming in the Scottish top-flight.

First-half goals from James Tavernier and Connor Goldson were enough for Steven Gerrard's side to outclass their hosts at Tannadice Park, despite Liam Smith's 33rd-minute equaliser.

After helping Rangers to a 2-0 win over Lech Poznan in Thursday's Europa League outing, Aribo and Zungu were dropped to the bench as the latter continues to wait for his first start in the Premiership since his loan signing from French side Amiens.

Nigeria's Balogun partnered Goldson in the heart of Rangers' defence and he was on parade for the duration while Aribo and Zungu were introduced in the final 10 minutes of the encounter.

Although he did not make any tackles, Balogun produced a solid presence in the defence by managing the most clearances (three) and the second-highest interceptions (two) for the Gers.

Aribo, on his part, could only manage three touches in the encounter while Zungu completed 10 passes with a 50 per cent accuracy.

In his post-game reaction, Gerrard defended the late introduction of the South Africa international who made his third league appearance.

"In-terms of game management, I thought bringing Cedric Itten and Bongani Zungu into the game really helped us control the final part of the game,” Gerrard told the club website.

"And look, I can't ask for any more from these players. We park the league up for a week now and the challenge is to get them rested and ready for a big quarter-final match on Wednesday."

Sunday's victory to take Rangers' tally at the top of the Premiership table to 47 points from 17 matches, with a 15-point gap separating them from second-placed Hibernian.

Next up for Gerrard's men is a trip to St. Mirren for their League Cup quarter-final outing on Wednesday before they welcome Motherwell to Ibrox Stadium for a league fixture on December 19.

Kerala Blasters remain winless in the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) season following a 4-2 loss to rivals Bengaluru in their fifth-round fixture. 

Lacklustre defending cost the Yellow Army the game as the Blues bulldozed past Kibu Vicuna's team, hammering four goals in the process. 

Coach Kibu Vicuna pointed out two incidents which proved to be the turning points of the match. He said, "There were two turning points in the game. One was when we conceded the first goal and then when we conceded two goals in a row. It is true that we conceded too many goals tonight. We have to be more solid defensively. Now we have to be brave and work harder."

Full-back Lalruatthara was slotted in as a makeshift centre-back in place of suspended central defender Costa Nhamoinesu and the move backfired for the Spaniard as the Mizo defender was at fault during two of the four goals the Blues scored.

Explaining his decision to field Ruatthara as a central defender, Vicuna said, "He (Lalruatthara) is training as a central defender and he was performing well so I thought he was the best option to partner (Bakary) Kone. 

The I-League winning former Mohun Bagan coach suggested that they started the game well but conceding four goals completely spoiled the game plan.

"It is difficult to see positive points now. We started well and scored two goals against Bengaluru - it is difficult to score goals against Bengaluru. But we received four goals so we are upset, we have a lot of work to do," said Vicuna

The Spanish boss gave an update on the replacement of injured midfielder Sergio Cidoncha and also suggested he is hopeful that their star Indian player Sahal Abdul Samad will be available for selection in their next match.

"We are trying to complete the team. We are working on it. Hopefully, he (Sahal Abdul Samad) is going to be available for the next game," said the former Legia Warsaw manager.

Moses Simon and Moussa Konate were on the scoresheet as Nantes played out a 1-1 draw against Dijon in Sunday’s Ligue 1 game.

The forward was handed his second start since he returned from a thigh muscle strain and impressed, helping his side avoid defeat at La Beaujoire-Louis Fonteneau.

The winger formed a three-man attack for Enache Costea’s side along with Renaud Emond and Marcus Regis Coco.

The Nigeria international opened the scoring in the 24th minute, converting from the penalty spot for his second goal of the season.

Senegal international Konate then levelled proceedings for Dijon in the 54th minute after he was set up by Gabon international Ibrahim Ndong.

The draw helped Nantes to end their recent unimpressive form after two consecutive losses to Olympique Marseille and Strasbourg.

Simon featured for the duration of the game while his teammate and Algeria international Mehdi Abeid played for 63 minutes before he was replaced by Randal Kolo Muani.

Konate, on his part, was on parade for 76 minutes in his seventh appearance this season before making way for Alex Dobre.

With the draw, Nantes are 14th on the league table with 14 points from 14 games while Dijon remain at the bottom of the league with nine points from the same number of matches.

Simon has made 11 appearances for the Canaries in the 2020-21 campaign, scoring two goals and providing one assist.

The forward will be expected to continue his impressive performances when Nantes take on Reims in their next league game on December 16.

Simon teamed up with the Canaries permanently in the summer from Spanish club Levante after delivering convincing showings during his loan stay.

Veteran Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is set to make his return to the football pitch in the Blues' Premier League 2 meeting with Tottenham.

The former Czech Republic shot-stopper hung up his gloves at the end of the 2018-19 season after four seasons at the Emirates Stadium following his brilliant decade with their London rivals. 

Chelsea, however, caused a stir in October by announcing the 38-year-old as one of their registered goalkeepers for Premier League action in 2020-21 . 

And he will now don the gloves once more by keeping for the west Londoners' development squad in Monday's match. 

Cech is fifth in the Blues' goalkeeping pecking order, meaning that an appearance in the senior team is highly unlikely. 

But he remains in training, having rejoined Chelsea as a technical and performance adviser under former team-mate and current manager, Frank Lampard.  

“It’s true that it would have been a professional error to do this if I wasn’t at Premier League level, but that’s not the way we work here," the Chelsea legend told  Telefoot  of his surprise return to the senior team in November.

"I know I’m 100 per cent ready to help if needs be. I’m fit, and with the two months of training, I’ve seen I have the same quality.

“Furthermore, I rested for a year without playing football. It really gave me energy, my body recovered after playing 20 years as a professional. If the circumstances put me on the pitch, I’m ready."

Lampard had also left the door open for his long-time colleague, praising his physical condition despite his advancing years .

"Petr has been training with the goalkeepers for a little while now. He has been training a lot of days with them which is valuable for experience [of the other goalkeepers] and that he is passing on that quality to them," the manager explained to reporters following Tuesday's 0-0 Champions League draw with Sevilla at Stamford Bridge.

"We had that space in the squad and we know this year, it looks like no other because of Covid and isolation so it was a very easy one. Pete still does his day job and he is there if we need him.

“He is fit, very fit. He is still relatively young. He finished playing when he possibly could have carried on. He has taken on his role at Chelsea very well and he has been very helpful to me and we work closely together. He trains fairly regularly and he is fit." 

Jose Mourinho has described Hugo Lloris as the best goalkeeper in the Premier League following his blunder in Tottenham's 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace.

Spurs looked to be hanging on to claim three points thanks to Harry Kane’s first-half goal, but Lloris failed to deal with Eberechi Eze's free kick and Jeffrey Schlupp pounced to grab a point for the Eagles.

Asked by Sky Sports about Lloris’ part in the Palace equaliser, the Portuguese said: “My goalkeeper is the best in the Premier League.”

In his post-match press conference, Mourinho added : "My goalkeeper is the best goalkeeper in the Premier League. Period. So I would never be critical of the best goalkeeper in the Premier League."

Tottenham began the weekend at the top of the Premier League, and Mourinho felt it was a hard-won point - while admitting it could be seen as two dropped given how late Palace equalised.

"We have one more point than we had,” he said. “In that way, a point is a point and we know how difficult they are to get in the Premier League. 

“We [also] lost two points. If I look to the last 10 minutes of the game, yes, if I look at the first 45 minutes, yes, but from 45 to 75 minutes we couldn't play or build from the back and we made lots of mistakes. 

“A team like them, they can create and fight in the box. If I split the game into three parts - we lost two points."

Mourinho has suggested he saw Palace’s fightback coming, and felt his side did not execute his plan.

“At half-time I spent a good few minutes telling them what could happen in the second half,” the Tottenham boss, who earlier revealed Gareth Bale was absent due to illness , said. “These guys, to control the game [against Palace] you need the ball. If you give them the chance to put balls in the box you put yourself in the line between victory and draw.

"There are no lessons to learn. We knew what the game could be. At half-time we predicted what could happen."

Up next for Spurs is a trip to champions and title rivals Liverpool, which is followed by games with Leicester, Stoke City [in the Carabao Cup] Wolves and Fulham before the turn of the year.

Liverpool are set to be without forward Diogo Jota after the Portuguese star suffered a knee injury midweek.

The former Wolves attacker featured for the Reds midweek as Liverpool settled for a 1-1 draw with Midtjylland.

That match is set to be his last one in quite awhile, as Jurgen Klopp revealed ahead of Sunday's clash with Fulham that the Reds will be without Jota due to injury.

Jota is set to miss six to eight weeks, which will keep him out for several vital Premier League matches.

"Yeah, it’s worse than we first thought and better than we then thought," Klopp said

"All the potential surgeons had a look on it, no surgery needed. But he will be out for a while. We don’t know exactly but one-and-a-half, two months. We don’t know exactly. It’s pretty similar with Kostas Tsimikas, by the way. Unbelievable.”

Klopp added: “It was first after the game. We saw the situation when he got it; him himself, nobody would have thought something happened there.

"We got him off the pitch and he said ‘I feel a little bit’ and next day, scans and then a surgeon has to look at it. That’s how we do it, different information. In the end, it’s strange but we were happy that we heard the final diagnosis.”

The good news for Liverpool is that Jota should be back in time for the return of the Champions League, which kicks back off on February 16.

However, with Jota's injury, the Reds lose out on yet another top star ahead of a busy run of fixtures as the club will continue to play on without the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, who are long-term absences.

With fixtures piling up during the holiday period, Jota will miss some key matches against several title hopefuls.

The Portuguese forward will miss two clashes with Tottenham, with the first coming December 16 and a second coming on January 27.

One week prior to that second Tottenham clash, the Reds will face rivals Manchester United, who will travel to Anfield for the first meeting of the two longtime rivals this season.

Should Jota be out closer to that eight-week mark, the Liverpool star could miss out on a highly-anticipated clash between Liverpool and Manchester City.

In total, there are 12 Premier League fixtures to be played over the next two months, as well as an FA Cup third-round clash with Aston Villa.

Premier Soccer League side Chippa United have signed Ugandan goalkeeper Ismail Watenga for a contract that will last for 19 months.

The Chilli Boys confirmed the arrival of the Cecafa Cup-winning goalkeeper after he had trained with rivals and PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

After leaving Sofapaka in January, the former Vipers SC custodian remained clubless as reports indicated he was headed to the PSL, specifically to Mamelodi Sundowns where his international captain Denis Onyango is the current number one.

In fact, Watenga had stated his desire to join Onyango, who he is fighting to dislodge at the national level.

“Uganda national goalkeeper, Ismail Watenga, has officially signed for Chippa United and is available with immediate effect,” Chippa United announced on Twitter.

“The 25-year-old joins from Sofapaka F.C (Kenya) having signed a 19-month-contract with the club and is already training with the team in Port Elizabeth.”

Injuries took their toll on Watenga’s time at Batoto ba Mungu but when he left, he revealed the main reason for ending his short stint with the Kenyan side was due to match-fixing issues.

“I decided to quit Sofapaka due to match-fixing which I did not abide by while at the club. Several agents that included the club's officials approached me to give away matches,” Watenga said in an earlier interview.

“I once refused a bribe of $20,000. I have big dreams as a goalkeeper and a bribe can't ruin my future dreams so I had to move and find another challenge elsewhere.”

Watenga had been signed by the 2009 Kenyan Premier League champions to replace Justin Ndikumana, who had left to join Bandari.

The two-time Uganda Premier League (UPL) winning goalkeeper left Vipers in 2018 after he failed to renew his contract and joined Bunna in Ethiopia.

At the Venoms, where he enjoyed a successful seven-year stint, Watenga also won a domestic trophy and on the international front, he won the 2015 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Ethiopia.

Posnet Omwony, who is now at Roses United, a South African National First Division club, is another Ugandan goalkeeper who made his name in the PSL at Bloemfontein FC and at Black Leopards.

To get back to the national team, the 25-year-old star has to pull up his socks to see off competition from Onyango and KCCA FC’s Charles Lukwago who are the first and the second choice goalkeepers the Cranes, respectively.

Jeffrey Schlupp's late strike salvaged a deserved 1-1 derby draw for Crystal Palace and prevented Tottenham from going three points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Vicente Guaita's howler gifted Harry Kane a 15th goal of the season midway through the first half to silence the 2,000 fans who were allowed to return to Selhurst Park on Sunday.

Schlupp spared his goalkeeper's blushes nine minutes from time, though, prodding in from close range when Hugo Lloris failed to deal with Eberechi Eze's inviting free-kick.

Eze struck the post in the first half and Guaita, who made a string of fine saves, was almost embarrassed again when a Ben Davies cross looped over him and hit the crossbar.

Neither side could force a winner and although Tottenham are now unbeaten in 10 matches, Liverpool - who they play next Wednesday - could replace them at the top of the table with a win at Fulham later on Sunday.

Spurs started with a swagger and Guaita made a great reflex save to keep out Tanguy Ndombele's first-time strike.

Guaita was left red-faced 23 minutes in, though, when he totally misjudged Kane's right-foot shot from around 30 yards out, which he could only palm into the net.

The Palace keeper responded well by producing a fine double save - the second from Ndombele - before Palace finished the first half strongly, Eze hitting the far post with a measured effort from just inside the Spurs penalty area.

Schlupp wasted a golden opportunity to equalise when he blazed over from close range after Luka Milivojevic's free-kick caused havoc in the Tottenham penalty area.

Spurs offered little going forward in the second half and were relieved when Christian Benteke headed onto the roof of the net, but Schlupp bundled home after Lloris was undone by Eze's in-swinging free-kick.

Davies could have won it in bizarre fashion when his cross hit the bar and Guaita again reacted well to a lapse with a sharp reflex save when Kane got his head on Serge Aurier's shot. 

Guaita then superbly saved Eric Dier's free-kick in a dramatic finale as both sides had to settle for a point.

What does it mean? Spurs can have no complaints

Tottenham had conceded just one goal in six top-flight games before making the trip across the capital and looked set for another clean sheet.

They can have no complaints not to have secured maximum points, though, as Palace posed a far bigger threat in the second half and deserved something from an entertaining game.

Although Jose Mourinho's side have the best defensive record in the league - shipping only 10 goals in 12 games - they invited pressure after the break by not showing enough ambition going forward and were made to pay.

Kane and Son combine yet again

Spurs' talismanic skipper Kane and Son Heung-Min combined for a goal for the 12th time this season, the South Korea international's pass giving his fellow forward a sight of goal.

Only lethal Blackburn Rovers duo Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton have combined for more goals in a top-flight season (13) in England - back in the 1994-95 campaign.

Redemption for Guaita

Palace keeper Guaita will never want to see Kane's goal again, but he produced some brilliant saves in a lively encounter.

Guaita showed a combination of agility and bravery to frustrate the leaders and his acrobatic stop to somehow keep out Dier's free-kick right at the end was out of the top drawer.

Key Opta Facts

- Despite surrendering their lead in the second half, Spurs are unbeaten in their last nine away games in the Premier League (W5 D4); their longest such run since April 2018 (also nine).

- Following 1-1 draws in both of their meetings in 2020, Crystal Palace have avoided defeat in consecutive Premier League games against Spurs for the first time since the 2014-15 season (W1 D1).

- Spurs have only lost one of the 21 Premier League games in which they've opened the scoring under Mourinho (W15 D5), with that lone defeat coming against Wolves back in March.

- Palace's equaliser was the first goal Spurs have conceded in the Premier League since the start of November (v Brighton), ending a run of 475 minutes without conceding in the competition.

- Since Mourinho's first game in charge of Spurs, Kane has been directly involved in more goals in all competitions than any other Premier League player (43 – 29 goals, 14 assists). 

What's next?

Spurs face a trip to Merseyside to take on champions Liverpool at Anfield in midweek, while Palace have another derby at West Ham.

Krepin Diatta was on the scoresheet in Club Brugge’s 2-0 victory over Royal Antwerp in Sunday’s Belgian First Division A game.

The midfielder played his 13th game of the season for the Jan Breydel Stadium outfit and made a significant impact in the encounter.

The Senegal international registered his seventh goal of the season to ensure his side extended their unbeaten run.

Diatta formed a five-man midfield along with Mats Rits, Eder Balanta, Federico Ricca and Hans Vanaken for Club Brugge.

The 21-year-old opened the scoring for the Blue and Black as early as the second minute in the encounter after benefiting from Noa Lang’s assist.

Royal Antwerp were then reduced to 10 men in the 16th minute after Jeremy Gelin was shown a straight red card for serious foul play.

Club Brugge soon profited from the setback and doubled their lead four minutes into the second half when Rits fired his effort into the back of the net.

Diatta has now scored seven goals in 18 appearances this season across all competitions, amid other dazzling performances.

The midfielder featured for the duration of the game along with teammate and Ivory Coast international Odilon Kossounou.

Nigerian forward David Okereke played for 11 minutes after he was brought on for Noa Lang while Senegalese Youssouph Badji was introduced for Charles De Ketelaere in the 90th minute.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo international Dieumerci Mbokani lasted for the entirety of the game.

The victory ensured Club Brugge maintained their lead on the top of the First Division A table after gathering 33 points from 16 games.

Diatta has been with the Jan Breydel Stadium outfit since 2018 when he joined the side from Sarpsborg 08.

The midfielder has helped the club to win two league titles and a Super Cup trophy since his arrival.

Bengaluru picked up crucial three points on Sunday as they beat rivals Kerala Blasters 4-2 in an Indian Super League (ISL) at the FatordaStadium, Goa.

Cleiton Silva (29'), Erik Paartalu (51'), Dimas Delgado (53') and Sunil Chhetri (65') were on target for the Blues while Rahul KP (17') and Vicente Gomez (61') scored for Kerala Blasters.

Carles Cuadrat made two changes to the Bengaluru lineup. Pratik Choudhary made his debut for the club replacing Rahul Bheke and Kristian Opseth returned to the starting eleven in place of Deshorn Brown. 

Kibu Vicuna made four changes as Jordan Murray, Lalruatthara, Prasanth Karuthadathkuni and Jeakson Singh replaced Costa Nhamoinesu, Jessel Carneiro, Rohit Kumar and Nongdamba Naorem. Murray joined Hooper upfront as the coach tweaked the formation to a 4-4-2.

Jordan Murray got the first chance of the match to break the deadlock in the 14th minute when he picked up Facundo Pereyra's pass on the right side of the box. An alert Gurpreet Singh Sandhu saved his shot at the near post. 

Blasters scored the opening goal against the run of play in the 17th minute. Dimas Delgado's short free-kick was intercepted by Garry Hooper who covered almost the full length of the pitch starting from his own penalty box and found Rahul KP to his right who scored past Gurpreet with an excellent finish. 

Bengaluru responded with an equaliser within 12 minutes as Cleiton Silva capitalised on a howler from Ruathhara and found the back of the net. The Mizo defender failed to clear a long goal-kick from Sandhu inside his own box and Silva was quick to punish him.

The Blues were the more dominant side in the first half and created more goal scoring chances than their opponents. Blasters looked lacklustre and shaky after conceding the goal.

The home team got the golden opportunity to take the lead just two minutes after the second-half kickoff when Bakary Kone brought down Kristian Opseth inside the Kerala box to give away a penalty but Sunil Chhetri's attempted panenka ended up in the gloves of Gomes. 

They finally took the lead in the 51st minute through Erik Paartalu's goal. Cleiton Silva initiated the move as he entered the penalty box before setting up Ashique on his left. The full-back delivered a low cross into the box and Kristian Opseth tapped the ball towards the goal and it took a deflection off Paartalu before going in. 

The Blues piled pressure on Blasters' defence as they scored the third goal in the next two minutes once again due to a bad mistake of Ruathhara. Albino played a short pass inside his own box towards the defender but he was too slow to react as Cleiton snatched the ball away from him and squared it to the middle. Opseth took a touch and set up Dimas Delgado for a shot and the midfielder guided the ball into the net. 

Blasters pulled one back in the 61st minute when Vicente Gomez scored from Facundo Pereyra's free-kick. The Spanish midfielder nudged the ball with the back of his head from the Argentine's curling free-kick which beat Sandhu. 

Just when Blasters were slowly regaining momentum in an attempt to comeback into the game, Sunil Chhetri found the back of the net with a clinical header off Harmanjot Khabra's cross. Chhetri rose above his marker Prasanth to head the ball into the net.  

The Blues extended their unbeaten streak to five matches this season and the Yellows continue to remain winless.
 

South Africa woke up to the sad news that the late Mamelodi Sundowns defender Motjeka Madisha tragically passed away.

This sparked some reaction from fellow Premier Soccer League players, clubs and Pitso Mosimane also joined in mourning the player.

Tributes continued pouring in.