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Borussia Dortmund have sacked head coach Lucien Favre following Saturday’s 5-1 home defeat to newly-promoted Stuttgart.

Defeat leaves Dortmund fifth in the Bundesliga, five points off the pace of leaders Bayern Munich, whose 24 points are matched by RB Leipzig.

By contrast, Dortmund have earned only four points in their last five matches, although they did make impressive progress in the Champions League, finishing first in Group F ahead of Lazio.

In a statement, the club said: “Borussia Dortmund have parted ways with head coach Lucien Favre.

"The club would like to thank Lucien for his dedication and wish him success in his future.

"Assistant coach Edin Terzic has been appointed as interim manager until the end of the current season. Terzic’s coaching team will be joined by Sebastian Geppert and Otto Addo."

Club stalwart Mats Hummels had been critical of his coach's tactics following the 5-1 humbling, telling the press after the match: "The goals for 2-1, 4-1 and 5-1 all came from us losing the ball in a way that we should never have allowed to happen.

"Stuttgart played really well for the 3-1 lead, you have to say. They had a good plan, were aggressive and determined. We weren't. We were lacking concentration, among other things.

"We always try to play tiki-taka through small gaps. We lose the ball so often when we try that. If it works, it looks good. Unfortunately, it works in very few cases."

Favre had been in charge since taking over in the summer of 2018 and had led the club to two second-placed finishes in the Bundesliga as well as the last 16 of the Champions League on three occasions.

In 2019-20, he helped them to win the DFB Supercup, the only silverware he would claim at the helm.

This term, however, has proven more complicated amid the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and also the flux brought about by transfer speculation regarding Jadon Sancho.

The young England winger was linked with Manchester United throughout the summer but no transfer materialised. Sancho has not been able to regain his top level, with the 20-year-old waiting on his first league goal for the season, although he has posted three assists.

Dortmund are next due in action on Tuesday with an away match against Werder Bremen, while they face a trip to Union Berlin on Friday. They also have a DFB Pokal second-round encounter against Eintracht Braunschweig to play before the Christmas break begins.

Louis van Gaal feels Donny van de Beek made a mistake in joining Manchester United from Ajax earlier this year.

Van de Beek forged an excellent reputation at Ajax as an energetic central midfielder, and it earned him a transfer to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United in September of this year.

However, it has been tough going for the 23-year-old Netherlands international, as he has made only two starts in the Premier League - with the majority of his playing time coming from the bench.

Van de Beek was handed a rare start against West Ham earlier in December, but was withdrawn at half-time with United trailing 1-0.

The Red Devils improved markedly after the interval to beat West Ham 3-1, and it could be some time before he is given another opportunity to show what he can do.

Van Gaal says he foresaw the problems Van de Beek is facing, and believes there were better stylistic fits for his fellow countryman.

"I hope his time will come, but I don't think he made a good choice," the former United boss told Dutch television channel Ziggo. “I said that right away. 

"If you have Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes, what position should Van de Beek be in?

"He doesn't have the qualities of Pogba and Fernandes. And now you see that Pogba often doesn't start. Where should Van de Beek play then?

"I think you could have seen that beforehand. There are so many teams, which could have done better justice to him, also in the top division. He is a boy with many qualities."

It is early in his United career, and Van de Beek would not be the first player to struggle on making the move to the Premier League - only to blossom further down the line.

With the season so congested on account of the late start due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are likely to be chances in the future for Van de Beek.

United are heading into the busy festive period, and have five games - Sheffield United, Leeds United, Everton, Leicester and Wolves - before the turn of the year.

With Solskjaer likely to rotate heavily, Van de Beek should get his chance and needs to show he has the quality to thrive at Old Trafford.

Nicolo Barella, Danilo d'Ambrosio and Romelu Lukaku scored in the final 13 minutes to ease the growing pressure on Antonio Conte as Inter left it late to beat Cagliari 3-1 in Serie A.

A goalless Champions League draw against Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday saw Inter knocked out of European competition for the season to leave head coach Conte's long-term future in doubt.

For long periods at Sardegna Arena it looked as though the situation would become even bleaker, with goalkeeper Alessio Cragno in inspired form, and Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez and Alessandro Bastoni all wasteful.

Riccardo Sottil's expert 42nd-minute finish had Cagliari on course for three points but Barella's wonderful effort preceded D'Ambrosio nodding in from close range and Lukaku completed the comeback to make it four straight Serie A wins for Inter, who are two points adrift of leaders Milan having played a game more.

Cragno made a fine double stop from Lukaku and Christian Eriksen - making a first start since October 31 - and denied the latter again after Bastoni wastefully blazed over from seven yards.

Sanchez saw a point-blank header saved by the keeper's feet and Cragno kept out the Chilean forward's stinging effort shortly after.

Barella was just off target with an acrobatic effort and Inter were punished after 42 minutes when Sottil finished brilliantly on the volley after his initial effort was blocked.

Leonardo Pavoletti should have added a second from close range before the break, while Cragno again came to Cagliari's rescue when palming away substitute Ashley Young's bending effort on the hour.

Samir Handanovic's save from Joao Pedro was crucial as Barella brilliantly volleyed home against his former club from a cleared corner in the 77th minute and another set-piece proved Cagliari's undoing when D'Ambrosio met Barella's corner six minutes from time.

Alberto Cerri scuffed wide as Cagliari almost replied but Lukaku ran the length of the field to place into the empty net when Cragno had come up for a last-gasp corner to complete the turnaround.

What does it mean? Conte earns more time to build his skyscraper

Previewing this fixture, Conte - whose side finished second and reached the Europa League final in his debut campaign in charge - pleaded for patience from Inter's success-hungry fanbase, saying he needed time to build a "skyscraper" having laid some initial foundations.

Had they lost here after their Champions League exit the time may not have been afforded but a late revival was just the tonic Inter needed. They had 21 shots, 11 of which were on target, and almost 58 per cent of possession - in truth it was a deserved win.

Classy Cragno unfortunate for Cagliari

The margins in football are fine and on another day this could have been a resounding Inter win. As it was Cragno produced a performance of the highest order, making eight saves in total to keep Inter at bay before the visitors finally found a way through.

Barella sparks the fightback

Barella came through the youth ranks at Cagliari and opted not to celebrate against his former club - a nice touch but it was a shame his excellent strike was met with a muted reaction.

It was from his corner that D'Ambrosio scored a minute after entering the fray, and in total he had two shots on target, claimed an assist and had a passing accuracy of 82 per cent.

Key Opta Facts:

- Only Manchester United (15) have gained more points from losing position than Inter (10) in the top-five European Leagues this season.
- Inter have scored 29+ goals in their first 11 Serie A matches for the first time since 1958-59 (30 in that case).
- For the first time in hus career Nicolo Barella has both scored and provided assist in the same Serie A match.
- Since 2015-16 only Aleksandar Kolarov (17) has scored more than Danilo D'Ambrosio (16) among defenders in Serie A.

What's next?

Inter face a tricky task at home to Napoli on Wednesday, the same day Cagliari travel to Parma.

RB Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff has confirmed his club’s interest in RB Salzburg forward Dominik Szoboszlai.

The Hungarian has emerged this season as one of the most talked about players in Europe, with his penchant for the spectacular goal catching the eye of a number of teams across the continent.

He increased his stock in his native Hungary last month when netting a spectacular winning goal against Iceland to propel the nation to next summer’s European Championship.

After netting his stunning goal, Szoboszlai said: "There were four defenders in front of me, then I just thought I'd shoot from 20 yards in the last minute.

"Thank God it went in!"

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have been credited with a strong interest, as have Serie A sides AC Milan and Napoli, and Leipzig’s Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich.

The Red Bull connection between Leipzig and Salzburg has suggested the Bundesliga side were front-runners to secure Szoboszlai’s signature.

It appears a January transfer has shifted into focus following Salzburg’s elimination from the UEFA Champions League, and Mintzlaff has added fuel to the fire.

“He is someone we find very interesting,” Leipzig chief Mintzlaff told Sky Germany. “I can say that we are concerned with him.”

It has been claimed a deal to take Szoboszlai to Saxony could be concluded before Christmas, but Mintzlaff was giving nothing away on that front.

“You can gaze into a crystal ball and know more than I do,” he said. “We are not the only ones [who are interested].”

It does appear that Leipzig are well ahead in the chase for the Hungary international. 

Szoboszlai has a reported €25 million (£22.9m / $30.3m) release clause, which Leipzig are ready to trigger and tie him to a five-year contract.

It remains to be seen if Leipzig get the deal over the line before Christmas, but all the signs indicate that he will be their player early in the new year.

There is sure to be an adaptation process, whichever team he ends up at, but Julian Nagelsmann’s Leipzig are well placed to bed the 20-year-old in slowly as they are level at the top of the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich and through to the knockout stages of the Champions League.

NorthEast United held Chennaiyin to a goalless draw in an Indian Super League (ISL) clash on Sunday at the Tilak Maidan, Goa.

The Marina Machans had enough opportunities to break the deadlock but they failed as the Highlanders' unbeaten streak continued.

Three changes were made to the NorthEast United lineup as Idrissa Sylla, Lalengmawia and Ninthoiganba Meetei replaced Kwesi Appiah, Lalrempuia Fanai and Rochharzela. 

The Chennaiyin lineup also underwent two changes as Memo Moura replaced the injured Enes Sipovic and Edwin Vanspaul came in place of Rafael Crivellaro. 

The first half saw action at both ends as teams had their fair share of chances to break the deadlock. Chennaiyin had more possession of the ball but were wasteful in the attacking third. 

Lallianzuala Chhangte was a livewire on the left flank and had even come close to scoring at the very beginning of the game. Benjamin Lambot, on the other end, had a couple of chances to find the back of the net from setpieces but failed to find the back of the net. 

The Marina Machans should have broken the deadlock at the beginning of the second half when Chhangte found Jakub Sylvestr with a through ball inside the box but the forward failed to keep his shot on target.

Around the hour mark, Chhangte himself squandered the best chance of the match when he blasted the ball above the crossbar from a very close range. Fatkhullo found Sylvestr inside the box with a pass and the Slovak turned well inside the box and unleashed a shot which Gurmeet managed to parry away. Chhangte had an empty net in front of him from the rebound but he blasted his effort into the stands. 

For the Highlanders, Idrissa Sylla was unlucky not to score, as his curling shot from the edge of the box nearly went in but Vishal Kaith's brilliant save kept the deadlock intact. 

NorthEast remained second on the league table after the match while Chennaiyin sit at the eighth position.

Sami Khedira has revealed he remains in dialogue with Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti, with Goal able to reveal that there is optimism from both Juventus and the player that his contract will be terminated in January.

The former Germany international has found himself out of the picture under new Juve boss Andrea Pirlo, and has been linked with a move away from Turin.

Khedira said recently he has spoken to Ancelotti and Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho, who he has worked under before.

Ancelotti has spoken in glowing terms of the 33-year-old, recently saying: "I have a good memory of Sami Khedira, he was with me at Real Madrid and was a fantastic professional. 

"I would love to work with him.”

And it appears Khedira is open to linking up with his former manager once again.

“We spoke on the phone and wrote,” Khedira told Bild. “You know my situation.”

Khedira is keen on a move in January, as he says he is fit and hungry to be playing regularly every week.

“I'm open to a new sporting challenge,” Khedira said. “I have had a difficult time and want to play football again, fighting for three points week after week. That's what I long for.

"At the moment I still have so much strength and energy, so I am not dealing with summer 2021, but with December and January. A change is realistic, my full focus is on that."

Khedira began his professional career at Stuttgart and he is not ruling out bookending his time in the sport with a side who returned to the top tier in Germany last season.

“Stuttgart are back in the Bundesliga, and I can't rule out anything in the Bundesliga,” he said. “VfB is on a good and promising path.”

The holding midfielder says he has plenty still to give, and would relish a role where he could help nurture young players coming through the ranks.

“I would have great fun working with many young players whom I could help and share [knowledge with] as a mentor on the pitch,” he added.

For the moment, Khedira can only watch on from the sidelines in Turin. Juventus have four more games - Genoa, Atalanta, Parma and Fiorentina - before the transfer window opens in January.

Negotiations over a contract termination are expected to resume in the coming days.

Mwadui FC coach Khalid Adam has conceded he will have to sign new players since the majority of the existing ones cannot give him the results he needs. 

The Shinyanga-based side fell 5-0 to Yanga SC in their home game played at Sokoine Stadium on Saturday.

Burkinabe striker Yacouba Songne scored a brace and set up goals for Deus Kaseke and Tuisila Kisinda before Lamine Moro scored the fifth in favour of Timu ya Wananchi. 

The tactician has promised changes will be made in the forthcoming Tanzanian transfer window.

"I have young players in the team who are still gaining experience," Adam told reporters.

"The players I have will not give me the results we need as a team and I will definitely bring in players. I do not want to say the number of players we will sign. I will bring on board as many quality players as the club can allow."

The tactician has also explained the plan the team had in the match against Timu ya Wananchi and how everything crumbled. 

"Yanga is a good team and we knew winning against them would be a tall order," Adam added.

"Our plan was to try and contain them and ensure we do not concede in the first half. However, it did not happen because we conceded early. 

"From that point, everything spoiled and did not go according to plan and we ended up conceding five goals."

Mwadui goalkeeper Mussa Mbise went on to explain what he thought contributed to the huge loss against Wananchi.

"We have new players and we are still creating a chemistry which I believe will be better as we continue playing games," the custodian said.

"Of course it is heartbreaking to be suffering defeats by a big margin but the coach has also seen it and I am confident he will get a lasting solution."

Mwadui are second last on the table with 10 points from 15 games. They have managed to get three wins, a draw and 11 losses. They have conceded 33 goals in the process and scored 11.

Yanga are enjoying a 10-point lead on the table.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Nick Mwendwa has confirmed the removal of Mathare United and Zoo FC from the Premier League.

The removal of the two clubs come after they were expelled due to their objection to the broadcasting deal which FKF signed with StarTimes.

Zoo and Mathare had been given a 48-hour ultimatum to sign the deal but upon the period elapsing on Friday, FKF cited its constitution and an accompanying National Executive Committee decision that sealed the fate of the two sides.

“We have opened a 14-day transfer window for Mathare United and Zoo FC players to move clubs after they were suspended from the league. We have also amended the table to 16 teams,” Mwendwa told Goal on Sunday.

“There will be no room to add any other team as that remains the final decision.”

The expulsion of the two clubs comes after Mathare United CEO Jacktone Obure claimed FKF was favouring Gor Mahia and Ulinzi Stars in the ongoing impasse around the StarTimes deal.

Both Gor Mahia and Ulinzi Stars are the clubs who are yet to ratify the broadcasting deal.

“When FKF wrote the letter of suspension to us, they wrote to Ulinzi warning them that they must endorse the deal in 72 hours but accompanied the letter with some KSh2 million,” Obure stated in an earlier interview.

“Zoo and Mathare United have not signed and have not received a single coin and the question is: how comes that Ulinzi protested as we did but were only warned and given the money.

“Mathare United, unlike Ulinzi Stars, were removed from the Covid-19 programme tests because we had not signed the deal. We had to cover the costs of testing as a club.

“Ulinzi Stars wrote a letter requesting for more time to gloss over the deal but in the same afternoon, FKF wired KSh2 million to their account. Mathare wrote a similar letter but it was not replied to.

“The question is the four clubs have not signed the deal but there are those [Gor Mahia and Ulinzi Stars] who have been given preference and have been scheduled to play already.

“Ulinzi were given 72 hours after being warned whereas Mathare United were given 48 hours or face expulsion. Is there equality?”

The clubs have not yet stated what actions they will take against the decision of expulsion from the top-tier.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has opened the door for Mesut Ozil to return to the squad in January.

The former Germany international playmaker has been frozen out of the Spaniard’s plans since March and is not involved in either of the Gunners’ squads for the Premier League or the Europa League.

In the meantime, he has been involved in a battle with the club on social media, undermining them by offering to pay the wages of mascot Gunnersaurus, who was sacked by the club earlier this year as they made cutbacks due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Ozil’s deal is up at the end of the season and his Arsenal career seemed over – but there may be another twist to come in the tale.

“He’s not in the squad right now,” Arteta told the press on Saturday ahead of a Premier League meeting with Burnley on Sunday. “I’m focusing just on the players we have here.

“But, whatever happens in January, we have some time to decide.”

Former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger recently spoke out in defence of the former Real Madrid ace, claiming he is not a difficult character to manage.

"He was not difficult to manage. He was a guy who had a special quality as a creative player and needed to have fun," the legendary former Arsenal boss told ESPN.

"He is an artist and these guys are a bit more sensitive.

"They need support and an environment that pushes them to give their best."

Wenger offered Arteta some advice to get the best out of Ozil.

"You have two ways to see a football team. You get everybody to do the same. The same intensity of work, the same defensive work or you find a compromise," he added.

"You have a more creative player in the team who can do less defensive work but you build a team around him who can compensate for these deficiencies.

"That is what you have to think about."

Ghana's Emmanuel Boateng, Jonathan Mensah, and Harrison Afful alongside Nigeria's Fanendo Adi and Morocco's Youness Mokhtar have won the 2020 Major League Soccer Cup with Columbus Crew after their 3-0 victory over Seattle Sounders.

Caleb Porter's side ended their 2020 season on a high, a week after they defeated New England Revolution 1-0 to win the Easter Conference play-offs.

Ghana left-back Afful got the hosts off to a flying start at Mapfre Stadium by assisting Lucas Zelarayan for the opening goal in the 25th minute. Derick Etienne doubled the lead for the Crew in the 31st minute as Zelarayan bagged his brace eight minutes from full-time.

Mensah also produced a sold shift in the defence to help Porter's men keep a clean sheet in the emphatic victory.

Cameroon's Nouhou Tolo featured for Seattle Sounders while Boateng, Adi and Mokhtar were unused substitutes for the Crew.

Saturday's triumph secured Columbus Crew's second MLS Cup having clinched their first title in 2008. It was also a second MLS Cup for Adi who previously won it at Portland Timbers with Porter in 2015.

The Nigeria forward has struggled to make an impact in Columbus since he left Cincinnati to reunite with his former Timbers manager in January.

He was limited to just a start in the 12 league matches he featured in this campaign without scoring a goal.

Mokhtar, on the hand, contributed three goals in 19 MLS appearances to win the first major silverware of his career.

Ghana duo Mensah and Afful established themselves as key players in Porter's defence this campaign with over 25 league appearances under their belt while Boateng, who left D.C United to team up with the Crew in August, ended the 2020 season with 12 league games.

As a reward for winning the MLS Cup, Columbus Crew become the fourth American top-flight club to qualify for the 2021 Concacaf Champions League. They join Supporters' Shield winners Philadelphia Union, MLS is Back Tournament winners Portland Timbers and 2019 US Open Cup champions Atlanta United in the tournament.

Jamshedpur FC coach Owen Coyle praised the Mumbai City FC set-up and coach Sergio Lobera ahead of their clash against the Islanders on Monday evening. 

The Men of Steel are coming into the tie on the back of a goalless draw against SC East Bengal, before which they handed ATK Mohun Bagan their first defeat this season.

"A fantastic game to look forward to. [Mumbai City is] a team with fantastic players and a terrific coach (Sergio Lobera). With the City [Football] Group involved, they have spent a lot of money to bring in players that they require. Fair play to them as it enhances the league. 

"What we have to do is exactly what we did against ATK [Mohun Bagan] - we were talking about a team undefeated who haven't conceded a goal - we have to get that level of performance. You always want to play against the best players and the best team and Mumbai City affords you that opportunity," he said.

Mumbai City are currently on a run of four wins on the trot while Jamshedpur are undefeated in their last four games.

Coyle continues to miss the services of injured players such as Narender Gahlot, Joyner Lourenco and Nick Fitzgerald while Laldinliana Renthlei will miss out on account of picking a red card in the last match.

"We have a number of injuries and when suspensions come around, you have to adjust, and that's what you got a squad for. We know that when we are at our best, we can stand toe-to-toe with any team and that's what we have to do. So once we have our best team (full squad), we will get even stronger," the Jamshedpur tactician claimed.

Coming up against a distinctive attacking style of play that Lobera adopts at Mumbai City, the 54-year-old put in, "I've already played against Sergio Lobera's teams. We have to be very respectful of Mumbai City but we have to bring in our game. We have to nullify the threats from Mumbai, which are many, but we have threats of our own. So we have to make sure that we impose what we do at Jamshedpur."

Matt Doherty said his competition with Serge Aurier at Tottenham Hotspur is to make each other better.

The duo is battling for the right-back spot in Jose Mourinho's team this season, however, they have both delivered impressive performances whenever they are called upon.

Earlier this season, Doherty got the nod to start on the right side of the defence but tested positive for coronavirus in November which led to Aurier's return to the starting XI.

The Ivory Coast international has helped Spurs keep three consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League - their goalless draws against Arsenal and Chelsea, and a 2-0 victory over Manchester City.

Aurier was reportedly linked with an exit from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer with AC Milan and Spartak Moscow reportedly interested in his services, following the arrival of Doherty from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Ahead of Sunday's London derby at Crystal Palace, the summer-signing welcomes the competition for playing time as a healthy fight.

Doherty told the club website: "I love it here. I came here in the summer and we're fighting it out, driving each other on, whether he plays or I play, we've pretty much played half-and-half this season, so we try to get the best out of each other, and any competition is going to improve the team.

"You want to play as many games as possible, you want to stay sharp, and there is nothing like game fitness.

"Fortunately, people who haven't played one game have managed to play the midweek game, so everyone is fresh enough.

"I guess whatever the team is, we're all in pretty good nick."

Aurier missed Thursday's Europa League victory over Royal Antwerp due to a knock as Tottenham advanced to the Round of 32 as Group J winners.

The 27-year-old defender remains a doubt to make his sixth Premier League appearance at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

Former Manchester United man Gary Neville has put the boot into the club following their scoreless derby draw against Manchester City.

The point leaves the Red Devils eighth in the Premier League, four points off leaders Tottenham and Liverpool.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, though, do not have the look of a team capable of mounting a prolonged title challenge, having crashed out of the Champions League with a 3-2 loss to RB Leipzig last weekend.

A succession of managers have come and gone since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, and Neville says it is the responsibility of the board that United have lost their place at the forefront of the game in England.

“I've still got a thing in the back of my mind with this club that to allow a manager to win a title, you have to arm him with the players to do so,” Neville told Sky Sports.

“And have the ownership, the recruitment department, whatever you want to call them, done that?

“He needed another centre-back, he needed a right winger. They had to play Pogba left wing today, Greenwood on the right wing. They're still fudging it.

“They have six midfield players and trying to fit them all in.

“It is square pegs in round holes all the time - I don't think they have given any manager in the last five or six years a team that can win the title. That's the job of the people above.

“For me, there is dual culpability in terms of why Manchester United aren't successful.

“Ole's lack of success in not winning a title will not just be down to him but he's got to get close with that group of players and start dominating matches.”

Neville believes that Solskjaer is currently doing a firefighting job.

“He won't think that first half against West Ham [in a 3-1 win] is anywhere near the standard that is going to get Manchester United to a title,” said the former Red Devils defender.

“He obviously will keep putting a positive spin on it and today said it's the best they've played against City but the reality of it is he'll know they're not performances that will win titles. They're not; they're nowhere near.”

Solskjaer takes his side to Sheffield United then hosts Leeds in their pre-Christmas Premier League fixtures. They also have a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Everton to play on December 23.

Yanga SC coach Cedric Kaze has revealed he went to encourage Mwadui FC goalkeeper Mussa Mbise in order for him not to be negatively impacted by the number of goals conceded on Saturday.

Yacouba Songne played a starring role as Timu ya Wananchi defeated their hosts 5-0 at Sokoine Stadium to open a 10-point gap on top of the Tanzania Mainland League table.  

The Burkinabe scored a brace and set up goals for Deus Kaseke and Tuisila Kisinda before Lamine Moro scored the fifth.  

"Football is about friendship and encouragement," Kaze told reporters after the match.

"I was just encouraging the player after he conceded the goals, telling him it should not negatively impact him in his career. 

"These are usual things in football and he will bounce back and be one of the best."

The Burundian was impressed with the way his charges played, stating the result will boost the confidence of the 27-time league champions.

"Another three points that we came for, and I am glad we have managed to get them," Kaze added.

"The players showed their quality and it is true scoring goals increases the confidence of the team and players, individually, and it will help us to confidently approach forthcoming matches."

The Tanzanian transfer window will open on December 15 and the soft-spoken tactician has explained the process he will be engaging in before deciding to bring in a new player.

"Regarding the transfer window, I will sit with the board and decide because we do not want to sign a player for the sake of it. We want to sign a player who will bring quality to the team," he revealed.

"We do not want to make panic buys or maybe sign players because people are pressuring us to do so.

"We will analyse the team and see the department that needs to be strengthened and see the players at our proposal. If we get a good player who fits in the needy department then we will go for him but if not, we will do with what we have."

After Saturday's win, the unbeaten Wananchi are on 37 points while second-placed Azam are on 27. 

Owen Coyle took the Indian Super League (ISL) by storm when he turned around the fortunes of a then beleaguered Chennaiyin FC and guided them to a runner-up spot last season. Over the summer, he jumped ship to join Jamshedpur FC and after suffering a defeat in their season opener to Chennaiyin FC, they have been unbeaten in their last four outings. 

On Monday evening, Mumbai City FC will come up against Jamshedpur FC and coach Sergio Lobera has urged his team to be guard and not take any team lightly. On being specifically asked about Coyle's impact last season in ther ISL, Lobera replied, "We need to go step-by-step. I think the past is the past and we need to focus on the future. 

"Every team is different but I think it's possibly going to be similar to facing Chennaiyin FC because Jamshedpur has a very competitive team. They are a good team with and without the ball. They are a dangerous team because when they have the chances, they usually score goals. So we need to work on the balance on the offensive and defensive aspects because it's very important for tomorrow's game." 

The games are coming thick and fast and Mumbai will be playing their third game in eight days, which makes it paramount for coaches to rotate the squad. Lobera agrees that recovering players in such a short time is difficult and hence, he would have to rely on the depth of his squad.

"It's not easy. We have a big challenge every day in this season and we have to adapt quickly. The most important thing is that I have a good squad and it's not only about the 11 players who played in the last game," said Lobera.

Mumbai are in a rich vein of form as they have won four games on the bounce and are gunning for the fifth win. But the former Las Palmas manager believes that his team still has room to improve. 

"Obviously, we need to improve day-by-day and game-by-game. Winning four games in a row is not easy. Now in a normal situation, we are probably at the end of the pre-season. Obviously, as a team, we need to improve a lot."

Lobera also confirmed that Mandar Rao Dessai is yet to join the squad after he had to leave the bio-secure bubble due to personal reasons.

Japanese midfielder Cy Goddard is enjoying training under the 43-year-old tactician and has adapted well to Lobera's style. But the footballer expressed his displeasure over having a short pre-season as it made matters complicated heading into the fixtures. 

"I've grown up watching Spanish football. So for me, it wasn't so hard going into this style of football and I've enjoyed it very much. We get on very well off the pitch which makes it easier for us to develop a relationship on the pitch and I think it can only get better. I wouldn't say that the style of football makes it harder but the style of football that we play probably makes it easier. This is because we're the ones trying to be in possession of the ball and the other team will have to do more of the work as we dominate the game. 

"I've enjoyed my time very much. Of course, it's a difficult situation being in the bubble and without fans but the group has treated me well. We had a short time together (in pre-season) and all of a sudden we were thrown into the fixtures straight away. So that was probably the hardest part," stated Goddard.