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Playing in the same team as Lionel Messi is too stressful for some players because of the Barcelona star's ambition, Juan Carlos Unzue says.

Messi upset the Catalan giants in the summer when he declared his desire to leave, citing the club's failure to compete for the Champions League as a major factor in his decision. 

The Argentina international has been a first-team regular for Barca for almost 15 years and remains the dominant force at Camp Nou.

Unzue, who spent three years working alongside the Argentine icon as assistant coach to Luis Enrique, says the 33-year-old's high standards turn out to be too much for many of his team-mates.

"What has kept Messi going has been ambition, and that brings moments of stress with it," he told Marca.

"He demands that he continues to be the best and as a consequence he always wants the maximum from those around him.

"It doesn't matter if this is team-mates, the coach, the physio or what, it produces great stress on some colleagues who aren't able to shoulder it."

During Unzue's spell as assistant, Barca won the Champions League, Club World Cup and two La Liga titles among other trophies.

The Blaugrana have struggled to compete for the European prize since that era, with Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien falling short in their spells in the dugout.

Ronald Koeman took charge in the summer and, while they have disappointed in La Liga, they have secured their place in the last-16 of the Champions League.

Unzue believes Koeman has walked into the club at the right time, saying it is more difficult when expectations are high.

"Koeman I think he is managing well with Leo and with the group," he said.

"Entering a club when you have won titles is more complicated than when you're not winning. When we arrived with Luis Enrique, we did it at the right time, after a year in which the team had not won anything.

"That's how it is with Koeman, because he arrives at a very screwed up moment, but if he is not in a very screwed up moment, Barcelona don't make you the coach.

"Barcelona is always difficult, but if you do it in this situation I think the management is simpler, than for example in the situation that Quique Setien arrived after the titles that Valverde won."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scotched any suggestions that he could be about to retire by indicating that he will keep playing football until he is not physically able.

The Milan forward may be 39 but he has been on red-hot form this season, scoring 10 goals in six Serie A matches, despite having suffered from Covid-19.

And given such a return, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United forward has no intention of hanging up his boots.

"I'll keep going until I can't do these things I'm doing," he told BBC Sport. "I just have to keep physically good and the rest will be solved by itself.

"I have a lot of experience, goals have never been an issue, I just keep going. I'm not the same player I was five years ago, I'm not the same player I was 10 years ago, we all change because of the development in your physical point of view," he said.

"I'm honest in saying that I'm not running like I ran before; I'm running more intelligent now. The Italian league, the reason I say that it's the most difficult to play in for a striker is because it's very technical and the philosophy of Italy is to not to concede a goal rather than score a goal.

"I feel like I've been here different generations. I played against [former Milan defender] Paolo Maldini and now I'm playing with his son, Daniel. Hopefully I can play with Daniel's son also, that would be a miracle."

With the former Sweden forward on such hot form, it is no surprise that Milan have been going well in the league.

They presently top Serie A and are five points clear of San Siro rivals Inter ahead of the weekend’s kick offs.

"We are in unbelievable form - we are doing great, we're doing good," Ibrahimovic added.

"But still we haven't won anything, we have to keep that in mind."

Indeed, he returned to Milan precisely because of the challenge it posed.

"The first time I came to Milan I came to a club fighting for the title, the second time I came it was in a situation to bring the club and the team back to the top where it belongs," he said.

"It's a different challenge, it's a challenge I like, because when they say it's too difficult, it's almost impossible, that's where I come in the picture and that's where I feel alive.

"If I can succeed and if I'm able to do what I think I can do, the feedback is amazing, the feeling is amazing because it's a bigger achievement than coming to a top team that is already top. I'm very motivated."

Odisha and Goa go head to head in a 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) encounter at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, on Saturday evening.

TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM

The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL in India.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

TEAM NEWS

Odisha FC Possible XI:   

Injured - Kamaljit Singh, Thoiba Singh
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players - Diego Mauricio, Cole Alexander

FC Goa Possible XI: 

Injured - None
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players -  Igor Angulo, Brandon Fernandes

Bengali-Fode Koita scored twice as Kasimpasa secured a 3-2 victory over Denizlispor in Friday’s Turkish Super Lig game.

The 30-year-old was handed his fifth start of the season and made a vital contribution to help the Apaches return to winning ways after losing against Besiktas last time out.

The Guinea international opened the scoring for Fuat Capa’s men in the 36th minute with a fine individual effort.  

Denizlispor levelled proceedings in the 39th minute through Recep Niyaz but the goal was shortlived as Kasimpasa got back to the driving seat three minutes later.

Completing his brace, Koita fired home a well-taken effort beyond the reach of goalkeeper Cenk Gonen.

After the restart, the Apaches continued to dominate proceedings and rightly got their third goal in the 51st minute.

Kevin Varga found the back of the net with an impressive strike which sealed the victory despite a late effort from Hugo Rodallega.

Koita featured for 86 minutes in the encounter before he was replaced by Alan while Mali international Hadi Sacko was on parade for 70 minutes before making ways for Fede Varela but could not help his side to avoid the defeat.

The win ensured Kasimpasa climbed to the sixth spot on the Super Lig table after gathering 18 points from 12 games.

Koita has now scored four goals in seven league games this season for the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium outfit.

The forward has been with Kasimpasa since January 2016 when he teamed up with the club from Blackburn Rovers.

The attacker has scored 25 league goals in 93 appearances since his arrival at the club, helping them to finish in mid-table last season.

Koita will be expected to continue his eye-catching performances when Kasimpasa take on Muglaspor in a Cup tie on December 15.

Basaksehir striker Demba Ba has revealed what was said in the dressing room during Tuesday’s aborted Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

The fixture was abandoned with only 13 minutes played after the fourth official allegedly used racist language to pinpoint Basaksehir assistant Pierre Webo for a red card.

The incident sparked remarkable scenes on the sidelines, including Ba confronting the officials.

Ultimately, Basaksehir did not elect to continue the fixture with the same referees and the game was restarted a day later, with PSG defeating the Turkish side 5-1.

Former Chelsea and Newcastle striker Ba, though, has lifted the lid on what was said in the dressing room as the Turkish side discussed whether they should continue the game.

“It started by speaking to the right and to the left, and then some raised their voices to say: ‘Either we all go out or none of us go out,’” Ba told BeIn Sport.

“I was surprised by the reaction of certain players, notably Enzo Crivelli.

“I told him: ‘Enzo, if they all go out, you go out. You’re 25 years old, you go out.

“If you knew the violence with which he yelled at me to say: ‘No, I’m not going out.' These are things that must be eradicated from the football field and if we don’t do anything today, it will continue.

“He decided not to play on and he was followed by the team. They all stayed and we played the following day.”

Ba won acclaim for his reaction to the incident. Having started on the bench, he remonstrated with the officials: "You never say, 'This white guy, that white guy.' But when it's a black guy, you have to say, 'This black guy.'"

After the fixture was ultimately played, PSG midfielder Marco Verratti commented to RMC Sport: "We are watched by millions of people and we must set an example. We made a gesture by deciding with the other team not to play.

"The fourth official should be punished, to set an example for everyone, including our kids, and for him to change.

"The smartest thing was to stop playing. We will try to set even more examples in the future.

"It's a personal matter for everyone – some players were more affected than others. There were no conditions yesterday to finish the game.

"There are more important things in life and we are done today. Now we are happy with the match, to have won and we are moving forward."

UEFA is set to open an investigation into the accusations of racism.

Lionel Messi shocked the football world when he announced he wanted to leave Barcelona at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Messi's desire to leave the Catalan side stemmed from the club's poor performances, a lack of improvement in the squad, and tumultuous off-pitch politics.

In an exclusive interview with Goal, Messi revealed he had decided to stay as he wanted to avoid taking his beloved club to court - the only route available to opt out of his contract - but as his current deal is still set to expire in 2021, could he still leave the club on a free transfer?

As Messi's current contract with Barcelona expires at the end of the 2020-21 season, he could still leave Camp Nou for free in the summer of 2021.

Messi's contract buyout clause (or release clause) is €700 million (£630m/$825m), which was put in place when Messi signed a new four-year contract with Barcelona in 2017. 

This clause, however, will expire at the end of his current deal, paving the way for him to join another club as a free agent.

In entering the final 12 months of his current deal, he will be free to speak with interested clubs outside of Spain starting from January 2021.

“I thought and was sure that I was free to leave, the president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I stayed or not,” Messi told Goal.

“Now they cling to the fact that I did not say it before June 10, when it turns out that on June 10 we were competing for La Liga in the middle of this awful coronavirus and this disease altered all the season.

“And this is the reason why I am going to continue in the club. Now I am going to continue in the club because the president told me that the only way to leave was to pay the €700m clause, and that this is impossible.”

Manchester City is a potential destination for the Barcelona superstar, with Messi eyeing a potential reunion with former manager Pep Guardiola.

The Etihad side were reportedly front-runners for Messi's signature last summer, with Man City believing they possess the financial prowess to sign the legendary forward.

The club's chief operating officer Omar Berrada told the Manchester Evening News of previously being linked to Messi: “He's an amazing talent, he's somebody that can make a significant impact at any club in the world on and off the pitch immediately.

“He's the best player in the world, he's the best player of his generation. I think any club in the world would like to explore the possibility of him joining their team.

“The fact that it was commented that he wanted to come to play for City just shows you how far the team has come over the last years where the best talent of his generation and potentially saying he wants to come and play for us."

Tenerife midfielder Raissa Feudjio struggled to contain her emotions after making her return in a 4-1 victory over Real Betis on Sunday. 

The Cameroon international made her first appearance since she suffered a serious knee injury against Betis on November 24 and played the last five minutes in her side's win against the visitors. 

Cote d'Ivoire's Ange N'Guessan opened the scoring before Patri Gavira and Allegra Poljak netted to wrap up the seventh win of the season for Francis Diaz's team at Estadio La Palmera.

While satisfied with her team's return to the top of the table, the 25-year-old has taken time to reflect on her recovery journey from injury after a year since suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

"I am a warrior, I have returned," Feudjio told the club website on her return from a one-year-long injury layoff.

“The warm-up, the instructions from Francis Díaz and my entry to the field were exciting. Those minutes made me very happy and I said to myself, this is my moment and I'm going to do my best.

“They were hard moments, they are hard for any athlete. When I felt the crunch I felt fear at that moment, but I have always considered myself a strong player and with the help of teammates and management of the club to this day I can continue to enjoy my profession, fully recovered."

Besides missing club actions for the Spanish club, the Cameroon international also missed the Indomitable Lionesses' defeat to Zambia in the Tokyo 2020 Caf Olympic Games qualifier last March.

Her return offers a huge boost for Alain Djeumfa's team as they gear up for a Caf/South American playoff clash with Chile in February and the midfielder is eager for a return to the national team fold.

"I will also fight to play ninety minutes as soon as possible and help my teammates to continue making history ”, she concluded.

Following her return, she will hope to get more minutes when her side take on newcomers Santa Teresa in their next game on Sunday.

Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham has backed manager Mikel Arteta to turn things around at the club, hailing him as a "really powerful individual".

The Gunners have stuttered to begin the 2020-21 campaign and are now off to their worst start to a top-flight season since the 1981-82 season.

They sit 15th in the table with 13 points - seven ahead of third-bottom side Burnley and 11 behind leaders Tottenham, who beat them 2-0 last week. They have won just once in their last seven top-flight matches, while only three teams have scored fewer goals in the Premier League this season.

The north London side's results have put pressure on former midfielder Arteta, who has insisted that he has "zero doubts" about his side's ability to bounce back from their underwhelming start.

Although they may be struggling in England, Arsenal finished top of their Europa League group with a perfect record, having won 4-2 at Dundalk in the final match of the round on Thursday.

Venkatesham has given the 38-year-old a vote of confidence amid their disappointing domestic form and believes the team is strong enough to get their season back on track.

"With Mikel we have got a number of things. You’ve got an individual who has extraordinary experience in the Premier League across his time at Arsenal, Everton, Man City and then back at Arsenal," Venkatesham said in an interview with The Times.

"You have got a guy that loves this club and understands what it means to play for this club, and he was obviously captain here. You’ve got a guy who is a real team player.

"The team he’s formed with [technical director] Edu, and also his technical staff, is really, really strong.

"You’ve got a guy who is absolutely driven to succeed and be successful on the pitch, but doing it in a way that respects our history and traditions. So I think with him we have got a really, really powerful individual."

Arsenal will be looking to recover from last week's loss to their north London rivals when they return to Premier League action on Sunday with a home game Burnley. They host Southampton in the league three days later.

FC Robo striker Gift Monday said she is confident the team can challenge for the 2021 Nigeria Women's Premier League title this season.

Monday swapped now-defunct COD United Ladies for Robo at the start of the 2017 term and has enjoyed an incredible rise at the club, narrowly missing a Super Four qualification in 2019.

The Lagos-based outfit opened their season with a 1-0 win over Nasarawa Amazons at Lafia City Stadium, where they were held to a 1-1 draw on their opening day visit in 2018.

And following Wednesday's triumph, the 2019 Africa Games gold winner expressed joy over their fine start and has assured her side will work hard to contend for the league diadem this time. 

"We are happy as a team of getting three points in Lafia. We will continue to put in our best as a team in the coming matches," Monday told Goal. 

"It's definitely a long season for us but we hope to build a good start. There is a lot of hope for FC Robo to go far this season.

"I have great confidence in the set of players and believe we have what it takes to challenge for the league title this season and possibly, in the end, play in the Caf Women's Champions League."

Shobowale Rukayat's first-half strike was all Emmanuel Osahon's side required to upset the two-time Nigerian champions and Monday opened up on her side's build-up to the encounter.

"Last two years, when we came here we had a draw and this time it resulted in winning," she continued.

"Nasarawa Amazons have always been a good team. They have won the league twice and consistently involved in the Super Four mostly played in Lagos, where we had the chance to watch them.

"We trained hard on the little information we had about them and managed to execute it on the field. We are glad the scoring opportunity came, we actually identified it and made good use of it.

"We have a team of young, talented and experienced players who have the determination to succeed. I am very confident we will do better than we ever did this season."

Robo have never qualified for the Super Four tournament since their promotion to the Nigerian top-flight in 2015. 

However, they will hope to upset the odds by maintaining the winning momentum when they welcome neighbours Osun Babes at Legacy Pitch, Lagos on Wednesday.

Arsenal's reputation is in decline amid the club's weak start to the season, says former goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.

Although the Gunners protected their perfect record in the Europa League this week to finish top of Group B, they have been underwhelming in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta's team are 15th in the table, just seven points clear of the relegation zone and 11 adrift of leaders Tottenham, and have won just one of their last seven matches in the top flight.

It is the worst start they have made to a season in 39 years and Lehmann, who spent five years at Arsenal, says it has been an unacceptable beginning for a club of their stature.

"The position right now is the worst in decades. For a club like Arsenal that is not acceptable," the former Germany international told The Daily Mail. 

"All of us old players would try to help and make the Arsenal brand strong and big. We are very disappointed because the brand name is deteriorating, and you simply cannot let that happen."

He added: "The board has to make the right decisions, the manager has to make the right decisions by signing players and coaching them. 

"The players are in a fantastic environment, they are in London at one of the most traditional clubs. 

"It seems that some of them are still having problems to cope with the pressure because everybody expects them to win something.

"But we are not even talking about winning anymore when you speak of Arsenal. There are a lot of problems."

It has been a period of upheaval for Arsenal since Arsene Wenger's departure in 2018 after 22 years in charge.

Arteta is the third manager to sit in the dugout since the Frenchman left and Lehmann says the pressure is on the Spaniard to impress. 

"Wenger teamed together with [former vice-chairman] David Dein for a long time. There was huge consistency, and financial consistency," he said. "The spine of the team and of the club, that has gone now. 

"But look at Manchester United after Sir Alex [Ferguson] has left. It is the same problem there, and football has moved on. 

"It is always the same. If you work for a big club like Arsenal, and you don't fulfill ambitions, then you have to accept to be replaced."

Emmanuel Amuneke has revealed the reason why he rejected a chance to become the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) technical director was because of his current involvement with a club.

The 49-year-old is believed to still be under contract with Egyptian side El Makkasa after joining the club initially as a coach before he was given the position of technical director.

Amuneke joined El Makkasa after leaving his role as coach of the Tanzania national team, following their abysmal performance in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, where they failed to win a single game before their exit from the tournament.

The former international won a number of laurels during his playing years for the Super Eagles and guided Nigeria to win the 2015 U17 World Cup.

Amuneke revealed he was approached by the NFF to take up the role of Nigeria’s technical director - which was subsequently handed to Austin Eguavoen - and explained why he rejected it.

“I was approached by the NFF for the role of a technical director but I had a contract with the people I was working with and I needed to respect the contract,” Amuneke told Punch.

“I was in a difficult situation with my team as of that time and we were in a relation battle.

“Though my country comes first, I needed to respect my employers. They said they wanted me till after the season.”

Amuneke also ruled out the possibility of becoming Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr’s assistant in future, explaining he would be a threat to his job.

“No! Why? I have my principles. We are ready to serve our nation. But as individuals, we have our reputation to protect,” he continued.

“If I come on board, I am a threat to Rohr. If I am here as an assistant, he will lose more concentration. He will think I am there to take his job.

“We have decided to give him the job, but let us support him.  If Nigerians decide that Amuneke, we need your service, I will be there. But it is not possible [to be Rohr’s assistant]. What will I be saying? He has his own philosophy, I have mine.

“Nobody has ever told me to come and be an assistant coach and if it’ll be, it is not possible, it will never be.

“I am not better than anybody. I am not arrogant. It is unfortunate that we don’t respect our stars in Africa. I deserve a little bit of respect and I didn’t reject any job.

“After U-20, I decided to get out of the Nigerian space. I took that decision myself. At the age that I am now, I have been involved in football all my life, for me I like challenges and I am not afraid. I should make decisions for myself and respect others.”

Amuneke was part of Nigeria’s team that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and subsequently clinched the African Player of the Year award for his electrifying performances in the tournament.

Mamelodi Sundowns legend Bennett Mnguni says Gaston Sirino should work hard to earn his place back in the starting line-up.

The Uruguayan playmaker's potential transfer to Egyptian giants Al Ahly has failed to materialise so far and he is now expected to compete for his place in the Sundowns team again.

Themba Zwane, Peter Shalulile and Kermit Erasmus have flourished for the Tshwane giants this season as the front trio in Sirino's absence. 

“I don’t think his space in the team is closed‚ he just needs to be focused and work hard to force the coaches to give him an opportunity in the starting line-up," Mnguni told Sowetan.

"He can’t just walk back in the team because all the players at Sundowns deserve to be in the starting line-up.”

The 29-year-old made one appearance this season, before he made a transfer request through the media last month as he pushed for a move to Al Ahly.

This made Sundowns general manager Yogesh Singh angry and he threatened disciplinary action against Sirino.

Mnguni, who won the PSL title with Masandawana, stated that the Chloorkop-based giants should find a way to reintegrate the former Union San Felipe player.

“I am not sure if there was a fall-out between the player and anyone at the club behind the scenes as a result of his public statements that he would like to join Al Ahly," continued added.

"But if they have not done it yet‚ the coaches must sit him down to clarify issues and move on.

“I don’t think there is going to be a problem for the boy to come back to the team and the other thing is that we still need him," the retired midfielder added.

"A way forward must be found because he has been an important part of the Sundowns attacking system and we can’t say that we don’t want him anymore.”

Sundowns tied down Sirino to a new long-term deal in July 2020 as he signed a five-year contract extension which will expire in 2025.

He was one of Sundowns' best players last season as the Brazilians clinched a domestic treble - winning the Premier Soccer League (PSL), Telkom Knockout Cup and Nedbank Cup.

Everton will be without star playmaker James Rodriguez as Carlo Ancelotti takes on his former club Chelsea on Saturday.

James, 29, sustained a minor calf problem in last week's 1-1 Premier League draw at Burnley and has not trained this week.

Everton have lost their last two home games against Leeds United and Manchester United, dropping to ninth in the table after topping the standings in the early stages of 2020-21.

Ancelotti has not lost three straight home league games as a manager since 2006 with Milan, while March 2016 was the last time it happened for Everton.

They will now bid to avoid that fate at Goodison Park against an in-form Chelsea side who sit third in the table.

"We have James out – he had a little problem in the game against Burnley," Ancelotti said at his pre-match news conference.

"He was not able to train this week, I think he will start to train next week. For this game, we don't want to take a risk.

"He had a charge on his calf muscle after the game against Burnley. Nothing special, but he was not able to train.

"We have to look at him after the game to see if he will be able to train and play against Leicester [City, on Wednesday]."

As well as James, Everton boss Ancelotti ruled out captain Seamus Coleman and midfielder Fabian Delph, who had both hoped to feature, while Lucas Digne and Jean-Philippe Gbamin are longer-term absentees.

"I'm not used to complaining about the players who are not available," added the Italian. "The players who are available trained well and are in good condition.

"We understand that there will be an important moment and test, not only on Saturday but in this period of December.

"So, I think we arrive at the game with confidence and motivation."

Ancelotti will do battle with his former player, Frank Lampard, who impressed under his stewardship at Chelsea.

He was in charge of 76 Premier League games with Chelsea from 2009 to 2011 and Lampard played in 60 of those, scoring 32 goals.

Only under Jose Mourinho did Lampard score more in the Premier League (49 in 140 appearances).

Lionel Messi is capable of doing the impossible on the pitch, and has been lauded as one of the greatest footballers of all-time.

He has carved out a legacy as Barcelona's talismanic striker, synonymous with the club and the city.

But does the Argentina international speak English? Goal takes a look.

Having spent his entire life living in Spanish-speaking countries Argentina and Spain, it is safe to assume that Messi does not speak English.

The Barcelona striker might be able to understand a few English phrases, but Messi is known to be fluent in only Spanish and Catalan.

Non-English footballers usually learn the language after playing at a club where English is the dominant language. Cristiano Ronaldo, for example, became fluent in English playing for Manchester United before he left for Real Madrid and still has a strong grasp of the language.

Ronaldo even joked about acting as translator for both Messi and Neymar, neither of whom speak English, at the 2016 Ballon d'Or ceremony.

All three superstars were up for the individual award for the year 2015, with Messi eventually claiming his fifth award.

Ronaldo, who was playing for Real Madrid at the time, finished in second place, with Neymar in third.

"We got closer, but we have always had a good relationship," Ronaldo joked when asked about his experience at the gala with Messi.

"Before the gala, on the stage, I was a translator for Neymar and him [Messi]. I told them they would have to pay me."

While Messi himself may not speak English, his partner Antontella speaks the language fluently.

In 2019, 11-year-old Mackenzie O’Neill encountered the surprise of his life when he and his family bumped into Messi, who was vacationing in Antigua with his own children.

Messi invited the youngster to play football with him and his son, Thiago.

“Messi’s wife [Antonella] translated because she speaks English very well," Mackenzie said.

"Later on I ended up swimming with Messi and we went out on a little boat and spent a lot of time in the water.

"Messi was with his family on the beach. I was on my own and began to kick my ball a few feet from where they were.

“His dad Jorge threw a ball to me and asked if I wanted to play with them and then we played football with Thiago and Messi for 45 minutes.

“Playing with Leo in the water was great fun. He acted like a normal dad. I also realised that Messi really enjoyed seeing his son play with other children.”

He added: “The last night Messi and his family were here I was playing with Thiago and gave him my football to keep.

“But he ran after me along the beach and insisted I keep it. Afterwards Messi and his wife said goodbye to me with huge smiles. I am not going to forget them.”

Express FC coach Wasswa Bbosa is confident his charges are ready to replace his suspended captain Enock Walusimbi in the game against Bright Stars.

The skipper was sent off in the team's 1-1 draw away to Onduparaka FC in the Ugandan Premier League (UPL) opening game. The tactician is confident whoever will be called in to replace his custodian will be up to the task.

"Yes, we will miss our captain because of the red card he received in the last match but the good thing is we recruited players in different departments who are always ready whenever need arises," Bbosa said ahead of the game that will be played at the Mutesa II Stadium.

"So, we expect and we are confident that whoever replaces him will as well give 100% such that we win the match."

The tactician is optimistic his team is ready to get maximum points after correcting mistakes made in their opening game.

"We have corrected our mistakes in regard to defending," Bbosa continued.

"We have concentrated more on scoring goals in the last two days, and certainly we will win."

Defender Murishid Juuko has also supported his tactician's sentiments regarding preparations for the Saturday game.  

"The last game was not as easy as we expected, we went to Arua expecting a win but all in vain," the experienced defender said. 

"We have spent this week preparing, trying to correct the mistakes we made and we think that with the tactics given to us by the technical bench. We are going to achieve something tomorrow in the game and hopefully it’ll be a win.

"It is so bad that we are going to miss [Walusimbi] as a captain because he is such a pillar. But, the team has so many able players."   

On Friday, three games were played across the country.

Meanwhile, KCCA FC continued with their excellent run in the Ugandan Premier League after defeating Mbarara City 2-0 at Lugogo Stadium on Friday evening.

Denis Iguma and Samuel Ssenyonjo ensured the Kasasiro Boys walked home with maximum points from the opening three games. 

Onduparaka bounced back from a humiliating 8-0 loss to KCCA to defeat Myda FC 3-2.

The Purple Sharks started the match on a high but it was the promoted side who opened the scoring in the 10th minute through Ibra Nsimbe. 

It was the goal that woke the visitors and in the 16th minute, it was 1-1. Living Kabon was at the end of a flowing move to give his team something to celebrate about. 

With three minutes to the break, the Sharks grabbed their second courtesy of Gabriel Matata. 

In the 49th minute, the home team was caught napping and Amis Muwonge punished them and gave Onduparaka a two-goal advantage.

Nsimbe completed his brace in the 68th minute to ensure the game ended 3-2 in favour of the visitors.

Busoga United and Kyetume played out a 1-1 draw.

Chelsea defender Thiago Silva has named the three coaches that have had the greatest influence in his career.

The Brazil star moved to the Premier League after a successful eight-year stint with Paris Saint-Germain.

He built his reputation, however, at AC Milan, while he has also enjoyed spells with Porto, Fluminense and even in Russia with Dynamo Moscow.

Silva, therefore, has had a multitude of different influences on his career but has narrowed down the outstanding three coaches.

“We can learn all the time,” he told the Brazilian FA. “With some coaches that I worked with, I saw how not to do things, whether it was in man management or in tactical work. But I also met a lot of good people.

“If I had to name three coaches whose work inspired me the most, I would have to saw Brazil coach Tite, Carlo Ancelotti and Thomas Tuchel.

“Regarding Tite and Ancelotti, it’s almost impossible to love one and dislike the other because they are very similar. But the three of them understand football a lot and they stand out on a human level.

“And I can’t avoid mentioning a few of the coaches at the star of my career in Brazil, like Ivo Wortman, Oswaldo de Oliveira and Renato Gaucho.”

Silva, who has caught the eye during his brief time in the Premier League with the Blues, has said that he will always remain a fan of PSG, where he spent the bulk of his career.

“Personally, I’ll always remain a supporter of them,” he said. “It’s a team that works very well and it was difficult to leave.”

Thiago Silva’s next challenge for Chelsea is likely to come against Everton on Saturday night at Goodison Park – where he will square off against Ancelotti, one of the men he named as his greatest influences.

Frank Lampard’s side lie third in the Premier League table, two points shy of leaders Tottenham and second-placed Liverpool.

In addition to a strong domestic start, the Blues made serene progress in the Champions League, reaching the last 16 before a 1-1 draw with Krasnodar in midweek.