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Kenyan goalkeeper Lucas Indeche has revealed he would love to turn out for Gor Mahia in future.

The custodian is one of the experienced players in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) having turned out for bitter rivals AFC Leopards, Thika United and Sony Sugar.

"No Kenyan player would not wish to play for Gor Mahia, and I am not an exception," Indeche, who plays for South Sudan top-tier side Atlabara told Goal.

"We all know K'Ogalo is a big team and have a massive following. Their track record is enviable and in future, if I get a chance to play for them, I will not hesitate. It will be one of my best moves.

"KCB and Sofapaka are also good teams in the Kenyan top-flight football. Their organization and ambitions are consistent."

Any goalkeeper would like to play for the National Team and the 29-year-old Indeche is not an exception.

"No sane player will turn down a chance to play for Harambee Stars, it is what everyone wishes for," Indeche continued.

"I have the ability to play for Kenya, but again, it all depends on the head coach. Every tactician has his players who he feels will fit in a certain system and I respect that.

"However, with consistency, I will break into the team, but if I don't, it will be a motivation for me to push harder."

Indeche made a silent move to South Sudan in January this year. The custodian signed a two-year contract at the Juba-based side.

"My move to South Sudan was exciting and scary at the same time because it was the first time I was going to play outside Kenya," Indeche told Goal.

"Initially I did not know what to expect considering I was not with my family and friends. However, I was welcomed well and settled fast. It is a move I wanted; far from distractions to bring my career back on track."

Atlabara have won the league three times, in 2013, 2015 and 2019. Last season, they represented the country in the Caf Champions League, but they were eliminated in the preliminary round by Egyptian giants Al-Ahly.

After falling 4-0 at home, the East African side fell 9-0 away to bow out 13-0 on aggregate. 

Ryan Giggs wants to see Manchester United sign Jack Grealish, but he believes his old side are still “three or four players” away from challenging neighbours Manchester City.

Even during City’s own disappointing campaign, they started the weekend 15 points clear of United in the Premier League table.

The size of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s rebuilding job is clear and he is expected to be busy in the upcoming summer/autumn transfer window.

Grealish has been heavily linked along with the likes of Jadon Sancho and Donny van de Beek.

"I mean, if a quality player like that comes available, United are going to be [interested],” Giggs told Premier League Productions of Grealish.

"He looks like a United player, he takes the ball, he attracts loads of fouls.”

However, what United really need, according to Giggs, is a new striker.

Anthony Martial has 16 goals to his name in all competitions but has little real competition for a starting place.

Marcus Rashford has been enjoying playing on the left, and Mason Greenwood is still only 18.

Fans have taken to Odion Ighalo but the Nigeria international is 31 and hasn’t yet scored a goal against a Premier League side for United.

"I would say that we definitely need a centre-forward,” Giggs said.

"Someone who, if a team is deep, is going to play deep and be on the end of those passes, crosses and score 25 goals.

"I still think if we're going to catch City, we're three or four players short.

"But [it's] definitely exciting and promising with Bruno [Fernandes] and [Paul] Pogba coming into the team."

There were signs of promise in the Fernandes-Pogba partnership against Tottenham on Friday night.

After Pogba was brought on for the last half an hour, he won a penalty from Spurs’ Eric Dier which was confidently dispatched by Fernandes.

Fernandes put in another assured performance while Pogba showed signs of being back near his best form, with one perfectly weighted cross-field pass to Marcus Rashford drawing admiring comments on social media.

United’s next game is a home fixture with fellow Europa League challengers Sheffield United on Wednesday.

Taking Bournemouth in isolation, there was probably no team in the bottom-half that needed a break more when the Premier League was suspended in early March.

The Cherries’ last game pre-pandemic was at Liverpool, a game they lost 2-1 despite leading 1-0 after nine minutes. By half-time, the Reds had turned the game around at Anfield to lead, and it stayed that way till the final whistle.

Sat in 18th after 29 gameweeks, Eddie Howe’s troops were staring relegation in the face following a run of one victory in five outings, and the prospect of losing their status in the top flight after five years was looking like a reality.

Even though the game at Anfield offered some positives for the side from the south coast, they needed the respite brought by the enforced break. Against the champions-elect, perhaps the biggest encouraging sign for Howe was how his midfield stood up to the might of the outgoing European champions.

Marshalled by the towering Philip Billing, the visitors gave everything in the middle of the park and could have equalized but for a goal-line clearance by James Milner in the second half. The Danish-Nigerian star was, without a doubt, Bournemouth’s best midfielder in that lunch-time kick-off on Merseyside; getting stuck in where necessary and creating three chances for the away team, which was higher than any of his other teammates.

Howe’s side mustered six attempts and he was involved in setting up half of those efforts. They created two clear-cut chances and the gangly Billing created one, unlucky to not register an assist against the best side in the country.

While that performance was exceptional, Billing has won the highest aerial duels for midfielders in the Premier League while posting impressive figures for total interceptions and clearances.

At the time, only Nigeria’s Wilfred Ndidi had made more interceptions than the former Denmark U-21 international, showing he had the nous to not only read the danger but also win back possession for his team.

Be that as it may, Bournemouth’s struggles this term have originated from their final third ineffectiveness and a painful lack of invention from the middle of the park. Despite forming a solid understanding with Colombia star Jefferson Lerma in the centre, the pair don’t offer enough going forward by measure of goals and assists, which has hurt the Cherries somewhat.

It's harsh to place the blame at the door of Lerma and Billing given their primary responsibility in the side isn’t to deliver goals and assists. Still, there’s a feeling both could be better in their output going forward.

Billing has played 0.6 key passes per game, while Lerma’s stands at 0.4 per match. The pair have created two big chances each this season and have both hit the back of the net once.

The sheer lack of goals in the Bournemouth side, as well as dearth in creativity, has majorly contributed to their difficult situation this season.

The want-away Ryan Fraser, one of the league’s top creators last term, has tailed off spectacularly this term. There’s been a frustration with the wideman for failing to match 18/19’s performances, with many speculating the 26-year-old downed tools as his heart was set on a move away from the side.

Howe has since confirmed that the side’s primary creator has played his last match for the strugglers owing to his refusal to commit to the club beyond June 30.

In attack, Bournemouth’s return of 29 goals is among the lowest in the division. They’re averaging exactly a goal a game and have the fifth-worst return in the competition. This hasn’t been helped by the lack of scoring options across the side: Callum Wilson, Harry Wilson, and Joshua King are the leading scorers with eight, seven and four respectively...Nathan Ake, a centre-back, is next with two goals.

The disappointing Fraser had netted just once before the lockdown while the supporting cast of Dominic Solanke, Junior Stanislas, and Jordon Ibe have contributed nothing for goals, and Solanke’s sole assist remains the only goal contribution from the trident.

While Billing and Lerma could’ve done a bit more in the final third, the struggles of the aforementioned attackers lay bare the south coast club’s battles to get going up front all season.

Notwithstanding, they’d be buoyed by the return of long-term absentee David Brooks who hasn’t featured all season. The young Wales international contributed 12 goals (seven goals and five assists) in his debut Prem campaign, and supporters of the club will hope he gets up to speed in time for the last nine gameweeks, beginning with Crystal Palace on Saturday night.

The Eagles had won three on the spin before the league’s interruption and would have been resounding favourites against a Cherries side with just one win in five had the game gone ahead in March.

It’s why the break was timely for Howe’s side, whose form before football was halted left a lot to be desired.

Interestingly, though, every club in the bottom seven was in wretched form before the break, none had won more than once in their previous five matches, while Brighton & Hove Albion are without a win in 2020.

Creating chances and scoring were Bournemouth’s major challenges in the first 29 games of the campaign, and ostracising Fraser, the team’s primary creative outlet could make their finish extra arduous. They’ll also need goals from the likes of Billing if they are to survive their toughest Premier League campaign to date.

However, unless the towering Danish-Nigerian midfielder suddenly morphs into a prolific goalscoring operator, history suggests there’s little he can do in the Cherries’ run-in as they fight to retain their place in the big time.

Khalid Aucho has revealed five players he never wanted to miss during his time in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) with Gor Mahia.

Aucho was signed by Gor Mahia in 2015, lifted the KPL title unbeaten under Frank Nuttall, and stayed until 2016. The five players, who the Ugandan never wanted to miss, were also critical to the Green Army but none is at the club now. 

“I will mention four, not three, let me mention five; [Godfrey] Walusimbi, [Meddie]Kagere, [Michael] Olunga, [Collins] 'Gattuso' Okoth, and [Innocent] Wafula,” Aucho told Gor Mahia's website.

“Whenever l had those five players on the pitch, l knew we were going to win whatever the situation was – those were real winners and they made every game easy for me.”

Apart from picking Okoth as a player he never wanted to miss in the team, Aucho also said the Kenyan midfielder is a man he enjoyed turning out for.

“Okoth remains to be that player l enjoyed playing with – he was a fantastic player,” said the 27-year old star.

On why Ugandan players have done well not only at Gor Mahia and but also in the region, Aucho picks hard work as their primary virtue.

“It’s always easy for Ugandan players to cross-over to East African countries. Once in a club, they work hard and put in a lot of effort to prove their worth,” explained El Makkasa's player.

“They always want to show what they have and working hard is always part of their plans; no laziness.”

The defensive midfielder also spoke how he felt after signing for K'Ogalo, and how his time there helped grow his career.

“Penning a deal at Gor Mahia was the best thing to happen to me. It boosted my confidence and l knew l was at a place where more people will get to know me,” Aucho revealed.

“To be honest, most of my fans are in Kenya and not Uganda and Gor Mahia gave me that free billboard to advertise myself to the world.

“From Gor Mahia to national team, l was so much at ease – no pressure at all. Gor Mahia has a special place in my heart. I truly appreciate the love Gor Mahia, as a club, gave me.

“I never imagined l would sign for Gor Mahia. Tusker were my employer then and being my first time in Kenya, my focus was all on the team but yes, a move to Gor Mahia was a big blessing.

“The best news ever to happen to me while in Kenya. It was a good one and it was about me to show the club and all the fans that indeed, they never went wrong in signing me.”

When Aucho left the Green Army, he joined Premier Soccer League (PSL) side Baroka FC.

La Liga has revealed why they picked Young Africans (Yanga SC) over their Mainland League rivals Simba SC for a historic strategic consultancy agreement.

La Liga, in conjunction with Sevilla FC, entered into a deal that targets to help the record Tanzanian league champions transform in various development aspects.

The deal, signed in June and expected to run for three years, will see the Timu Ya Wananchi advised on management and activities with the fans, digital transformation, marketing and sales, economic control, digitalisation or international development.

In an exclusive interview with Goal, Juan Botella, La Liga Regional Manager Africa, explained why they settled on Yanga for the project.

“Yanga and Simba are the two top teams of the country so they both have a huge fan base,” stated Botella.

“Looking specifically at Yanga, the most awarded club in the country, we do not have to forget some of Yanga figures; it boasts a large community on social networks, they are not just numbers, but the level of engagement is huge.

“Just think that during the official presentation of the deal, after an hour of the streaming event, more than 3000 people were still connected to YouTube and continued to send messages of gratitude.

“They have 27 Premier League titles [with five wins across the last 10 years], four Tanzania FA Cups, five Cecafa Club Cups, and the club also has leading sponsors in their fields.”

Botella revealed specific objectives of the pact and why he thinks it will succeed in the end.

“In La Liga we want all the clubs to improve and our main objective is the professionalization of football in the world. In this case, we are working with Yanga and it’s going really well,” said Botella.

“We share a dream, a common vision with Yanga that a Tanzanian club could become and inspire other entities not just in the country but also in the rest of Africa. It was very easy since the beginning to work together.

“When we start talking about this collaboration, we both envision the transformation of Yanga and how the club could achieve its huge potential beyond their own limits. That makes everything easier.”

The official further stated why La Liga chose Tanzania over other African countries as their ideal destination for such a strategic project.

“Africa has become a strategic region for La Liga, with the biggest increase in TV audience and a great interest in our clubs,” Botella concluded.

“Tanzania is one of the key countries of the region, where we are achieving great opportunities and we feel completely at home.

“We have had a permanent presence in the country for over three years which allows us to be the European league with the greatest understanding of the country and its socio-cultural importance.”

Jose Maria Cruz, who is the Director of Sevilla, on Friday revealed the club's coaches will travel to the East African nation when the coronavirus-related travel restrictions are lifted in order to implement the objectives of the pact.

Crystal Palace are bracing for another battle to keep hold of Wilfried Zaha, manager Roy Hodgson has admitted.

The Eagles are expecting more interest in their star player after fending off the advances of Arsenal last summer.

Zaha was Unai Emery’s number one target during his final window in charge of the Gunners, but he instead had to settle for Nicolas Pepe.

Arsenal are unlikely to be able to afford to finance a move for Zaha this time around, but Hodgson is still expecting bids to come in.

“It’s an unknown isn’t it, how much money is going to be floating around in the next window,” Hodgson pondered in a press conference.

“I think we’d be very foolish to relax and start thinking there will be no bids for Wilf Zaha, no big-money interest in him, because he’s such a good player.

“He has the ability to play at any level, anywhere in the world, so who knows? If we find it easy to keep him because there aren’t big bids coming in, that would be fine.

“But I certainly wouldn’t count on that because if I was at another club, I’d be looking to sign players of his quality.”

As well as Zaha, Palace are wary of interest in former Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho.

The 30-year-old has been strongly linked with a return to France with Lyon, but Hodgson says he isn’t aware of any contact.

“As far as I know, our club hasn’t had any contact with Lyon at all,” he said.

“So I don’t quite understand where that is coming from and until such time as the president of Lyon contacts Steve Parish or Doug Freedman, if he wants to go in that route and start discussing the possibilities and options of Mamadou Sakho joining Lyon, as far as I am concerned it doesn’t exist.

“This is just talk in the newspaper and who knows where that comes from because we have had no concrete dealings with Lyon at all.”

Crystal Palace travel to Bournemouth on Saturday evening in their first game back following the coronavirus-enforced break in play.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have officially written to Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) demanding action to be taken against rivals Simba SC for trying to hijack their striker Bernard Morrison.

The Ghanaian forward is yet to play for Yanga since the Mainland Premier League resumed on June 13 owing to the matter and the Jangwani Street-based giants have now reached out to TFF after the player claimed Simba had offered him USD5, 000 to ditch them.

According to Yanga’s Information Officer Hassan Bumbuli, Yanga have already gathered enough evidence to support their case and have forwarded the same to TFF for disciplinary action to be taken against Simba.

“Since the matter has been taken to the concerned authorities, I cannot say much but rather to let them conduct their work thoroughly while we wait for their final decision,” Bumbuli is quoted by Daily News.

Despite Yanga taking the matter to TFF, Simba have already denied tapping up the player with their Information Officer Haji Manara saying the player had lied to have been approached by the club’s president.

“In his audio clip, Morrison said the money was sent to him by Simba president but at Simba, we do not have a president as such, I do not really understand what he is talking about,” Manara is also quoted by Daily News.

On his recent claims, Morrison was quoted as saying: “I got a message from one agent of Simba who said the club wants to sign me so I can help them in the Caf Champions League next season.

“I told him to send me the offer via my WhatsApp address but he did not and instead, he personally brought it together with 10,000 dollars, which he said was sent by the club’s president saying that if I accept, we should share the amount equally with him.

“I told him to give me enough time to go through the contract and because everybody needs money, I pocketed my share but after they heard that I have signed a two-year contract extension at Yanga, the agent has been on my neck now.”

Goal understands Morrison is among the players who returned to Yanga training on Friday as they prepare to face Azam FC in a league match on Sunday.

Rostov were thrashed 10-1 by Sochi on Friday, but their teenage goalkeeper Denis Popov set a new all-time Russian Premier League record for a stunning individual performance.

Rostov attracted attention for all the wrong reasons after the scoreline found its way around social media.

They had actually gone 1-0 up in the first minute of the game, but were eventually beaten by nine goals away from home.

Aleksandr Kokorin scored a hat-trick, Antonin Zabolotny and Dmitry Poloz bagged two each, while Andrei Mostovoy, Ivan Novoseltsev and Nikita Koldunov all got on the scoresheet.

After seeing themselves go viral, Rostov released a statement explaining the result.

It read: “A lot of supporters of our club who don't speak Russian cannot really understand how today's tie could end with a 10-1 score.

“We would like to explain. Six players of our club have been infected with coronavirus, and thus, the entire team had to be quarantined.

“Football Club Sochi turned down our offer to postpone the match, and this is exactly why these young players aged 16-19 had to play in this match.

“The score was most likely upsetting, however, we do want you to stay on the bright side!

“First of all - our 17-year-old goalkeeper, Denis Popov, made 15 (!!!) breathtaking saves (including one penalty), which is a Russian Premier League new record! Denis absolutely stole the whole show today and got his well-deserved Man of the Match award!

“Another mind-blowing highlight was definitely our first goal! 17-year-old Roman Romanov scored an incredible goal and became the youngest person to score in the history of our club as well as top three in RPL history!

“Romanov is also among the top three young goal scorers in the history of Russian Leagues.

“We know you would agree our players were fighting for every inch of the pitch - each and every one of them showed incredible character and attitude today!

“We would like to express our gratitude to everyone, all the supporters of our club around the world.”

Despite the result, Rostov finished the day fourth in the 16-team Russian top flight, with Sochi in ninth.

Simba SC striker Meddie Kagere has described his striking partner John Bocco as a hard worker who always does not want to lose in a match.

The Rwandan striker, who signed for Simba from Kenyan champions Gor Mahia, has labelled the Taifa Stars’ striker as one of the coolest players in their squad, and who always knows what he needs to do to help the team.

“[Bocco] is one of the best leaders and top players that I have ever worked with,” Kagere told the club’s official website .

“He is one kind of a leader, who always wants to win and who always believes in winning, if you lose a game, you will see how mad he becomes, he never wants to lose in a match, he is a fighter and always a winner.

“Whenever you step onto the pitch [Bocco] will keep rallying the boys, he always wants three points and nothing else, he is also a very cool guy, and he knows what to do on the pitch, he knows how to get the goals and also he is very good at setting up someone to score.

“Whenever we lose or draw in a match, he will always come to us to explain to forget about the result and focus for the next match, that is him if he doesn’t win, then he will just encourage the players, to go for a win in the match.”

Kagere’s sentiments come a few weeks after Coastal Union defender Bakar Mwamnyeto heaped praise on Bocco saying his style of play can help him perform well in Europe.

Mwamnyeto described the forward as a complete player, who knows how to hold onto the ball when in possession, position himself to score and deliver a pass quickly when he sees an opposing defender.

Mwamyeto further confessed he has never come up against a striker of Bocco’s calibre insisting he is the only player to have troubled him since he made his debut in the top-flight.

“Without malice or favouring anyone, [Bocco] is the best striker in the Tanzanian league currently, he has the physique you need in a striker and I am sure many upcoming players are working hard to be like him,” Mwamnyeto said.

“He also has the advantage of being tall and can easily score goals either by using the head or leg and because of his experience, most defenders have always struggled to play against him, you don’t know what he will do when with the ball."

Bocco’s partnership with Rwandan striker Meddie Kagere has helped the latter to lead the goalscoring charts with 19 goals.

Barcelona coach Quique Setien disagreed with Gerard Pique and believes Real Madrid will drop points late in the La Liga season.

Setien's men were held to a 0-0 draw at Sevilla on Friday, giving Madrid the chance to join them on 65 points when they visit Real Sociedad.

Pique said it was hard to see Madrid dropping points in their remaining nine games, but Setien disagreed.

"I think that about Pique is the frustration of the moment. We were very confident because we had 30 very good minutes at the beginning of the game and then we got messy," he said, via AS.

"In the second half, we lost balls that gave them life.

"Tomorrow, he will surely think differently because I am sure that Madrid will not win everything."

A win against Sociedad on Sunday would send Madrid top of the table thanks to their head-to-head record against Barcelona after their El Clasico victory in March.

But Setien, whose side host Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday, is remaining upbeat.

"The rivals always have things to say, there are very tough confrontations and you have to be optimistic," he said.

"We don't depend on ourselves, but you have to be optimistic."

Barcelona were on top in the early stages against Sevilla but it was Jules Kounde from the latter who drilled a shot wide early.

It then took two Sevilla players to stop Lionel Messi at the expense of a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area at the 20-minute mark.

Up stepped Messi, and his shot beat the wall and might have beaten Tomas Vaclik too, but the goalkeeper was done a favour by Kounde, who cleared the ball from almost on the line with a flicked header over the bar.

Messi tested Vaclik moments later with another free-kick, and the goalkeeper was more comfortable second time around.

Inevitably at the centre of things, Messi avoided punishment for shoving Diego Carlos to the ground in first-half stoppage time after the home defender fouled Suarez.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen came to Barcelona's rescue early in the second half with a fine parry to deny Lucas Ocampos, the goalkeeper's strong left hand keeping out a thunderous shot from a tight angle to the right of goal.

The German thwarted Munir moments later too, pushing away a vicious left-footed strike.

Vaclik tipped another Messi free-kick over his crossbar at full stretch as the game entered its final 20 minutes, before Jordi Alba made a key block at the other end as Sevilla launched a three-on-one breakaway raid.

Ocampos drew a save from Ter Stegen with a low shot but neither side could successfully plot a way to a goal, Sergio Reguilon failing to properly get hold of a close-range shot at the death, to Barcelona's great relief.

Jurgen Klopp would embrace Liverpool being given an asterisk if they win the Premier League title, saying it would point to "the most difficult season ever".

Liverpool will resume their season with a clash against rivals Everton on Sunday, sitting 22 points clear at the top and on the verge of winning the club's first league title since 1990.

But after a break of more than three months and with games being played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, critics say titles won this year will come with an asterisk.

Klopp said he would happily accept one, insisting it would highlight just how difficult a season it has been.

"Usually I do not pay too much attention to what everyone is saying around us," the Liverpool manager told UK newspapers.

"Now I have had a lot of time to read and I heard a lot and saw a lot. When that came up I had to google the word asterisk. I only knew the word from the comic [Asterix] before. This is the most difficult year and season to become champions. It is an interrupted season like has never happened before.

"Whoever will be champions at the end it will be historical because it is a year that we will never forget because hopefully it is the only year we ever have like this as human beings and a society because I hope we find solutions for this kind of thing in the future.

"It is historic now more than ever. Give us an asterisk. Yes, do it. Because it is the most difficult season ever and the only difference is there is quite a points gap between us and other teams.

"But if you saw [Manchester] City playing the other night, saw the team they played and saw the bench they had where they changed five times and there was still no Leroy Sane on the pitch, you think, 'Wow, that is really impressive.' That is our opponent."

With 27 wins in 29 Premier League games this season, Liverpool are two victories away from securing the title.

Klopp hopes his side can finish the job in style, although admitted to some uncertainty as to how they will perform behind closed doors.

"We worked so hard for this and we do not want to get over the line somehow. We want to play football," he said.

"Nobody has to tell us we are nearly there. I am not interested in nearly, or in close. I am interested in playing the best football we can play.

"We have no limits or comparisons to football behind closed doors. Is it possible to play outstanding, great, run a lot and run more than other periods? I do not know, but let's give it a try."

In the I-League era, East Bengal were at their very best between 2010 and 2013 under the tutelage of British coach Trevor James Morgan when they won every single trophy in India bar the I-League.

They bagged eight trophies in those three seasons including two Federation Cup titles and were arguably the most consistent team in the country.

Nigerian midfielder Penn Orji, a key player in Trevor Morgan’s arsenal, spoke to Goal about the time he had spent at the Kolkata club.

Orji was all praises for the British coach as he said, “Wow Morgan! Even now we keep in touch with each other. He is a great coach, a great man and a great mentor. If JCT was a foundation for me in Indian football, East Bengal was where I blossomed.

“Morgan was tremendous. I learned so much. When I met Morgan, he handed me a role that was precious and that role really suited my kind of play. It made it our team so dangerous. I was like a nightmare to any club I played at that time.”

The midfielder emphasised on the fact that East Bengal were successful at that time because of the unity in the squad.

He said, “If you watch that team, there were no best players. We played as a team, functioned as a unit. It was a collective effort. Mohun Bagan at that time had excellent individual players but we were a team.

"We played a beautiful style of football. A lot of coaches during that time tried to imitate us but couldn’t as they did not have the right set of players. So kudos to Morgan, he did a really good job.”

Unfortunately, even after playing good football consistently for three seasons, the I-League title remained elusive to the Red and Golds. There were times East Bengal would within touching distance of the league title, only for them to let the advantage slip.

Orji said, “To be honest what I regret the most during my time at East Bengal was the I-League. I enjoyed everything else. My only regret is that I did not win the league. We won every single tournament in India but just couldn’t win the league. Every year we came very close. In all the seasons, we missed it by one or two points. There were one or two mistakes. If one or two things went our way, the league would have been our property. But this is what life is all about and football is about.”

Even after Orji and Morgan's departure, East Bengal have continued to come up short when it mattered in the I-League title race, finishing second on multiple occasions despite having some very good players and coaches. The midfield lynchpin suggested that the Kolkata giants must undergo a structural change if they want to bag the I-League.

“I watched a couple of games in 2019-20, they had a couple of good players. They played well and had a good coach (Alejandro Menendez) but why they didn’t win the league, I don’t know. The answer lies within the team. As soon as they recognise it, fix it then the league will be theirs. They have what it takes to win the league.

“There has to be some restructuring in all aspects so that they can move forward. You cannot keep on doing the same thing and expect a different result.”

Do you consider yourself a huge fan of the Indian football? How abreast are you when it comes to developments in and around the Indian football ecosystem?

Do you keep track of the various records and unique achievements of coaches in the I-League?

Then this edition of Goal 's 'Sharp Minds' quiz is for you.

As we see football take a backseat among the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, here's your chance to while away some time.

We will bring you a set of 10 questions, a mixture of easy and tough ones, every week on Indian football. Try answering them on your own (without googling, we hope) and see how much you know about Indian football.

Share your scores with others and showboat. The latest edition of Sharp Minds is right here. Have fun.

NOTE : You are welcome to contact us through social media, if you need any clarification on the answers. We will try, to the best of our abilities, to explain.

Pep Guardiola said Ederson's ugly collision with Manchester City team-mate Eric Garcia is "part of football" and did not feel the need to speak to his goalkeeper about the incident.

Teenage centre-back Garcia was clattered at full speed by an on-rushing Ederson late in Wednesday's 3-0 win over Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.

Garcia needed treatment on the pitch for several minutes before being taken away on a stretcher and spent the night in hospital after sustaining a concussion.

City boss Guardiola confirmed Garcia will have to miss between a week and 10 days due to Premier League protocols but insists no blame can be apportioned to Ederson for the accidental clash.

"No [I have not spoken to Ederson about it]," Guardiola said of his number one, who visited his team-mate in hospital.

"The way we play, he has to play upfront and he has to react to the situation in a second. 

"It's part of football. Everybody knows that Ederson doesn't want to hurt any opponent or a mate. It has happened."

On Garcia, he added: " As you know, the Premier League rules with concussion in the head he has to have one week to 10 days off. 

"We saw him yesterday after the game, he had a little bit of damage to his face. He slept in the hospital, he feels quite good after what happened with Eddy and we are happy he is back."

It was also confirmed by UEFA this week that the remainder of the Champions League would take place as a straight knockout from the quarter-finals onwards, with all games taking place in Lisbon in August.

City are still in the competition and hold a 2-1 lead over Real Madrid in their paused last-16 tie against Real Madrid from the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.

European football's governing body has yet to decide where the remaining four last-16 return matches will take place, with the games possibly being held in Portugal too.

Guardiola will have no qualms if such a decision is made and said City will react to whatever call UEFA makes.

"We are going to adapt to what UEFA says. It is an extraordinary situation around the world, not just football," he added. 

"When the Premier League said we have to do it, we have to do it. If UEFA says that for health and security reasons, we are going to do it. 

"We would love to play in the Etihad as normal but I think UEFA would rather for health and security reasons so we are going to adapt."

Montpellier striker Andy Delort has rated the Ligue 1 as the most complete league in the world ahead of the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A.

The Algeria international has spent most of his career in France, playing for Nimes, Tours, Caen and Toulouse among others.

The 28-year-old forward has also played in England with Championship side Wigan Athletic and in the Mexican Liga MX with Tigres UANL.

Delort reveals the French top-flight is physical and technical which he feels make it one of the best in the world.

“I think that Ligue 1 is the most complete league that there is. There are physical players, tactically it's very strong and technically too,” Delort said in an Instagram Live.

“In Mexico, there was very little tactics and a lot more technique involved, but it was not very physical. In England, it is physical: it is a fight for 90 minutes.  I played over there, I know how it is. When I arrived, they made me put on 4 or 5 kgs, I had enormous arms! I am already 84kg.

“They have a really physical culture: you push, you push, you push! It is true that each league is different, you have to succeed in adapting. With Algeria too, in Africa, it is physical, sometimes difficult against certain teams.”

Delort joined Montpellier in the summer of 2018 before the Stade de la Mosson outfit signed him permanently in June 2019 following his impressive showings.

The forward was one of the standout players for Michel Der Zakarian’s men in the recently ended 2019-20 season.

The striker scored 12 goals and provided three assists in 31 appearances for the Paillade across all competitions last campaign.

Delort was part of the Algerian squad that won the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations title in Egypt after he was drafted in as a late replacement for Haris Belkebla.

The forward has seven appearances for the North Africans and will hope to continue his impressive form in the 2020-21 season.

​Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking forward to seeing more of Paul Pogba in Manchester United’s starting XI after his successful return from injury against Tottenham. 

The midfielder made an instant impact off the bench in the final half hour during the 1-1 draw on Friday night - in his first appearance since Boxing Day.

Manchester United were trailing to Steven Bergwijn’s first-half strike and it was Pogba who won the decisive penalty which earned his side a vital point as his neat footwork got the better of Eric Dier.

Plenty had been said about the Frenchman’s long-term future at Old Trafford with some doubting the midfielder would ever play for the club again, but Solskjaer is happy to have the World Cup-winning midfielder back.

"I think Paul always has a point to prove to himself and us. He expects a lot. He wants to be the best, loves football and has had such a frustrating season with his injuries," Solskjaer said. 

"There'll always be talk about big players. For me, Paul's shown today how he can contribute. He tackled, won the ball, created chances and had the skill to win us a penalty. I look forward to getting him fitter and gradually we'll see him more and more.

"It’s not a problem having a fit Paul Pogba in the squad, we're delighted to have him back."

The match saw Pogba play alongside January signing Bruno Fernandes for the first time, with the two making the difference as the Portuguese midfielder finished off the penalty that Pogba won.

And Solskjaer is looking forward to having the two grow together, having gotten a taste of what they can do. 

"It is a definite partnership that we want to build on," he told BBC Radio. "They have trained together now they have had half an hour on the pitch together.

"We want the best players on the pitch of course and want to find a balance in the team."

He added: "[Pogba] has had horrific injury-hit season and he is desperate to make up for lost time.

"It is great to see him show his qualities and the contribution he made was big in us getting a penalty. I think he showed how good he is as an all-round midfielder."

Pogba, Fernandes and Manchester United will face Sheffield United on Wednesday in their next Premier League match.

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has defended goalkeeper David de Gea after he came in for some stinging criticism from Roy Keane for his performance in the 1-1 draw at Tottenham.

Keane said he would have been “swinging punches” at De Gea had he been in the Man Utd dressing room at half-time after the Spaniard failed to keep out Steven Bergwijn’s first-half drive.

The former Red Devils skipper went on to say he was “sick to death” of De Gea after what he perceives as a succession of high-profile mistakes, claiming he should get a taxi back up to Manchester after the game instead of on the team bus.

Solskjaer has leapt to the defence of his goalkeeper, who also made a fine stop to deny Son Heung-Min, joking his former team-mate Keane would not have done much better.

“Well I’m disappointed to [see them] score the first time they have a chance and the boy hit it really well,” he said. “Roy was a fantastic midfielder, a good friend of mine, I'm not sure he would have stopped it either.

“David is disappointed with it but the ball is moving through the air, we reacted well after that one and he had a good save five minutes after, we had a bad spell for 10 minutes and they looked like they could get a second.”

The Red Devils were much improved after the break and came close to equalising when Anthony Martial’s effort was superbly upped over by Hugo Lloris. They did eventually claw themselves level through Bruno Fernandes’ penalty with nine minute’s left after Paul Pogba had been fouled by Eric Dier.

The draw means United are now just two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and extends their unbeaten run in all competition to 12 matches.

"Good performance, disappointed with the one point. I think we deserved more. I think the performance deserved three points,” added Solskjaer.

"We started off slow, dominated possession yes but too slow then we conceded a sloppy goal - disappointed with that one. We had a bad five minutes after that one but after that I think it was only a matter of time before we got the goal.

"Hugo Lloris made a fantastic save and we should have had more goals."