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Former Orlando Pirates attacker Teko Modise believes the Buccaneers have not yet adopted a defined style for their players to follow. 

Pirates were edged 2-1 by Swallows FC at Orlando Stadium to surrender the MTN8 trophy which they claimed last season. 

After Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer fielded a familiar squad and maintained the same tactics as last season, Modise feels that his former club is still to establish a working philosophy they can be identified with.

“I think there are a lot of questions Orlando Pirates are asking themselves tactically. I think when it comes to identity as well they are asking how exactly do you want to start playing,” Modise told SuperSport TV.

“Because when you are chasing the game you want to play with five in the midfield and two wing-backs it becomes very difficult. You see Hotto now starting to cross the ball and you have a striker [Tebogo Tlolane] who is very short and you expect him to win those types of balls. 

“I think there is an identity crisis which they still need to sort out. Once you sort that out then you will be able to pinpoint which personnel is right for each position. I think if they sort out, they will stand a chance this season, which is a marathon. It's unfortunate they can’t defend the trophy but the season is long and there is still enough time to try and fix things.”

Pirates first conceded 16 minutes into the match, before again being punished seven minutes later as Swallows’ Ruzaigh Gamildien grabbed a brace.

Modise says the Buccaneers started the game on the wrong foot and employed the wrong tactics in their attempt to claw their way back into the contest.

“They didn’t start well, they were just chasing the game,” said Modise.

“You could also see with the first substitutions they made, they took out the full-backs and introduced different personnel to change the game. [Bandile] Shandu coming in to play as a right wing-back. That was required because they were chasing the game.

“They started playing long balls and those long balls suited Swallows better because they were defending as a block. It makes things a bit difficult for Pirates because they were coming with one dimension. 

“But I guess when you are chasing the game you want to do anything possible to get back into the game. But if you look at the breaks Swallows got, they could have increased the lead as well because they were getting some opportunities due to some gaps at the Pirates back.”

Having been eliminated from the MTN8, Pirates now switch focus to their Premier Soccer League campaign which they kickoff against Stellenbosch at home next Saturday.

Chidera Ejuke contributed an assist as CSKA Moscow recorded a 3-1 away win over FC Rostov in Saturday’s Russian Premier League encounter.

Having taken an eight-minute lead through Jaka Bijol, the Nigeria international set up Fedor Chalov in the 38th minute as his team raced 2-0 up at half-time.

CSKA traveled to the Rostov Arena with the ambition of ending their poor run following defeats in their last two league outings against Lokomotiv Moscow and Dinamo Moscow.

Whereas, their hosts were hoping to consolidate on their 1-1 away draw with Khimki last time out. However, they found themselves trailing early following a lethargic defensive display.

Bijol’s bullet header directed Nikola Vlasic’s corner kick past stranded goalkeeper Sergey Pesyakov to put the visiting side ahead.

Rostov came out stronger as they attacked in their numbers to get the equaliser, but they were poor in front of goal.

For CSKA Moscow, they were calm in their approach as they dispossessed their hosts easily. Seven minutes before the half-time break, they doubled their advantage through Chalov.

Collecting a brilliant pass from Ejuke, the Russian striker produced a precise strike to beat the goalkeeper as the ball sailed into the bottom right corner.

Two minutes later, the Nigerian almost made his third but his shot from distance flew high over the crossbar after a fine individual play.

Nothing was willing to go down without a fight, the Tough Guys put up a much-improved display in the second half and they reaped the reward by reducing the deficit six minutes before the hour mark through Danil Glebov.

Glebov got on the end of a corner kick deep inside the box and rifled past the keeper with a precise close-range shot into the bottom right corner.

Nonetheless, super-sub Konstantin Maradishvili restored Aleksei Berezutski’s men’s two-goal lead with Ilzat Akhmetov setting him up.

For tactical reasons, Ejuke was substituted for Emil Bohinen in the 61st minute while Cote d’Ivoire defender Cedric Gogouawas was not listed for the game.

Angola international Bastos was introduced in the 46th minute for Dmitry Poloz, whereas, Gambia’s Ali Sowe was not dressed for action.

Watford midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo said he is happy for Emmanuel Dennis and Ismaila Sarr after their goals in their 3-2 victory over Aston Villa in their Premier League opener.

Nigeria trio Etebo, Dennis and William Troost-Ekong made their top-flight debuts for the Hornets on Saturday and they contributed to making it a memorable one with maximum points secured.

Dennis opened the scoring at Vicarage Road in the 10th minute after receiving a pass from Sarr and towards the end of the first 45 minutes, it turned the other way round with the Nigerian forward supplying the Senegal international to make it 2-0.

After overcoming the nervy finish, Etebo praised the qualities of the attacking duo and he believes the early lead powered them to victory.

“It’s very important as a team to score first and when you get an early goal it motivates everyone, keeps the positive vibes going and everyone keeps pushing,” Etebo told the club’s website.

“I’m happy for my Nigerian brother [Dennis] and Sarr as well. They did well, you can see they’ve got good pace, they run forward and are direct players.”

The Super Eagles midfielder, who joined the Hornets from Stoke City on a season-long loan in July, urged his teammates not to lose focus as they aim to build on their fine start to the season.

“This is the start of the season. I’m happy that we got the win, congratulations to my teammates, but it’s a long season so step-by-step we have to keep going,” he continued.

"This is just the beginning. Like the gaffer said, we need everyone. Everyone needs to stay together, be positive. It’s teamwork and there are lots of games to be played. This is just one game and there are a lot of games to go.

“It’s a thing of joy because we have gone nearly two years with no fans, but when they are in the stadium they lift up the team. It’s amazing.”

Watford travel to Brighton & Hove Albion for their next Premier League fixture on August 21.

Lionel Messi may have to wait a little longer to make his Paris Saint-Germain debut, but the Argentine wizard was bowled over by the "incredible" reception he received from fans as he strode out at Parc des Princes on Saturday. 

Messi turned the football world upside down this week when he left Barcelona after 21 years to join Neymar and Co. in the French capital. 

And while he is not quite ready to take the pitch for PSG, he has already made a big impression on his new supporters. 

What was said? 

Messi joined Sergio Ramos, Georginio Wijnaldum, Achraf Hakimi and Gianluigi Donnarumma on the field on Saturday for their official presentation to the Parc des Princes faithful. 

The five summer signings were paraded around the stadium prior to PSG's Ligue 1 clash with Strasbourg, with Leo unsurprisingly receiving a huge ovation. 

"It has been a very special week, I want to thank everybody for their welcome," he said on the Parc des Princes turf after that introduction. 

"It was incredible, I feel so happy, hopeful and delighted to be experiencing this new stage. I hope we can enjoy this year." 

The bigger picture 

Saturday's clash is PSG's second of the 2021-22 season, having kicked off their campaign last weekend with a 2-1 defeat of Troyes. 

Messi will play no part in the clash, having spent much of the summer on international duty with Argentina in the World Cup qualifiers and their triumphant Copa America campaign, followed by an extended holiday period while those ultimately doomed contract extensions with Barcelona continued. 

Indeed, just two of that quintet, Hakimi and Wijnaldum, have been included in Mauricio Pochettino's squad, with the former marking his PSG debut with a goal last week. 

"When will we see Leo? This is his second day of training and it's been a month since he played his last game, the Copa America final," Pochettino signalled in a press conference on Friday. 

"We will take it step by step, getting to know one another. Our priority is for him to be in good shape, feel good and when he is in top condition make his debut." 

Further reading 

Emmanuel Dennis can become decisive for Watford after an awe-inspiring start to his career at Vicarage Road, according to respected Nigerian football administrator Samuel Olatunji-Okuku.

The Super Eagle scored on his Premier League debut as well as provided an assist as the Hornets secured a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday.

After putting his team ahead after ten minutes, the 23-year-old teed up Ismaila Sarr for the second goal as Dean Smith’s men went 2-0 down at half-time.

The Tripple 44 Academy boss is impressed with the former Club Brugge star’s impressive performance and believes he is capable of adding a whole new dimension to Xisco Munoz’s squad.

“Emmanuel Dennis’ quality has never been in doubt, he’s a fantastic talent and the only question mark on his career so far has been off-field issues,” Olatunji-Okuku told Goal.

“He’s a top player. He can score and assist – something he’s demonstrated in the best league in the world on his debut.

“He can play a huge role for Watford this season as he has the complement of [Peter] Etebo and [Ismaila] Sarr in the team who are a bunch of talents.

“Also, he has what it takes to show that he’s got the quality to play at the top level in the Premier League and obviously would have a big impact.

“Anyway, let’s keep our fingers crossed and see how he would have fared at the end of the current campaign.”

Following Dennis’ inability to tie down a regular place at the Jan Breydel Stadium, he was loaned to FC Cologne for the 2020-21 campaign.

And having completed his loan spell in Germany, he was signed by Watford on a five-year deal.

Asked if the Belgian top-flight side made a blunder letting the striker leave, Olatunji-Okuku continued: “Not a bad decision for Brugge owing to the fact the player obviously wanted to take the next step.

“And sometimes it’s not worth keeping a player that doesn’t want to be kept.

“Even the season before he left, you could already see that it was written all over him that he wants to represent another club.”

Dennis, who is the fourth Nigerian to score on their maiden English elite division game, would be hoping to continue his fine form when Munoz’s team takes on Brighton & Hove Albion in their next outing on August 21.

Mohamed Salah set a Premier League record on Saturday as the Egyptian star scored Liverpool's third and final goal in a win over Norwich.

Salah's goal came in the 74th minute after the Liverpool star assisted the first two goals in the 3-0 win.

The finish was a lovely left-footed shot from the top of the box that took a slight deflection, leaving Tim Krul helpless as Salah sealed Liverpool's win.

A new record

With the goal, Salah continued a streak that has seen him dominate in the first game of the Premier League season.

Salah has now scored in five consecutive Premier League openers, becoming the first player to hit that mark.

Additionally, Salah now has 10 total goal involvements in games on the opening weekend of the Premier League in his career, with seven goals and three assists.

Only Wayne Rooney, who has eight goals and five assists in Premier League openers, has more. 

Further reading

Uganda's Uche Ikpeazu scored as Middlesbrough won 2-1 against Bristol City in a Championship encounter at the Riverside Stadium.
 
Ikpeazu equalised for Boro in the 38th minute after Andrew King had fired Bristol into the lead in the 24th minute.

Matt Crooks scored the third goal of the game in favour of Ikpeazu's side who claimed the win at home. Robert Atkinson of Bristol City was the only player that was cautioned in the game.
 
Elsewhere, Nigeria's Oluwasemilogo Ajayi was a second-half substitute as West Bromwich Albion defeated Luton 3-2 at The Hawthorns. Ajayi replaced Matt Clark in the 81st minute when his side was already leading.

Luton's Kail Naismith scored an own goal in the fifth minute before Callum Robinson scored West Brom's second in the 36th minute.

Karlan Ahearne-Grant added the third for the home side before the visitors scored their first in the 70th minute through Harry Cornick. Luton found the back of the net for the second time in the eighth minute of added time to make the score 3-2.

Coventry saw two clear chances go to waste; in the first instance, Viktor Gyokeres hit the crossbar in the first half before Michael Rose's header was cleared off the line by Barnsley's Cauley Woodrow. 

Oduor's side breathed a sigh of relief when Brad Collins saved a late penalty by Coventry's Gyokeres. The penalty came after Jamie Allen had been fouled inside the area as the hosts piled pressure on the rivals looking for an equaliser.

Barnsley are now unbeaten in seven games even though eight of their players were booked in the game against Coventry.

Finally, DR Congo's Benik Afobe was substituted in the 83rd minute for Matt Smith as Millwall and Blackburn Rovers drew 1-1.

Jed Wallace scored for Millwall in the 64th minute before an equaliser by Benjamin Brereton struck in the 76th minute for Blackburn Rovers.

Daniel Ayala and Darragh Lenihan were yellow carded, while Millwall's Maikel Kieftenbeld was the only star to be cautioned from his side.

Edin Dzeko was a surprise inclusion for Inter in Saturday's friendly against Dynamo Kyiv, as the Bosnian striker started for the Serie A giants and even netted his first goal despite still waiting to make official his move from Roma. 

Dzeko is yet to finalise his transfer due to a contract dispute with Roma, meaning he is yet to be presented as an Inter player. 

All of which made his appearance at the weekend all the more curious, although Inter fans will be pleased to see the forward start on the right foot. 

No transfer but one goal

Inter kept Dzeko's start under close wraps ahead of Saturday's match. The Nerazzurri played behind closed doors in Monza and also made no mention of their first XI on social media prior to kick-off. 

The club did share a photo of their dressing room, but the striker's shirt was conspicuous by its absence. 

That meant fans were in for a surprise when Dzeko took the field and made an immediate impact. 

Nicolo Barella opened the scoring for Inter by finishing off a slick move between the Bosnian and Stefano Sensi.  Barella then turned provider to play in Dzeko, who made no mistake in converting his chance to make it 2-0.

The bigger picture

Despite Saturday's bizarre twist, Dzeko's eventual arrival at Inter, who this week sold Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea, is expected to be a formality. 

Inter and Roma have agreed terms for his transfer, although the move has reportedly been held up by Dzeko's claim that he is owed just under €400,000 in unpaid wages by his current club. 

Dzeko, 35, has spent the past six seasons at Roma, scoring 119 goals in 260 appearances in all competitions.

Further reading 

Nice recorded a 4-0 away victory over Lille in Saturday’s Ligue 1 fixture with Amine Gouiri and Hicham Boudaoui finding the net.

First-half goals from the Algerians inspired the Eaglets to their first win of the 2021-22 campaign.

With both teams settling for draws last time out, Les Dogues welcomed Christophe Galtier’s men to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy with the ambition of claiming all three points.

However, that was not the case as they were hit for four before their teeming supporters.

It took the visiting side less than one minute to open the scoring with Kasper Dolberg firing past goalkeeper Leo Jardim.

Four minutes later, they doubled their advantage as Youcef Atal profited from an attempted flick from Zeki Celik, gained possession of the ball, before teeing up Hicham Boudaoui who rifled the ball into the top corner of Jardim.

The goals were a reality check for the hosts, albeit, they laboured in vain in their bid to launch a comeback. They came close to reducing the deficit at injury time, nevertheless, Jonathan Bamba could not beat Walter Benitez from Jonathan Ikone’s cross.

Things got worse for Lille before heading for the half-time break as Benjamin Andre handled Dolbery’s shot. Referee Jerome Brisard pointed to the penalty mark while Gouiri stepped up to convert the ensuing kick.

Dolbery completed his double in the 64th minute after heading Dante’s flick-on into the net with Jardim rushing out of his goal.

Twenty minutes before full-time, Gouiri completed his double but it was chalked off for offside by the referee after several VAR replays.

Algeria prospect Gouiri was in action from start to finish while his compatriots Boudaoui and Atal were substituted in the second half for Myziane Maolida and Jordan Lotomba respectively.

Gabon international Mario Lemina was named in the starting XI but was brought out for Khephren Thuram in the 74th minute.

Nice would be hoping to continue their impressive form when they host Olympique Marseille in their next fixture.

Although all hope is not lost for Lille - who have now leaked seven goals in two games - they must return to winning ways against Saint-Etienne on August 21.

Crystal Palace teenager Jesurun Rak-Sakyi made his Premier League debut as The Eagles succumbed to a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.

A second half substitute, the English-born winger of Ghanaian descent saw 13 minutes of game time as Marcos Alonso, Christian Pulisic and Trevoh Chalobah scored to seal three points for The Blues in the season opener at Stamford bridge.

Ghanaian compatriots Jeffrey Schlupp and Jordan Ayew were also in action for Patrick Vieira's side, as were Senegal defender Cheikhou Kouyate.

With The Eagles 3-0 down, Rak-Sakyi, who was born to Ghanaian parents in England, was introduced into the game in the 77th minute, replacing Jairo Riedewald.

Alonso had opened the scoring for Chelsea in the 27th minute, bending a free-kick into the top corner.

Thirteen minutes later, Pulisic made it 2-0, pouncing on a loose ball inside the box, before Mateo Kovacic set up Chalobah to seal the 3-0 win.

Despite his day ending in defeat, Rak-Sakyi will savour his appearance in Saturday’s fixture, four months after he put pen to paper on a professional deal.

“It’s a very big moment in my life, something I have been working towards since I started playing football and I’m just happy and grateful that I’ve come this far. I just want to keep pushing on,” the 18-year-old said after signing his deal in April.

Palace U18 manager Paddy McCarthy added: “Jes is an example for the rest of the players because he’s had to work really hard to improve areas of his development and deal with disappointments of not being in the team.

“He’s knuckled down and seen the fruits of his labour and I think that’s an example to all the young players we have here. Now, Jes has to maintain that and keep focused.”

Elsewhere in Saturday’s match, both Schlupp and Ayew, two players who could transcend from being Rak-Sakyi’s club mates to international teammates, started in the game, the latter lasting the entire duration.

Schlupp, on the other hand, was replaced by Joachim Andersen in the 57th minute.

Chelsea youngster Trevoh Chalobah was on cloud nine after scoring on his Premier League debut as the Blues eased past Crystal Palace. 

Saturday's London derby proved a formality for the hosts, who prevailed 3-0 in a one-sided start to the 2021-22 campaign. 

It was a memorable occasion for Chalobah, having netted his side's third of the afternoon following earlier strikes from Marcos Alonso and Christian Pulisic.

'I didn't know the ball went in!'

The 22-year-old admitted after the game that his goal came as a shock even to him, after keeping his place in Thomas Tuchel's starting line-up following his appearance in the UEFA Super Cup against Villarreal midweek.

"I couldn't believe it when the ball went in. I didn't know what to do and I dropped to my knees," he told the BBC. "I was over the moon. I didn't know the ball went in until the crowd cheered. It's a surreal moment.

"I would have never dreamed of [scoring on my debut]. Moments like this come and you just have to be patient. From the day I came in my aim was to impress the manager, whether that's in training or anywhere.

"I think I've done that well, I got my opportunity and I've taken it. In this moment, I just wanted to enjoy my debut. As a young boy I've always dreamed to play in these games for my club so I made sure I was ready and enjoyed it. I wasn't too nervous." 

Tuchel on Chalobah

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has made a point of giving Chelsea's young academy graduates the chance to shine, and it paid off on Saturday as Chalobah put in an assured performance at the back. 

"Fantastic. He gets all the praise and it's well deserved," the manager said of his charge. "Two excellent matches. He played against Arsenal and Tottenham in friendlies, then 120 minutes on Wednesday, then 90 today and scores. It's fantastic these things happen in sports. A perfect day for him.

"We will never stop [playing youngsters]. Chalobah plays alongside Reece James and Mason Mount. This is how it has to be. This is what we love.

"This is what everyone loves about football - a mix of famous players from abroad and quality players from the academy."

Further reading 

Zambia international Enock Mwepu made his Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League debut as his side claimed a 2-1 win over Burnley on Saturday at Turf Moor.

Mwepu was signed by the Premier League club from RB Salzburg for £10m and played in the entire first half before he was replaced by Adam Lallana in the 46th minute. 

Burnley claimed an opener in the third minute when James Tarkowski scored with a close-range header that found the right top corner. Ashley Westwood collected the ball from a corner and picked the scorer to enable the home side to take an early lead.

There was a chance for Burnley - who had been pinned into their own half - in the 30th minute after they broke on a counter-attack that was engineered by Wood who laid the ball for Jay Rodriguez, but the latter, with enough space, fired straight into the hands of Nick Pope. 

There was another great chance for Burnley to get the second goal in the 35th minute when goalkeeper Robert Sanchez failed to clear his area and allowed Ben Mee to head goalwards, but the ball hit the crossbar. Sanchez's second attempt to make a clearance failed as Tarkowski collected the ball and attempted a volley only for his shot to fly wide,

Graham Potter's first change saw Mwepu leave the pitch and Lallana, an attacking midfielder, - was brought on as the visiting side looked for more incision going forward.

Brighton created another clear chance in the 57th minute when Pascall Grob ran down the right-wing, passed the ball to Steven Alzate, who then picked up Leandro Trossard, whose final shot was too far for Neal Maupay to connect with.

Mwepu's Brighton equalised in the 73rd minute through Maupay, who had been yellow-carded in the 26th minute. Yves Bissouma made his way through the midfield, picked up Jakub Moder on the right-wing and the Polish's low cross found Maupay on the other end to score.

It did not take long for Brighton to grab the second goal as Mac Allister scored in the 78th minute. Allister had spent just a little over one minute and 40 seconds on the pitch before his effort put his side on the steering wheel. Gross fired a diagonal low cross from the touchline and the Argentine found himself in some good space to find the back of the net for Brighton's second strike.

Late Burnley's resurgence did not bear any fruit as Mwepu's teammates fought hard to preserve the slim lead and go home with three points in their season-opening game.

Nigeria international Alex Iwobi popped up with an assist as Everton recovered from a goal down to beat Southampton 3-1 in a Premier League match on Saturday.

The Toffees found themselves trailing in the 22nd minute when new Saints’ signing Adam Armstrong put them ahead after sliding through past Jordan Pickford before the Rafael Benitez charges recovered in the second half.

Everton drew level courtesy of Richarlison in the 47th minute then went 2-1 up in the 76th minute via Abdoulaye Doucoure before Dominic Calvert-Lewin sealed the game in the 81st minute.

The 25-year-old Super Eagle started from the bench at Goodison Park while Southampton named a strong team with Ghanaian defender Mohammed Salisu and Moussa Djenepo from Mali getting starts.

But it was Armstrong, signed from Blackburn Rovers, who put the Saints ahead after Michael Keane fumbled the ball inside the box under pressure from Armstrong, and he snatched it from him to squeeze past Pickford.

Everton were forced to wait until the second half to stage a comeback, and it was in the 47th minute when new signing Andros Townsend fired a loose ball back to Richarlison, who perfectly fired it home from close range.

In the 70th minute, Iwobi was introduced for Townsend and he made an immediate impact as four minutes later, he nodded the ball to Doucoure on the edge of the penalty area, who turned and arrowed a shot into the top corner for a 2-1 lead.

The Toffees then sealed their comeback in the 81st minute when Calvert-Lewin dived low to head past Alex McCarthy in the Southampton goal.

The assist will be good news for Iwobi, who last season did not get enough playing time under Carlo Ancelotti and he will hope to get a start when Everton travel to face Leeds United on Saturday.

Virgil van Dijk made his first Liverpool start since October 2020 against Norwich City on Saturday to complete his return from a serious knee injury. 

The Netherlands defender had not feature for 10 months after damaging the anterior cruciate ligaments in his right knee in last October's Merseyside derby against Everton. 

However, after missing the majority of the 2020-21 season and also Euro 2020, he is now fit again and back in Jurgen Klopp's first XI. 

Back in the middle

Van Dijk was selected at centre-back alongside fellow returnee Joel Matip for Saturday's trip to Norfolk to face newly promoted Norwich. 

Matip also missed a large portion of the last campaign after suffering an ankle ligament injury in January; while Joe Gomez makes the bench at Carrow Road having recovered from his own season-ending knee injury in November 2020.

The loss of three key defenders contributed to a disappointing term for Liverpool, who failed to retain their Premier League title and eventually had to settle for third place behind Manchester City and United. 

Looking ahead 

The build-up to this weekend's Premier League curtain-raiser saw Van Dijk sign a new contract at Anfield, and he stated his hope that last season's injury nightmare was behind him.

"It is something to be very proud of, that I am very proud of, that my wife and my kids are very proud of and obviously my agency. All the hard work we’ve put in so far continues and I am looking forward to what the future brings together with Liverpool. I’m delighted, very happy and proud," he told the club's official website.

“Since day one when I joined the club, I felt so much appreciation from the fans and from my teammates and the staff, that I could be a very important member of this football club.

“It has been going well; unfortunately last season for me personally has been a season to forget, to learn from and take with me, but I have enjoyed my time here and will keep enjoying it in the next couple of years altogether with all of you.”

The Dutchman joined Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018 for a club-record fee of £75 million ($104m), and immediately made his presence felt as he strengthened the Reds' backline alongside fellow new arrival, goalkeeper Alisson. 

The Netherlands captain has made 130 appearances for the club, scoring 13 goals, while boasting Premier League and Champions League winner's medals during his two and a half years at Anfield to date.

Further reading