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SuperSport United captain Ronwen Williams has revealed how he is keeping his younger teammates grounded ahead of the Premier Soccer League duel against Kaizer Chiefs on Sunday.

SuperSport, who are yet to lose a game this season, will host the Soweto giants, and Williams has revealed how he keeps reminding the players to ensure they maintain consistency as the season progresses.

"We are looking forward to it [the game] and it will be big. I am excited because the preparations have been good and since we have started very well, we want to continue on the same path," the 29-year-old goalkeeper told the media.
 
"It is not easy, but I just keep reminding the youngsters that we have done well, we have not achieved anything, so they cannot get ahead of themselves and be happy. The season is long and it is not getting finished in October or November.
 
"I keep them grounded and keep them on their toes. I always remind them to get consistent as we do not want one season wonders. We can be happy that we started well, but the main thing is to keep that going.
 
"We have to look at [Mamelodi] Sundowns and try to emulate what they are doing. They are grinding out results, and it does not mean we will always play the best football, but they are learning, and that is the best thing about football.
 
"We have done very well defensively, but it does not start with us at the back, it starts with the front players. It is a team effort, we score together and we defend together."

Jude Bellingham took a leaf out of the Lionel Messi playbook on Saturday to score a magical individual effort for Borussia Dortmund against Arminia Bielefeld. 

Bellingham, who finished fifth in Goal's 2021 NXGN list of the top wonderkids in the world, continues to impress for the Bundesliga side and is now an undisputed member of Marco Rose's first-choice XI. 

And his marvellous strike was the icing on the cake on Saturday as Dortmund downed Bielefeld 3-1 away from home to remain within a single point of league leaders Bayern Munich.

Watch Bellingham's amazing strike

Bellingham's career so far

Already a first-team regular at boyhood club Birmingham City, Bellingham's talents prompted Dortmund to part with a reported £25 million for his services in the summer of 2020, making him the most expensive 17-year-old in football history. 

He made 29 appearances in his debut season in the Bundesliga, proving a key addition even as the Rhinelanders struggled through the campaign before they secured third place behind Bayern and RB Leipzig.

Bellingham also made the breakthrough at international level and was a member of Gareth Southgate's Euro 2020 squad, making three appearances in the competition as the Three Lions finished as runners up.

In 2021-22 the teenager is one of just three BVB players to have been ever-present in the starting line-up, alongside Swiss duo Gregor Kobel and Manuel Akanji. 

He also boasts three goals in his 14 outings to date, including Saturday's memorable effort.

Further reading 

Football supporters in Kenya can now breathe a sigh of relief after the government lifted their stadium ban.

Although the state has allowed two-thirds the capacity of the stadium, the fans are likely to rejoice over the move since they have been out of sporting facilities since last year when they were barred from watching games live at the venues, as the government took mitigation measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

"Following the president's directive on Mashujaa Day revising some of the Covid-19 protocols and subsequent discussions between the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Amina Mohamed, and the CS for Health, Mutahi Kagwe, spectators will now be allowed into stadiums," a statement obtained by Goal read on Saturday.

"The event organizers are expected to ensure they utilize up to 2/3rds capacity of the stadia. However, each event organiser, must comply with the requirements of the local and international federations regarding spectators.

"We want to ensure that moving forward that is the case ]vaccination], but not just coming into the country, we also want to ensure that those participating in the country are also fully vaccinated.

"Those sitting in the stands are vaccinated or tested, and with those kinds of measures, we are sure we can continue fully opening up the country."

The Premier League, the National Super League and the lower tiers have already started their 2021/22 campaigns. The lifting of the ban comes a few days after Kenya's most popular club fixture; the Mashemeji Derby was played on Wednesday, where Gor Mahia emerged winners with a 1-0 margin after Boniface Omondi scored their 87th goal in the most contested Premier League fixture.

On Friday, Gor Mahia announced up to 10,000 fans will be allowed to watch their Caf Confederation Cup game on Sunday at Nyayo Stadium against Al-Ahly Merowe. K'Ogalo are enjoying a 3-1 first-leg advantage and the return of their fans should be a motivating factor going into the Sunday clash.

Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi has tipped AmaZulu on how to overcome scary threats in Lubumbashi ahead of the latter team's Caf Champions League second preliminary round encounter against TP Mazembe on Saturday.

Mngqithi discussed the conditions in DR Congo's southeasternmost town as they encountered it when they were there to play TP Mazembe in their previous Champions League campaign.

"The first trip that we took to Lubumbashi and played against TP Mazembe, the environment can look very hostile if you are not aware of what is really happening," Mngqithi told the club's media department.

"The supporters are very intimidating. Your trip to the stadium is very scary because you always ask yourself, 'Are we going to come out of here?' The supporters are even showing you that they are going to cut your neck, that they are going to score three goals and it is like culture within the small town.

"They make sure that you are as intimidated as ever. But when you have been there, you start to realise these people are very friendly. Maybe they are just scaring you because immediately after you beat them or you perform very well, they are always very friendly and nice after the match.

"It is important for AmaZulu to understand that because it can get into your head when you are going there for the first time. Even the roads are not giving you an indication that after the match you will be having an easier ride coming out of the Lubumbashi township.

"It becomes very difficult even for players. It may look like, 'hey guys, we may better not win this match because it looks like we may not come out of the stadium'. But the truth of the matter is that they are very friendly people. It is just that they always want to scare you before the match. 

"After the match, it is always a different story."

Mngqithi, however, believes the Premier Soccer League side, under Benni McCarthy, can perform against the former Champions League winners.

"So, if AmaZulu can understand that, I think it would help them because when we went there for the first time, we were not aware and it was a very scary situation. That time, the stadium was open and it was packed to capacity," he concluded.

"I believe AmaZulu have the capacity to come out with the result because Benni has done a good job."

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey revelled at ending his goal drought for the team after he scored in the 3-1 Premier League win against Aston Villa on Friday.

The 28-year-old Ghana international finally scored his first goal for the Gunners on his 40th appearance for the club in all competitions after he rose the highest to glance in a corner from Emile Smith Rowe in the 23rd minute of the top-flight game at Emirates Stadium.

Before the goal, Partey, who joined the Gunners from Atletico Madrid in July 2020, came close to scoring in the 20th minute but his effort rattled the woodwork and bounced back into play.

But three minutes later, he put Arsenal ahead and in the 45th minute, Gabon's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored from the penalty spot after Alexandre Lacazette was brought down in the box and Smith Rowe added the third in the 56th minute after a pass from Aubameyang.

Partey has dedicated the win to the fans by saying, as quoted by The Mirror: “The team knew what to do. We had to keep fighting and keep our intensity. In the end with the quality we have we are able to get results.

"All the team was frustrated and we wanted a win. That was the mentality we brought to this game today and we were able to get our result.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. I think it was the right moment to have it and I'm very happy.

"The team performed very good. We have to do this every weekend and every game and with this, we can achieve beautiful things.

“They deserve it. they have been supporting us when we have been down and when things have gone bad. This win is for them and I hope they enjoy it.”

Meanwhile, when asked about Partey’s goal, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told the club’s official website: “Yes because he’s been chasing it for a long time, and he could have scored another two to be fair. I’m very happy for him, I think he enjoyed that moment in front of our supporters and I’m happy for him.”

The 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers is all set to get underway from October 25. The main event will be hosted in Uzbekistan from June 1 to 19, 2022. It will be the fifth edition of the biennial tournament which was established in 2013 as the AFC U-23 Championship. 

South Korea are the defending champions of the competition. It has been a highly competitive tournament as no nation has won the trophy twice.

How many teams are participating in the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers?

A total of 42 teams will be competing in the qualifiers including hosts Uzbekistan. However, their results will not be taken into account when the group ranking will be decided. 

The 42 teams have been divided into 11 groups. 23 teams from West Asia, Central Asia and South Asia, were drawn into five groups of four and there is another group that has three participants. Meanwhile, 19 teams from ASEAN and East Asia were drawn into four groups of four and there is one group with three teams.

Why did North Korea and China pull out of the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers?

North Korea did not want to take any risk due to the ongoing Covid-9 pandemic and hence, on July 29, they withdrew from the competition. China followed their footsteps and on October 11, they also announced their withdrawal. 

"Due to epidemic prevention and control regulations, flight restrictions and other reasons, the China U22 national football team will be unable to travel to Tajikistan as planned to participate in the AFC U23 Championship qualifiers. We have to withdraw from the games with regret," read a statement from the Chinese FA. 

Where will the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers take place? 

The qualifiers will take place in 10 countries across Asia. Find the details in the table below. 

What is the format of the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers?

Each team will play once against each other in the group. The 11 group-winners will directly qualify for the main event, while the four-best runners-up will also go through. 

However in Group G since there are only two teams in Australia and Indonesia, only the table topper will go through after playing each other twice. The second-place team will be eliminated. 

Yet another key milestone on the road to the 2022 World Cup was achieved by hosts Qatar on Friday when the Al Thumama stadium was thrown open to the world. The sixth tournament-ready venue for the World Cup next year was launched with the stadium hosting the Amir Cup final between Al Sadd and Al Rayyan. 

The brand new venue with a capacity of 40000 is equipped with state-of-the-art features including the revolutionary Advanced Cooling Tech and is nothing short of an engineering marvel. But in more than one way, the Al Thumama stadium is a shining symbol of what Qatar want the 2022 World Cup to represent.

Time and again, ever since Qatar won the hosting rights to the 2022 World Cup, they have reiterated that football's biggest tournament coming to the Middle-East is a win for the entire Arab region. 

Hassan Al Thawadi, the Secretary-General of Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) – the organization responsible for delivering the World Cup in 2022 - has often stressed the fact that next year's World Cup will be one that celebrates the Arab culture and showcases their famous hospitality to the entire world. 

"This is a regional World Cup. If you look at the number of volunteers that have signed up and interested people in terms of attending events. By the end of 2021, we will be hosting the Arab Cup. All the Arab countries are participating. We continue to work to embrace the people of the region. The tournament is being held in Qatar, but it is first and foremost a regional tournament," he had stated last year. 

And that commitment to the region is truly defined in the intricate construction of the Al Thumama stadium. It is also one of the very few stadiums in the world that encapsulates its local culture. 

Situated 12km south of Doha, the Al Thumama stadium champions one of the biggest Arab symbols of dignity and independence.

The intricate patterns on the facade of the stadium represents the ' gahfiya ' - the traditional woven headcap worn by Arab men and boys. It is, indeed, a fundamental clothing item in the entire region and the Al Thumama is a fitting tribute to the pride and tradition of the region.

And the SC does not just envision Qatar 2022 as an event which brings together the entire region but also as a global event that where the world can learn about Arab culture and their famous hospitality. 

"For the fans, it will be a moment of bonding and celebration. They should be able to look at these memories with great joy. They should experience the region and who we are in our entirety, as people. Forgetting what they see in the news and the stereotypes that have unfortunately been embedded in people's minds. An opportunity for them to actually see us as a people. Very, very similar in many ways and different in other ways. But celebrate the differences and enjoy the similarities," Al Thawadi had stated earlier.

And the Al Thumama stadium is the perfect embodiment of that statement by the SC supremo. It is a monumental marvel where the world can celebrate its cultural differences with the Arab region while enjoying the similarities, ie, football - the beautiful game. 

Thomas Tuchel claims that he "fell into a trap" when he indicated that Chelsea regularly discussed a move for Erling Haaland.

The German previously suggested that the Blues held weekly talks over launching a transfer bid for the Borussia Dortmund star.

Speaking now however, the manager stated that his comments were meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but acknowledged that the context of his words likely gave the wrong impression in the end.

What has been said?

“I fell into a trap,” Tuchel said when reflecting on his words. “I got an award in Germany, an award from a newspaper. They gave me this award and asked me about a player.

“Normally I never, never speak about other players, because I simply never do. We were making more or less fun about it and I should have known better.

"Because in making fun about it and being a nice guy to answer a question [...] getting this award I joke about a double striker with Romelu [Lukaku} in October and it gets like we put an offer in. That was the context, but I should have known better.”

What were Tuchel's original comments?

Previously, the former Paris Saint-Germain boss indicated that Haaland was a priority target when discussing the matter with Bild following his aforementioned award.

“We talked about Erling Haaland a couple of times, including during the transfer window," he said. "But then it seemed absolutely unrealistic and not at all feasible.

“We talk about him regularly, of course, because he’s a fantastic player and clearly the defining figure at Dortmund, who is a big rival for us in the Champions League.”

The bigger picture

Given their success in the Champions League last term and their solid start to the new campaign, Chelsea could well be a destination for Haaland if he is to move elsewhere.

The Leeds-born Norway international is Dortmund's flagship figure following Jadon Sancho's exit, and the club will face a tough fight to keep him on their books long term.

Other European heavyweights will be in the fight to capture his signature however, setting a tough task for Tuchel to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

Further reading