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Marumo Gallants picked up a morale-boosting 2-1 win over AS Vita in the first leg of their Caf Confederations Cup first round tie at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday.

Celimpilo Ngema scored twice to hand the Premier Soccer League side - who recently parted ways with head coach Sebastien Migne - the home win ahead of the return leg on October 22.

Ngema found the back of the net in the 19th minute before he registered a brace in the 58th minute.

The South African Confederation Cup representatives made four changes to the squad that lost to Golden Arrows in a league encounter before the October international break with Celimpilo Ngema, Matome Kgoetyane Lebogang Mabotsa and Maboke Matlakala all starting against the Democratic Republic of Congo side.

Gallants were visibly dominant and were rewarded with the opener when Ngema struck in the 19th minute after he tapped home a low ball from close range.

The home side held onto the slim lead, went for the half-time break and came back more determined than their rivals. 

Thabo Mnyamane could have doubled Gallants' lead in the early moments of the second half, but AS Vita's goalkeeper tipped his effort over the bar.

As AS Vita - who were given a bye in the preliminary round - decided to sit back and launch sporadic attacks, their strategy played into Ngema's hands, who scored his second just two minutes before the hour mark.

Bahlabane Ba Ntwa made changes as the second half progressed, with Thembisani Nevhulamba replacing Maboke Matlakala before Edgar Manaka took Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo's position.

However, they might rue conceding an away goal with eight minutes left to play, even though the visitors were reduced to 10 men midway through the second half.

Gallants - who have been quite impressive on the continental stage as compared to their domestic form - booked a date with AS Vita after beating Futuro Kings of Equatorial Guinea 4-2 on aggregate in the preliminary round.
 

Pedri, Jude Bellingham and Gio Reyna are among the 20 players to make the shortlist for the Golden Boy award, which is given to the best player under the age of 21 in Europe's top leagues.

Erling Haaland won the award, which is handed out by Tuttosport, last season, while Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappe and Matthijs de Ligt are among the award's past winners.

This season's winner will be announced on December 13, with the initial list of 100 players revealed in June now down to the final 20.

Who is on the shortlist?

A total of 20 players from 10 countries make up the final shortlist of players.

Spain stars Pedri, Gavi, Brian Gil and Yeremi Pino give La Roja the most nominees with four, with Germany and England following just behind.

Karim Adeyemi, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz represent Germany on the shortlist with Bellingham, Mason Greenwood and Bukayo Saka among England's representatives.

France stars Eduardo Camavinga and William Saliba have been nominated as have Daniel Maldini and Roberto Piccoli from Italy and Ryan Gravenberch and Jurrien Timber from the Netherlands.

U.S. men's national team star Reyna is one of just two non-Europeans nominated, alongside Brazil and Real Madrid star Rodrygo, while Portugal's Nuno Mendes and Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere round out the shortlist.

Further reading

Orlando Pirates have been held to a goalless draw by Diables Noirs in the first leg of the first round of the Caf Confederation Cup at Alphonse Massamba-Debat Stadium on Friday evening. 

The Soweto heavyweights opted to start a seemingly defensive side, in a bid to ensure they do not concede away to the Congolese outfit.

It was the hosts who started the match on a high, pushing for an opener through the likes of Hardy Binguila and Grace Djimbi who ensured the likes of debutant Kwanda Mngonyama and Sam Bongani stayed alert to stop the attacks.

The former had to make a last-ditch tackle to deny Carl Wunda who had been cleverly played in the danger zone.

The Bucs had a chance of their own after Kabelo Dlamini, who had been played in by Abel Mabaso, was fouled and the referee awarded them a free kick. But the latter failed to make use of the chance and the ball eventually went out for a goal-kick.

As time went by, Pirates settled and would have grabbed a lead late in the first half when Mngonyama found Sam Bongani in the danger zone but the ball was deflected for an unfruitful corner.

The best chance for either side in the first 45 minutes fell to Tshegofatso Mabasa, but despite being one-on-one with Giscard Mavoungou, he could not find the back of the net.

In the second half, the Bucs had a scare when Happy Jele was hit on the head in his bid to clear the ball. But he was cleared to continue much to the relief of the technical bench.

The centre-back had played a vital role in ensuring his team did not concede in the first half and it would have been a major blow to see him leave.

Diable Noirs resorted to physical play and it worked since they managed to pin Pirates in their own half. It forced the Pirates bench to change tactics and Thabang Monare was introduced in place of Kabelo Dlamini.

But moments later, it was Siyabonga Mpontshane who had to be alert to stop Jeremie Mumbere from scoring.

A melee in the Pirates danger zone, with 20 minutes to go, ended with the ball hitting the upright for a goal kick. But despite the many chances created by both teams, neither managed to get the ball in the back of the net.

The second leg will be played on October 24 at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg.

A good counter-attack ended with Pirates getting a free-kick after the hour-mark. Monare managed to find Mabasa whose header narrowly missed the target.

Diables Noirs XI: Giscard Mavoungou, Francis Nzaba, Carof Bakoua, Chikito Kwenge, Hernest Malonga, Tejio Lutonadio, Jeremie Mumbere, Hardy Binguila, Lorrys Nkolo, Grace Djimbi, Carl Wunda

Orlando Pirates XI: Siyabonga Mpontshane, Kwanda Mngonyama, Paseka Mako, Happy Jele, Sam Bongani, Abel Mabaso, Siphesihle Ndlovu, Fortune Makaringe, Kabelo Dlamini, Bandile Shandu, Tshegofatso Mabasa

Paris Saint-Germain will herald the return of Ligue 1 domestic action as they look to bolster their place atop the summit against Angers at Parc des Princes.

Watch PSG v Angers on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

Mauricio Pochettino's side will look to maintain their gap over their rivals at the top of the table - but they must do so without a fleet of key players, including Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Ahead of the game, Goal has the details of how to watch on TV, stream online, team news and more.

TV channel, live stream & how to watch

In the United States (US), Ligue 1 can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (watch with a 7-day free trial).

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

Team news & rosters

Mauricio Pochettino's side are blessed with such riches that arguably a second-string side like the one they will field this weekend is still stuffed to the gills with talent.

But Sergio Ramos will still have to wait for a debut due to injury, while Lionel Messi, Neymar, Marquinhos and Keylor Navas are among the internationals for whom this game comes too early to feature.

Predicted PSG starting XI:  Donnarumma; Hakimi, Kehrer, Kimpembe, Mendes; Gueye, Verratti, Wijnaldum; Mbappe, Icardi, Rafinha.

It has been a barnstorming start to the campaign at Stade Raymond Kopa, with Angers firmly in the thick of a shock European race, lying fourth as they return from the international break.

Gerald Baticle does not have too many doubts for this crucial clash either, with Zinedine Ould Khaled the biggest concern for their trip to the capital.

Predicted Angers starting XI: Bernardoni; Manceau, Traore, Thomas; Cabot, Mendy, Mangani, Ebosse; Boufal, Bahoken, Ali-Cho.

Last five results

Head-to-head

Brazilian duo Alisson and Fabinho will both miss Liverpool's Premier League game at Watford this weekend due to complications around coronavirus restrictions, Jurgen Klopp has confirmed.

The pair have been in action for their country in South America over the last two weeks for World Cup qualifying, and instead of returning to England they will head straight to Spain, where Liverpool will be playing a Champions League group stage game against Atletico Madrid next week.

Fabinho had hinted that Liverpool may send him and Alisson straight to Madrid instead of making them fly into the UK, and this was confirmed by Klopp at his press conference on Friday.

What has been said?

Asked if the players would travel straight to Madrid, Klopp said: "They have to. Because the last game they played in a red-list country was Colombia. Next Thursday at midnight it's 10 days. These are the rules. They could have flown into England, but that would have meant they would have to isolate from their families. Ali has three kids."

Why is this happening?

Alisson and Fabinho were part of the Brazil team who played a 2022 World Cup qualifier away to Colombia during the international break, which is on the United Kingdom's red list for coronavirus travel restrictions. This means anyone who has been to these nations has to self-isolate for 10 days on coming back to Britain.

By travelling to Spain, which is not on the red list, Alisson and Fabinho are able to circumvent these restrictions due to the amount of time that will have passed since they were in Colombia - however this comes at the expense of being available to face Watford.

There is also the issue of fitness - Brazil's most recent qualifier, a 4-1 win over Uruguay, kicked off at 1.30am Friday UK time - less than 36 hours before Liverpool's game against Watford begins on Saturday lunchtime.

When will they return?

Losing two key players for a Premier League fixture is a big blow for Klopp, however he should have both men available for the clash with Atletico, plus the derby match against rivals Manchester United next weekend.

Adrian may deputise for Alisson in goal, as he did at the start of 2020/21 when the Reds No 1 was one of several players sidelined due to injury, or Klopp may select young Irish goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher who has impressed in cup matches.

Fabinho meanwhile, who has started five of Liverpool's seven Premier League games this season, could be replaced by James Milner or Naby Keita.

Further Reading

Lionel Messi took aim at the weather and referee Wilton Sampaio after Argentina’s narrow 1-0 win over Peru in World Cup qualifying, with the Paris Saint-Germain superstar claiming that the Brazilian match official makes contentious decisions “on purpose”.

A solitary strike from Inter forward Lautaro Martinez was enough to earn the Albiceleste three more points on the road to Qatar 2022.

Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi endured an off night as he struggled to make an impact, with the 34-year-old suggesting afterwards that testing conditions and those calling the shots conspired against him.

What has been said?

Messi posted on Instagram: "Difficult match, difficult to play. A lot of wind, they were playing deep, leaving little space for us.

"The referee always does this when he referees us, as if he does it on purpose. But well, three important points and we're close to our objective."

Why was Messi frustrated?

Argentina toiled for long periods against Peru and were fortunate to leave with maximum points after seeing the hosts awarded a second-half penalty.

That may have been the decision that incurred Messi’s wrath, but he and his international team-mates were let off the hook when Yoshimar Yotun cannoned his spot-kick off the crossbar.

Has Sampaio refereed Argentina before?

Argentina’s meeting with Peru represented the fifth time in which they have been officiated by Sampaio.

Messi clearly is not a fan, but the Albiceleste are unbeaten when the Brazilian is the man in the middle.

Their first outing under Sampaio also came against Peru in a World Cup qualifier back in October 2017, with that game ending 0-0.

A group-stage meeting with Paraguay at the 2019 Copa America finished 1-1, before Argentina got into the winning habit.

A further Copa America contest against Uruguay saw Guido Rodriguez net a decisive goal, while Ecuador were seen off 3-0 in the same competition.

Reasons to be cheerful

Messi would appear to have little to complain about, especially as Argentina have extended an impressive unbeaten record to 25 games.

Lionel Scaloni is just the second Albiceleste coach to oversee such a run, after Alfio Basile, and he believes there is still more to come from the 2021 Copa America winners.

He told reporters after edging out Peru: "Today we felt a bit tired. Playing three games in South America is wearisome.

"We took it forward and got the three points, which is what we wanted.

"It was a very important game and there was tension for that. I do not think that Argentina was satisfied with the result. Peru played well, they are a very difficult opponent. Apart from the penalty incident, I think we controlled the game."

Further reading

Orlando Pirates begin their 2021/22 Caf Confederation Cup campaign with a trip to Brazzaville to face Congolese side Diables Noirs in a first-round, first leg match at Alphonse Massamba-Debat Stadium.

After reaching the quarter-finals of this competition last season, the Buccaneers would be keen to progress further this term.

Having won the 1995 Caf Champions League and the Caf Super Cup the following year, Pirates are yet to lay their hands on the Confederation Cup.

The closest they have come to win this tournament was reaching the final in 2015.

Now, Diables Noirs provide the first hurdle they have to pass through to reach the group stage. 

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

In South Africa, the match is not being shown live.

Squads & Team News

No Diables Noirs player has been confirmed as suspended for Friday’s match.

Coach Danh Nsonde will be banking on midfielder Hardy Binguila who boasts the experience of previously playing for AJ Auxerre in Ligue 2 as well as in Albania.

He returns to club football without injury after being an unused substitute for Congo in back-to-back 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Togo.

The Congolese side’s forward Lorry Nkolo, who has previously had a stint in Algeria, is another player Pirates should be wary of.

Pirates have confirmed they will be without Vincent Pule, who was injured during international duty with Bafana Bafana last Saturday.

The attacker injured himself during warm-up away in Ethiopia and his name had to be struck off the starting line-up.

He then did not feature in the home fixture against Walia ibex on Tuesday and did not even make the bench.

Four other Pirates players - Terrence Dzvukamanja, Tshegifatso Mabasa, Deon Hotto and Frank Mhango - are returning from international duty with their respective countries and have travelled with the team to Brazzaville as confirmed by the club.

Doubtful for Pirates are Innocent Maela and goalkeeper Richard Ofori who, have been recovering from injuries while Thembinkosi Lorch and Zakhele Lepasa are still far from regaining their fitness.  

Match Preview

This is the first-ever meeting between Pirates and Diables Noirs.

But Pirates’ last trip to Congo Brazzaville was not a successful one which saw them lose 1-0 to AC Leopards in a Caf Champions League match in 2013.

The two teams had drawn 0-0 in the reverse fixture in Johannesburg, meaning Pirates are yet to beat a team from Congo in Caf inter-club competitions. 

They now arrive in Brazzaville in what is their first continental match this season and that comes on the backdrop of having failed to win their last two Premier Soccer League games.

Their opponents Diables Noirs are on a run of 12 unbeaten games in all competitions including eliminating Burundian side Bumamuru in the preliminary round of the Confederation Cup.

Diables Noirs won 1-0 on aggregate after a 0-0 away draw and a victory at home courtesy of Nkolo’s solitary strike.

Pirates’ last match in this competition was a 5-1 aggregate loss to Raja Casablanca in the quarter-finals of last season’s competition.

India and Nepal are set to meet in the final of the SAFF Championship 2021 at the National Football Stadium in Male, Maldives, on Saturday evening.

The Blue Tigers eventually emerged table toppers in the round-robin group stage with their 3-1 win over Maldives while a 1-1 draw against Bangladesh was enough for for the Gorkhalis to confirm their spot in the final.

Here's how to watch India vs Nepal from India. 

What time does the SAFF Championship 2021 game between India and Nepal start?

How to watch India vs Sri Lanka on TV & live stream in India?

The match will be broadcasted on Eurosport and may be streamed online via  discovery+ or JioTV app. 

India vs Nepal: Team news

Igor Stimac's men took time to settle into the 13th edition of the SAFF Cup but gradually showed improved performances. Although the defence needs to be more consistent, attack seems to have found some rhythm, especially against Maldives where India scored three goals. Sunil Chhetri is the tournament's top scorer with four goals in four games and it was a relief for the skipper to be joined by Manvir Singh on the scoreboard against Maldives.

The team showed their support to Farukh Choudhary who was injured after the 1-0 win over Nepal in the group stage by posing with the Jamshedpur FC player's jersey as they celebrated their 3-1 win over Maldives. Besides that, India will be without the services of defender Subhasish Bose who was sent off in the previous fixture. Coach Stimac will also not be on the touchline after getting sent off against Maldives.

The last time Nepal defeated India was in the 2013 SAFF Championship. Their best finish was a third-place finish in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 1993.

Brazil will look to continue its unbeaten run in World Cup qualifying when it hosts Uruguay at Arena de Amazonia on Thursday.

Watch Brazil vs Uruguay on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

Uruguay has not beaten Brazil in 20 years, with its last victory over the Selecao coming way back in July 2001.

Ahead of the game, Goal has the details of how to watch on TV, stream online, team news and more.

TV channel, live stream & how to watch

In the United States (US), Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (watch with a 7-day free trial).

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

Team news & rosters

Brazil had won every single one of its qualifiers before this international break and was held to a 0-0 draw by Colombia on Sunday.

It will look to bounce back with a win against Uruguay which will move it one step closer to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Eder Militao is a doubt for the match and could be replaced by Thiago Silva in defence.

Predicted Brazil starting XI: Alisson; Danilo, Silva, Marquinhos, Sandro; Fred, Fabinho; Raphinha, Neymar, Paqueta; Barbosa.

Uruguay needs a positive result to stay in an automatic qualification spot for Qatar, especially after a 3-0 loss to Argentina at the weekend.

It has picked up just one point from this international break and finds itself sitting in fourth in the table after 11 games.

Rodrigo Bentancur should return to the starting XI following his suspension, but Jose Maria Gimenez has had to pull out through injury.

Predicted Uruguay starting XI: Muslera; Nandez, Godin, Araujo, Vina; Bentancur, Vecino, Valverde; De la Cruz, Suarez, Rodriguez.

Last five results

Head-to-head

Chile hosts Venezuela in 2022 World Cup qualifying, hoping to pick up maximum points against the South American strugglers.

Watch Chile vs Venezuela on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

After winning its last game, Chile sits five points outside the inter-confederation play-off spot in CONMEBOL, but has a favourable fixture against 10th place Venezuela.

Ahead of the game, Goal has the details of how to watch on TV, stream online, team news and more.

TV channel, live stream & how to watch

In the United States (US), Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (watch with a 7-day free trial).

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

Team news & rosters

Chile bounced back from a defeat to Peru with a 2-0 win over Paraguay in its last game with Blackburn's Ben Brereton opening the scoring.

The Stoke-born forward is expected to start up front again, but Chile will be without midfielder Charles Aranguiz who was sent off against Paraguay.

Predicted Chile starting XI: Bravo; Isla, Maripan, Diaz, Vegas; Nunez, Vidal, Pulgar, Meneses; Brereton Diaz, Sanchez.

Eduard Bello scored his first international goal for Venezuela in its 2-1 win over Ecuador, which was only Venezuela's second win of the campaign.

As a result, it only has seven points so far in qualifying, but still has a very slim chance of climbing the table if it can pick up three points against Chile.

Predicted Venezuela starting XI: Farinez; Hernandez, A Martinez, Ferraresi, O Gonzalez; Rincon, J Martinez; Bello, Machis, Penaranda; Ramirez.

Last five results

Head-to-head