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Everton secured a comfortable 3-1 triumph over Burnley in Monday’s English Premier League encounter with Abdoulaye Doucoure bagging two assists.

Lifted by their 2-0 away victory over Brighton and Hove Albion their last time out, the Toffees welcomed the Clarets to the Goodison Park with the ambition of extending their outstanding run.

Despite boasting numerous scoring chances, the hosts were unable to get the goals as the first half ended 0-0.

Eight minutes into the second half, Sean Dyche’s side took a shock lead through Ben Mee who was assisted by Johann Berg Gudmundsson.

Gudmundsson scampered after Ben Godfrey’s initial clearance to send a cross from the right which the Englishman powered past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford from inside the six-yard box.

Nonetheless, the lead last for just seven minutes as Rafael Benitez’s team restored parity courtesy of Michael Keane with Andros Townsend supplying the assist.

Townsend registered his name on the scorer’s sheet five minutes later to put Everton ahead for the first time as he was teed up by Mali prospect Doucoure.

A minute later, the African star set up Demarai Gray to give the Toffee a 3-1 lead.

With that, Doucoure has now provided two assists in a single Premier League game for the third time, previously doing so for Watford against Wolverhampton Wanderers in October 2018.

The former France youth international capped his remarkable display with a goal in the 68th minute, however, it was chalked off by referee Martin Atkinson for offside.

Burnley returned home with heads bowed low as they were unable to cancel out their two-goal deficit.

Doucoure was in action from start to finish whereas, Nigeria international Alex Iwobi was introduced for Gray with two minutes left on the clock.

Elsewhere, Cote d’Ivoire midfielder Jean-Philippe Gbamin was an unused substitute.

Thanks to this result, Everton have moved to eighth in the EPL log having accrued eight points from four matches as Burnley sit in the 17th point with just two points.

Next up for Benitez’s men is a trip to Villa Park where they take on Dean Smith’s Aston Villa on September 18.

Inter may not have all of the superstars that helped them break the mould in Serie A last term anymore but they're still among the favourites to lift the Scudetto this season with good reason.

Even with Romelu Lukaku having flown the coop, the Milan outfit still have a host of superb talents, from Milan Skriniar to Lautaro Martinez and the veteran Ivan Perisic.

So, what are the Nerazzurri stars' player ratings in FIFA 22? Goal brings you all the details about how they measure up on EA Sports' new game.

Real Madrid FIFA 22 player ratings

Slovakian centre-back Milan Skriniar was among the most commanding figures at the back in Serie A last season - and he has been rewarded with the highest rating in Inter's squad, at 86.

It puts him on equal footing with club captain and superb shot-stopper Samir Handanovic, who is among the higher-ranking goalkeepers in the game.

The pair are one point ahead of Stefan de Vrij and Lautaro Martinez, both 85, while further down the line Christian Eriksen nabs 82 and Alexis Sanchez is handed an 80.

Former Chelsea and Senegal striker Demba Ba has announced his retirement from football.

Ba took to social media on Monday to make his decision public, almost a month after he left Swiss Super League club Lugano.

He joined Lugano on a free transfer in June and he only played 47 minutes of league football before he terminated his contract, reportedly because of a change of ownership.

Ba, born in France to Senegalese parents, started his career at French club Rouen and he enjoyed a nomadic playing career across Belgium, Germany, England, Turkey, China and Switzerland.

During his club career, the 36-year-old won the Uefa Europa League with Chelsea in the 2012-13 season and he clinched the Turkish Super Lig title twice with Besiktas and Istanbul Basaksehir in the 2016-17 and 2019-20 season,s respectively.

On the international stage, he played for Senegal between 2007 and 2015 with four goals to his name in 22 matches.

“It is with a heart filled with gratefulness that I announce the end of my playing career. What a wonderful journey it has been,” Ba wrote on Twitter.

“Beside all the sweat and tears I have faced, football has given me so many beautiful emotions.

"From the passion of the fans and the noise coming from the stands after every goal to the connection with my teammates on and off the field , this will forever remain in my head and heart.

"I want to thank everyone I've crossed paths with and helped me grow, every club and manager for given me an opportunity, the fans for their tremendous support and my family and friends for unconditional love.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Praise be to the almighty."

Ba's longest playing stint was at Hoffenheim where he scored 37 goals in 97 Bundesliga matches before switching to England to join West Ham United in January 2011 but he left the Hammers six months later following their relegation to the Championship.

Newcastle United moved for him instantly and he made himself a key player at the club with his goalscoring abilities as he grabbed 29 goals in 54 Premier League games within one-and-a-half seasons.

In January 2013, Ba joined Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea where he scored 14 goals before switching to Besiktas in June 2014.

Cristiano Ronaldo is "the greatest player of all time" according to former Manchester United stalwart Gary Neville, with the ex-right-back giving his former Old Trafford colleague the edge over rival Lionel Messi.

The Portuguese cemented a dream homecoming to the Theatre of Dreams this weekend with a brace on his second debut for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side in a 4-1 Premier League win over Newcastle.

Now former Red Devils defender Neville has hailed his ex-team-mate as the finest to ever play the game - and has pointed to his superior flexibility as a goalscorer as the crucial edge he possesses over Paris Saint-Germain attacker Messi.

What has been said?

"Look, there's no doubt that Messi's scored an obscene amount of goals," Neville stated on Sky Sports ahead of Everton and Burnley's Premier League game on Monday. "He's a ridiculous player.

"[But] Ronaldo's scored probably 30 or 40 per cent more with his wrong foot and he's scored more penalties. So it just took me to a point where he was more complete in terms of the most important part of the game.

"The thing that tips it over the edge even more is that international record, of the most international goals ever. The fact that he's won five Champions Leagues with teams that aren't even as good as Messi's team..."

"Messi's won more league titles with that Barcelona team, but I just feel that the international goal record and the Champions Leagues, aligned with the variety of goals that he scores, even though they're very similar [in overall numbers], takes me to think that he is the greatest player of all time.

Carragher rubbishes Ronaldo honour

Fellow pundit Jamie Carragher was quick to shoot down Neville's suggestion, however, with the former Liverpool man stating that he could not look past Messi, owing to the Argentine's skilled game management.

"No one's not a huge fan of Ronaldo or Messi, [but] Ronaldo's not the greatest player of all-time," the Reds legend stated. "I'm going to say that it's his mate here,

"You're talking about the difference of type of goals. It doesn't matter how the ball goes in the net. Messi's got a better goal record than Ronaldo. Messi can also run a game; Ronaldo cannot do that.

"Messi as a player can take you to a place where you can't actually believe what you're seeing. What Ronaldo does is things that other players can do. Messi can do things that you've never seen before."

The bigger picture

Both Ronaldo and Messi will have the chance to further increase their stake for the subjective honour of the world's greatest player when they get back to Champions League action this week.

The pair will be contesting for Europe's biggest club crown with United and PSG as this year's tournament gets under way with the group stage this week.

United will kick off their campaign against Young Boys, while PSG will travel to Club Brugge.

Further reading

Chidozie Awaziem scored a header in his first Super Lig game to power Alanyaspor to a 1-0 victory over Giresunspor on Monday evening.

The Nigeria international joined the Turkish elite division side on loan from Portuguese club Boavista until the end of the 2021-22 campaign.

He was immediately drafted into the club’s starting XI by manager Bulent Korkmaz – partnering with Juan Fran, Nemanja Milunovic and Cristian Borja in the defence - as they hoped to return to winning ways following defeats to Altay and Hatayspor.

It took him eight minutes to make his impact felt after heading a well-taken free kick taken by Emre Akbaba past goalkeeper Onurcan Piri.

The hosts could have scored more goals, but they were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal.

Visiting Giresunspor stepped up their performance in the second half, albeit, they were unable to restore parity as they returned home with heads bowed low after full-time.

While Awaziem was in action from start to finish, Senegal’s Famara Diedhiou – who was named in the line-up – made way for compatriot Khouma Babacar with 15 minutes left on the clock.

Angola international Wilson Eduardo was introduced for Daniel Candeias in the 56th minute, while Mauritania’s El Mami Tetah was not considered for action.

For the visitors, Mali’s Fousseni Diabate played all 90 minutes as Senegal’s Souleymane Doukara was replaced by countryman Ibrahima Balde in the 68th minute.

Mali’s Hamidou Traore was brought in for Joey Pelupessy early in the second half while Senegal duo of Younousse Sankhare and Mamadou Diarra were not dressed for the game.

Alanyaspor president Hasan Cavusoglu claimed he had no doubt about Awaziem’s ability to help the squad.

"Awaziem left after the Nigeria game and arrived in Alanya last night. He's a footballer we believe will contribute to our team,” he told the media.

“It's not easy to transfer players like that. He almost came to Besiktas recently, but he got lucky. We think we make a very good team.

“I believe that Alanyaspor will return to its old days with our new manager.

“We lost two games, but we're still in the league. With Awaziem, the technical team and the Alanyaspor community, we will strive to bring our team to its rightful place together.

“Awaziem is now a part of Alanyaspor. We're together until the end of the season. I think we will have a good season."

Alanyaspor would be hoping to build on this result when they take on Galatasaray in their next fixture on September 19, while Giresunspor, who have lost their last seven games in all competitions, will aim to bounce back to winning ways versus Konyaspor. 

Ahmed 'Mido' Hossam has labelled Liverpool star Mohamed Salah as the greatest Arab footballer of all time.

Salah, 29, achieved a milestone during the Reds’ convincing 3-0 away victory over Leeds United on Sunday at Elland Road.

His first-half finish for Jurgen Klopp’s men saw him become the latest player to enter the Premier League's eminent 100-goal club.

And on that premise, Mido – who starred for Olympique Marseille and Tottenham Hotspur during his playing days - went on social media to state why the two-time African Player of the Year winner is the finest Arab footballer ever to play the beautiful game.

“In my opinion, Salah is the best Arab player in the history of football,” Mido wrote on Twitter of his Egyptian compatriot.

“He scored more goals than any other Arab player in the Premier League, and he’s won the Premier League and Uefa Champions League titles.

“Salah has also scored in the Fifa World Cup, and he still has years to do more in football.

“There are a lot of great Arab players, but I don’t think any of them can be compared to Salah.”

In finding the net against Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites, the Egypt international also became the fifth-fastest to reach a century of goal in English top-flight history.

Only Newcastle legend Alan Shearer, Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, ex-Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry managed the feat in fewer games.

Moreover, Salah is fast closing in on Didier Drogba's scoring record - he former Cote d’Ivoire captain is currently Africa's highest goal scorer in the Prem with 104 goals during his time with two-time Uefa Champions League winners Chelsea.

"Mo's record is crazy," Klopp told Sky Sports. "He is still hungry, and I don't know how many records he can break.

"Since he joined us he has been the perfect player - a top-class player."

After joining the Reds for £36.7 million ($45m) in the summer of 2017 from Serie A outfit AS Roma, Salah has been an instant hit for Klopp’s men helping them win the Champions League, Premier League, Super Cup and Club World Cup.

Liverpool square up against AC Milan in Wednesday’s Champions League game and the Pharaohs’ skipper is expected to play a crucial role once more.

Ghana have parted ways with coach CK Akonnor following the nation’s topsy-turvy start to the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, the Football Association has announced.

Assistant coaches David Duncan and Dutchman Patrick Graveraars have also been given the sack.

Akonnor leaves the Black Stars after almost two years at the helm of affairs.

“The Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association has taken a decision to terminate the appointment of Black Stars Coach Charles Akonnor and his two Assistants with immediate effect,” the GFA stated on its official website.

“This follows the receipt of the Technical Report from the Head Coach of the Senior National Team and the report from the Black Stars Management Committee following Ghana’s Group G World Cup qualifying matches against Ethiopia and South Africa.

“The Executive Council after considering the two reports have decided to terminate its relationship with the Head Coach C. K Akonnor and the two Assistants.”

Akonnor took over the Black Stars in January 2020, replacing James Kwasi Appiah, under a task to qualify to and win the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon next year, and as well qualify Ghana to the World Cup.

Under the former Wolfsburg captain, Ghana opened their Qatar 2022 campaign with a laborious 1-0 home win over Ethiopia, before falling 1-0 away to South Africa last week.

The results have left the West Africans third on the table in Group G, ahead of a double-header against Zimbabwe next month.

“The Executive Council has formed a three (3) Member Committee made up of Vice President Mark Addo, Upper East Regional Football Association Chairman, Alhaji Salifu Zida and Dr. Randy Abbey to find a Head Coach and Assistant Coaches for the Black Stars within the next 72 hours.

“The Association wishes C.K Akonnor and his Assistants the very best in their future endeavours.

“Ghana currently have three (3) points after the two opening matches. The Black Stars will take on Zimbabwe in the next round of games in October 2021.”

The Black Stars have been drawn against Morocco, Gabon and Comoros in the group stage at the Afvcon finals.

Leaders of the Catalan independence movement and critics of Josep Maria Bartomeu's Barcelona administration were among the prime targets of the infamous 'Barcagate', which saw social media used to publicly attack several figures connected to the club. 

Barca stood accused at the start of 2021 of hiring a company which defamed the likes of Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique as well as club legend Pep Guardiola, a scandal which contributed to Bartomeu's decision to stand down earlier this year. 

Now, new data accessed by  Goal  shows that the football personalities were far from the only ones to be singled out in this manner. 

The Independence Movement

In public, Barcelona expressed solidarity with the leaders of the Catalan independence movement, some of whom were jailed or exiled following the controversial 2017 referendum and subsequent declaration of independence. 

A report from Catalan police following their raid on the home of Jaume Masferrer, Bartomeu's right-hand man, tells a different story, though. 

Among the items seized in the search was Masferrer's personal notebook, which contained several allusions to the movement and has been seen by Goal. 

"Tusquets knows the plan for independence," one of the scrawled annotations states, in reference to former club treasurer Carlos Tusquets, who served as interim president following Bartomeu's resignation and later handed over power to Joan Laporta. 

Just below that assertion, Masferrer reveals the director's opposition to allowing pro-independence figures to gain control inside the club: "Tusquets says that you have to act to stop them winning the Barca presidency."

Quim Torra, Oriol Junqueras and Carles Puigdemont, pro-independence figures who held senior positions in the Catalan parliament at the time of the 2017 crisis - Torra and Puigdemont are ex-presidents while Junqueras served as vice-president - were all targeted by disparaging social media messages controlled by I3 Ventures, the company Barca are alleged to have hired for such a purpose. 

'Make some noise on social media' 

Police investigations also unearthed WhatsApp messages found in the files of I3 Ventures' parent company NiceStream, which Goal has also seen. 

The missives appear to show how famed agent Josep Maria Minguella, a long-time collaborator with Barca, was earmarked for a campaign of online intimidation after going public with his criticisms of the Bartomeu administration. 

One such message gives instructions on how to pursue Minguella through the company's controlled accounts, with the goal of "making some noise for him on social media in which the objectivity of his comments will come under question, since they only respond to commercial interests. 

"Maybe this nudge will make him realise he is on the wrong path and make him reconsider... it is one of those situations which comes up because we don't act when we should.

"I think that if we start to give a few 'nudges', they might think first before going out to do damage."

Further reading 

Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann has warned that Barcelona still pose a major threat to his side's Champions League prospects, even without the departed Lionel Messi, ahead of the pair's clash on Tuesday.

The Bavarian giants and the Catalan heavyweights will kick off their European campaigns in a mouthwatering Group E encounter at Camp Nou this week, in arguably the pick of the first round of fixtures.

Ronald Koeman's side are entering continental competition for the first time without former captain Messi in over a decade-and-a-half - but regardless of the Argentine's absence, Nagelsmann feels they remain stern opposition.

What has been said?

"They've no longer got someone as extravagant as Messi, but they have other players who can make a difference," the 39-year-old told his pre-match press conference. "We are prepared for everything.

"I'm not of the opinion that they are a lot worse off now. [Whether we are] favourites or not favourites is always more of a media topic. Two world clubs are meeting.

"On the one hand, the form on the day will decide, but on the other hand, [there is] motivation - and that one will be extremely high with us."

Bayern out to regain European favour

Having defeated Paris Saint-Germain just over a year ago in a Champions League final postponed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Bundesliga champions were unable to hold onto their crown last term, eliminated in the quarter-finals by the Ligue 1 outfit.

They will be out to restore their place atop the continental pyramid this year, however, looking to dethrone current holders Chelsea and return the trophy to German soil.

Even without Messi - now at PSG himself and preparing to spearhead their latest bid for the crown - Barcelona likely represent their toughest test early on, with Benfica and Dynamo Kyiv making up the rest of Group E.

Further reading

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has claimed that he is uninterested in how many assists Paul Pogba has delivered for Manchester United this season, stating that he already considers the midfielder "a great passer" regardless of his achievements.

The France international has enjoyed a record-breaking start to the new campaign, nabbing seven assists in his first four games, and is already a third of the way to the all-time Premier League season record of 20 held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry.

Yet ahead of his side's return to Champions League action for the first time this term on Tuesday, Solskjaer has played down the raw numbers, instead wishing to draw more focus to the midfielder's overall performances.

What has been said?

“Paul has come back in good shape," the Norwegian told a pre-match press briefing ahead of his side's trip to Young Boys. "He’s worked really hard over the summer. He’s come back lean and fit.

“What does an assist consist of? A square pass to Bruno [Fernandes] and he puts it in the top corner? Or a great ball for Mason [Greenwood]?

“Paul has always been a great passer and he’s not got assists from his best passes this season. I don’t pay attention to assists, it’s a social media thing. But Paul has played well for sure.”

Pogba poised to fulfil potential?

Ever since returning to Old Trafford from Juventus under the Jose Mourinho reign, Pogba has arguably failed to live up to the billing his then-€105 million (£89m/$124m) price tag suggested.

Despite winning the 2018 World Cup with France during a five-year period back in the Premier League, media speculation has frequently positioned him for a swift exit, led by agent Mino Raiola.

Yet his record-breaking start to the campaign suggests he has found his groove, even as his contract runs down - and with the return of another former Red Devils star in Cristiano Ronaldo, he may have found a new reason to stay in the hunt for long-awaited silverware.

The bigger picture

Having fallen short at the final hurdle in last year's Europa League final, Pogba and United will hope to go a step further and claim success in the Champions League this term.

The Frenchman will hope to translate his form across to the continental stage, as the Red Devils look to ride the wave of momentum their recruitment and start to the campaign has brought.

Back-to-back clashes with West Ham and former boss David Moyes follow, with the two sides meeting in both the league and the Carabao Cup third round.

Further reading

Chelsea are once again a leading European powerhouse, having been crowned as the latest Champions League victors and an early favourite for the Premier League title under manager Thomas Tuchel.

The London club boast plenty of names with star-power, from the established likes of Romelu Lukaku to N'Golo Kante as well as younger talents in Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic.

So, what are the Blues stars' player ratings in FIFA 22? Ahead of the game's release on October 1 ,  Goal  has everything you need to know about how the players have been scored.

Chelsea FIFA 22 player ratings

Longtime midfield mainstay Kante currently leads as the Blues' highest-rated player with a rating of 90 ,  and he is followed swiftly by summer signing Lukaku with a rating of 88.

Midfielders Jorginho and Thiago Silva both come afterwards with a rating of 85 each, and they are then joined by Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech on a rating of 84.

The likes of Edouard Mendy, Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Toni Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta have all been awarded an 83 rating.

U.S. Men's National Team star Christian Pulisic has been given an 82 rating, and the top 15 list is rounded out by Saul on 82 and Reece James with a rating of 81.

Borussia Dortmund might have not broken Bayern Munich's hold on the Bundesliga for some time but there's not doubting they boast some of the best talents in the game.

With young guns like Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham well on the way to the top of the sport alongside veterans like Mats Hummels and Marco Reus, they've got a near-perfect blend.

So, what are the Black and Yellow's star player ratings in FIFA 22? Goal brings you all the details about how they measure up on EA Sports' new game.

Borussia Dortmund FIFA 22 player ratings

At 88, Erling Haaland leads Dortmund's squad - and it is a new personal best for the Leeds-born Norway superstar, who moves up from the 87 rating he held in FIFA 21.

The experience of Mats Hummels and Marco Reus - with 86 and 85 respectively - rounds out the top three for Marco Rose's side, but there's plenty of talent below them too.

Belgian star Thorgan Hazard is tied with Emre Can for 82 - and though he sits a shade off the top 10, England's Jude Bellingham nabs a 79 and is sure to see that rocket by this time next year.

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) FC have confirmed the return of goalkeeper Benjamin Ochan, who was a free agent.

The custodian exited the Football Kenya Federation Premier League heavyweights AFC Leopards after his contract expired.

The Kasasiro Boys have since confirmed the arrival of the experienced shot-stopper until the 2023/24 season.

What did Garbage Collectors say?

"Ochan has penned a two years deal as a KCCA FC player," the former Ugandan Premier League champions confirmed on their official portal.

"The shot-stopper returns for his third stint at KCCA FC. The first was in 2008/09, the second in 2015/18, and now the third 2021/23. Ochan has previously worked with KCCA FC Manager Morley Byekwaso at Victoria University SC in the 2013/14 season and during his second stint as a KCCA FC player in 2015/18. 

"Ochan left KCCA FC in January 2018 and joined Kabwe Warriors in Zambia. He later joined Kenya’s AFC Leopards on a two-year deal from 2019/21."

'The fans should expect beautiful football'

The goalkeeper has insisted his main aim is to help the team get back to winning trophies, at the same time entertaining supporters with beautiful football.

"I am happy to be back. This is the team I grew up supporting, I have won things here and I hope I can win a few more," Ochan stated. 

"I am excited to get started. The team has a number of youngsters now compared to then and they need to be guided. Being one of the senior players in the team I will be able to offer guidance to the lads. I want to win with KCCA FC. Could be the League or the Cup. 

"The fans should expect beautiful football because we want to get back to the top."

In their bid to get form a competitive playing unit, KCCA have signed eight other players.

Emmanuel Waiswa, Usama Arafati, Yassar Mugerwa, Innocent Wafula Esimu, Brian Majwega, Brian Kayanja, Geofrey Wasswa, Rogers Mato, and Derrick Ochan are the new faces in the squad.

Former Kaizer Chiefs winger Junior Khanye says coach Stuart Baxter should release Samir Nurkovic as former Orlando Pirates star Benedict Vilakazi thinks the Serb should not start matches for the club anymore

The striker has featured in three Premier Soccer League matches as well as an MTN8 game so far this season but is yet to find the back of the net, in what has attracted criticism from the former footballers.

The latest voices of disapproval of the Serb comes after Chiefs were beaten 2-0 in a league match by Mamelodi Sundowns on Sunday.

Khanye told iDiski TV that if he was Baxter, “I would let him go, simple.”

“I would then sign five some youngsters. I would then give them the salary which Nurkovic was getting. What is he bringing? The coach has accommodated him.

“Sundowns cut Chiefs’ supply. Then Kaizer Chiefs upfront you expect Khama and Keagan Dolly, let me not count Nurkovic, to take on defenders when there is no supplier.”

Nurkovic has started in all the matches he has failed to score, while being substituted once. 

His performances are in stark contrast to the player who scored 13 league goals when he arrived in the PSL at the beginning of the 2019/20 season.

He managed just three league goals in 21 games last term.

While Khanye wants Nurkovic to leave Chiefs, Vilakazi says the player should not be considered to start matches.

“Why is Nurkovic playing? Before we can argue about his role, why is he playing?,” said Vilakazi on iDiski TV.

“If he cannot be their top target, he must sit outside. Chiefs have wingers like Sekgota, Billiat can play wide. So if Nurkovic cannot do the job as a central striker, he should sit outside. Billiat cannot be a box player.”

Vilakazi said Nurkovic was always missing in the box and felt that complicated moves by wingers.

“Chiefs started very well in the first half. You could see they were creating chances. The only missing element was getting goals,” Vilakazi added.

“You can’t score when you do not have someone inside the box. There is no way you will score. That was the difference between Sundowns and Chiefs. Maema crossed and Shalulile was inside the box to tap it in. 

“I feel that Chiefs needed someone inside the box because Billiat was making runs, collecting the ball from the flanks. But now when he is in possession, there is no one inside the box. That saw him delay crossing and he ended up losing the ball.”

Nurkovic is playing as a lone striker in the absence of Leonardo Castro who is recovering from injury.

AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy says it is “frustrating” that he failed to sign a striker for the 2020/21 season despite bringing in nine new players.

AmaZulu have played four games across all competitions so far this season but have not won a single match and have scored just one goal which came in the 2-1 MTN8 defeat by Cape Town City.

Last Friday’s Caf Champions League preliminary round, first leg 1-0 home loss to Nyasa Big Bullets further exposed Usuthu’s shortcomings upfront.

This has left McCarthy regretting his transfer decisions while saying he had a "number of targets" for that department but did not sign them.

“It is more than frustrating for me because that was the area in the team where I had the biggest concern,” said McCarthy as per Times Live.

“It’s where [strikerforce] I had a number of targets and I wanted to strengthen the squad with somebody who wanted to score goals, a striker. Then you see the way we started the season and I’m challenging now. 

“I’m challenging players who want to score goals because that was my concern, and that was my marquee position that I wanted to be fixed in the team to add to what we have.”

Interestingly, AmaZulu are facing a crisis in a position McCarthy was prolific in during his days as a player. 

Towards the end of the last transfer window, AmaZulu were linked with Argentine forward Facundo Juarez but nothing materialised.

The 27-year-old plays for second-tier side Club Atletico Mitre in his home country and has previously played for lower league teams in Mexico.

“I wanted someone [a striker] to come here because we play some nice football,” McCarthy added.

“We play good football but playing good football and you keep losing games doesn’t benefit the team. Goals win games. Beautiful football looks good and you enjoy it when you score goals, but unfortunately, we can’t score and it’s a big concern for me.”

While in the middle of a striker crisis, Usuthu now prepare to take on SuperSport United in a Premier Soccer League encounter at home on Tuesday hoping to record their first win of the season. 

In the third #Unstoppableyou challenge, Farah Jefry, a player of Jedda Eagles, took on the bridge challenge.

The challenge was to juggle the ball as many times as she can while sitting on the verge of a bridge. 

Farah reached 12 juggles without dropping the ball into the sea. 

Take part on the challenge and learn more about Power Horse

Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi has been confirmed as the best player in the upcoming FIFA 22 video game.

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski is the second-highest rated footballer in the latest edition of the popular franchise, while Messi's long-term rival, Manchester United man Cristiano Ronaldo, has to make do with being thirdoverall.

PSG have a strong showing in the list of the best players in the game, with Messi's team-mates Kylian Mbappe and Neymar rated fifth and sixth, behind Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.

Veteran leads stacked field

Having brought the curtain down on his career as a one-club man this year following his move to Paris from Barcelona, Messi has still seen his final exploits at Camp Nou earn him top spot ahead of his rivals.

As part of a top three all arguably still at the peak of their powers, it is a tribute to their skill that they continue to dominate ahead of younger contemporaries such as Mbappe and Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland, who does not make the top 10.

Elsewhere, there are key spots for Tottenham forward and England captain Harry Kane after he went within a whisker of Euro 2020 glory this summer, while Jan Oblak is rewarded for a title-winning season in La Liga as top goalkeeper.

FIFA 22 best players in full

The bigger picture

Virtually all of FIFA 22's top players will be in action later this week when they turn their attention to their respective European campaigns.

Messi, Lewandowski and Ronaldo will headline a week of Champions League action, while Kane will be the highest-ranked player competing in the newly-created Europa Conference League.

All will be hoping to set their respective sides on the path to continental glory, as the game begins a long, winding path to next spring's showpiece finals.

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FC Goa defeated Sudeva Delhi 2-1 at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, on Monday, in order to make it to the quarterfinals of the Durand Cup 2021.

Goals by Mohammed Nemil (45+2') at the stroke of half-time and Jorge Ortiz (80') were enough for the Indian Super League (ISL) side as Sudeva bagged a late goal through William Pauliankhum (90+8' P).

A second consecutive defeat in Group B meant elimination for the I-League team who earlier faced a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Jamshedpur, while Goa won 2-0 against Army Green in their previous tie.

Playing under a heavy downpour under floodlights for an afternoon fixture, conditions were challenging for both sides. However, Juan Ferrando's side kept attacking through the right channel with Seriton Fernandes, Alexander Romario and Alberto Noguera pulling the strings.

It was just before half-time that Nemil left Sudeva goalkeeper Sachin Jha with no chance against his powerful left-footed curling attempt from outside the box.

Jha had to be taken off due to an injury in the second half before his replacement in Legend Singh was forced into a regulation save off a tamed shot at goal by Noguera.

Ortiz then came off the bench to punch the second for Goa, having struck from the edge of the box and the ball kissing the underside of the woodwork on its way in. A foul by Edu Bedia in the box invited a penalty for Sudeva, which Pauliankhum converted, but it was too late.