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RB Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi has opened up on his time at Liverpool, where he spent five years attempting to force his way into contention to be the team's first-choice.

Gulacsi was on the Reds' books from 2008 to 2013 - following a loan spell in the 2007-08 season - but never managed a competitive first-team appearance before sealing a switch to Red Bull Salzburg.

Standing in his way of a spot in the starting XI was iconic shot-stopper Pepe Reina, but the Hungary international claims he never gave up hope of unseating the Spaniard until Brendan Rodgers took over as head coach.

Never out of the question

On pushing to become Anfield's number one, Gulacsi told Goal and SPOX: “When you see how Wojciech Szczesny at Arsenal or David de Gea at Atletico got their chances and took them, it was never completely out of the question for me.

“As a third goalkeeper, though, it only works if something happens to the two in front of you, whatever it may be. I wasn't hoping for them to get injured, of course. Pepe was playing at a high level, it was very difficult to get past him. 

“On top of that, in England they usually go for older, experienced goalkeepers as number two. It was difficult to move up in the rankings.”

He added: "Rodgers became coach and he also wanted to look at all the goalkeepers first. He wanted to keep me as number three. Pepe was injured a lot again, so I must have been on the bench 15, 16 times. 

“After the season, my advisor at the time spoke to Rodgers and said: 'Peter is now 23 and going into the last year of his contract. There are exactly three paths for him: he leaves the club and becomes the clear number one somewhere, he extends the contract and is loaned out for two years or the contract is extended and he becomes Liverpool's permanent number two.' 

“Rodgers said quite clearly that it will be difficult with the last two options, but they will not put any obstacles in my way.”

Premier League move a possibility?

At 31 years old, Gulacsi still has a fair few years left at the top of his game. 

And while he and his family are happy in Leipzig, having settled in the city after six years of residency, he admits that he can't rule out a move elsewhere in the future.

“Despite my Liverpool past, I don't necessarily want to return to the UK,” he said. “I'm happy with what my family and I have in Leipzig and I definitely want to achieve something with the club. 

“On the other hand, you can never rule anything out in football, it often happens very quickly. That's why I don't want to promise anything definitive now.”

Further reading

John Shaibu discloses that Bayelsa United’s quest of reaching the 2021-22 Caf Confederation Cup second round ‘now looks easier’ as their preliminary round fixture against Ashanti Golden Boys will be decided over one leg.

The encounter against the 2021 Guinee Coupe Nationale runners-up will not go as planned owing to the backdrop of a reported coup d’etat attempt in Guinea.

To the former Sunshine Stars and Abia Warriors goalkeeper, the verdict by the Confederation of African Football is a massive boost for Depreye Tebowe’s men.

Nonetheless, he claims his team will not approach the potential cracker with kid gloves.

“Bayelsa United received this news with great joy yesterday and now the job looks easier,” Shaibu told Goal.

“We know that a win on home soil will see us through to the next round of the Caf Confederation Cup and that is a massive boost to us.

“Even at this, we will approach the match like a hungry tiger because our opponents would be coming to pick an away result.”

Caf had issued a statement on their website stating all matches involving Guinean teams would be settled away from home in accordance with Caf inter-club competition’s rule.

“After monitoring the political and security situation in Guinea and following careful consideration, the Caf Inter-club Committee has decided that all three fixtures involving clubs from Guinea in the preliminary stages will be played in a single leg at the opponent’s territory in accordance to Article 2.1 of the Caf Inter-club Regulations,” it read.

The Nigeria National League side won the 2021 Aiteo Cup after defeating NPFL side Nasarawa United via penalty shoot-out following a 2-2 draw after extra-time. They are Nigeria’s representatives alongside two-time African kings Enyimba.
 

Revised fixtures

Match 5/6 (TotalEnergies CC 2021/22): Diambars FC (SEN) vs Wakriya AC (GUI): 12 September 2021 (17h00 GMT), Stade Lat-Dior, Senegal

Match 7/8 (TotalEnergies CC 2021/22): Anglogold (GUI) vs Bayelsa United FC (NGR): 19 September 2021 (15h00 GMT), Samson Siasia Sports Stadium

Match 1/2 (TotalEnergies CL 2021/22): CI Kamsar (GUI) vs Accra Hearts of Oak (GHA): 19 September 2021 (16h00 GMT), Accra Sports Stadium

East Bengal have once again rekindled their love affair with Spanish managers as the Red and Gold brigade appointed Manolo Diaz as their head coach for the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) season after mutually terminating Robbie Fowler's contract. 

Their first Spanish manager was Alejandro Menendez in the 2018-19 I-League season, who was succeeded by Mario Rivera Campesino. Like Menendez, the current coach also has a history with Real Madrid Castilla, the reserve team of European giants Real Madrid. Diaz was in charge of the side in two different stints. He has also worked with Real Madrid's Juvenil B side (U19) earlier in his career. 

In 2008, he took the reins at Navalcarnero, a side which is currently plying their trade in Spanish fourth tier. He first got associated with Real Madrid Castilla in November 2013. After being in charge for 28 games he somehow managed to fend off relegation for the developmental team. In July 2014, he joined Ponferradina where he worked with Chelsea's goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. 

He once again returned to Castilla in October 2018 and was working as an assistant to Santiago Solari. However, in November when Solari was called up to lead the senior team, Diaz came in the Castilla hot seat. 

During his managerial career, mostly as a developmental coach, he has worked with many players who have gone on to make a name for themselves. Let us take a look at some of those bright graduates who have trained under him. 

LUCAS VAZQUEZ

The versatile right winger trained who currently plays for Real Madrid trained under him in Castilla during the 2013-14 season. He has got 167 caps for Madrid and has scored 15 goals for the club. 

DIEGO LLORENTE

The centre-back failed to make a place for himself at Real Madrid, after graduating from Castilla but was a regular face in La Liga, playing for Rayo Vallecano, Malaga, and Real Sociedad. He currently plies his trade with Leeds United in the Premier League.

FERNANDO PACHECO

Pachecho was the first-choice goalkeeper during Diaz's Castilla stint in 2013-14. The goalkeeper made his Real Madrid debut in a 5-0 win over UE Cornella in Copa Del Rey and also travelled to FIFA Club World Cup as an unused third-choice keeper. Although he did not find success in Madrid, he has found first-team minutes at Alaves since 2017. 

RAUL DE TOMAS

The Madrid-born striker honed his skills at Castilla under Diaz in 2013-14. He scored seven goals and provided two assists in that season and was rewarded with a first-team call up in 2014-15. Although he could not find his footing with Los Blancos, he was in terrific form for Espanyol in the previous season where he scored 23 goals in 37 matches to propel his side back to La Liga. 

Mariano Diaz

The striker made his Castilla debut under Diaz on January 18, 2014 in a 2-1 loss against poting Gijon in the Segunda Division. He replaced Raul de Tomas to come in for the final five minutes. After a successful stint with Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyon he came back to Real Madrid and continues to be a part of the team.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

The Chelsea goalkeeper was the first-choice keeper at Ponferradina in the Segunda Division during the 2014-15 season.  He kept seven clean sheets in that season. 

Football Kenya Federation Premier League champions Tusker FC have apologised to Kakamega Homeboyz for signing Shami Kibwana without following the due process. 

The Brewers announced they had acquired the services of the attacking midfielder from the Western-based side. But the latter threatened to take action insisting the Brewers have illegally signed their player.

Tusker have now promised to compensate Homeboyz and apologised for the inconvenience caused.

'I apologise'

"Tusker have agreed to pay Kakamega Homeboyz FC the player’s two months salary by September 15, 2021 [totaling to Ksh. 120,000]," read a letter from the champions signed by CEO Charles Obiny and obtained by Goal.

"Please note Shami Kibwana will not play for Tusker FC in the Caf [Champions League] preliminary match against Arta Solar 7 in Djibouti. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and appreciate your understanding."

'Punish Tusker for player tapping'

Homeboyz have since lodged an official complaint with FKF and are demanding the player to return to the club, and the Brewers be punished for player tapping.

"[Shami Kibwana] is our player and has a running contract. It is a shocking revelation that this player has been signed by Tusker FC which is contrary to Fifa Statutes," read a letter to the Federation and obtained by Goal.

"FKF being the custodian to such rules and regulations, we hereby bring to your attention this matter. There is no justifiable reason for the player to be signed by any club during such a time with a running contract.

"If we allow such contradictions to prevail in our soccer, we shall be watering down our clubs. In regards to this, many investors in football activities will shy away because of impunity which is being shown by Tusker FC. 

"We hereby wish to request FKF to order the immediate return of the player to Kakamega Homeboyz... [and] Tusker to be punished for player tapping."

What are FKF saying?

The Federation has confirmed receipt of Homeboyz's complaint stating it was not right for the Brewers to do that.

"It is not right for Tusker to do what they did, but we could not act without getting an official complaint from the involved parties," FKF CEO Barry Otieno told Goal.

"But now that we have received a letter from Homeboyz, we will act; but Kibwana has not been registered under Tusker. It will be a grave mistake if they field him against Arta Solar 7.

"It is up to the two teams to reach an agreement and as FKF, we will do our part. But as it is, Kibwana is still a Homeboyz player."

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Lebogang Manyama insists PSL reigning champions Mamelodi Sundowns are the best team in the country.

The Brazilians have won the South African league four times in a row, and are still looking stronger. The Bafana Bafana star believes other teams should emulate the champions if they are to get a positive outcome.

Sundowns are the best team in the country

"You have to respect what they’ve achieved. You have to respect the work they’ve done from coach Pitso Mosimane to the coaches that are there now, the players themselves," Manyama said as quoted by iDiskiTimes.

"I mean, it is with no question that they’re the best team in the country. And that’s everybody’s target, that’s the level you want to play and people you want to compete with, of course, I think all the contending teams, all the teams that really, really, with all due respect to other teams, but that really, really are called contenders and play like contenders on a weekly basis. Surely they also think that the team to catch is Sundowns. 

"It is to give them all the respect they need, you cannot just look at them, you still have difficult games to play, still have to go to Cape Town twice, which is difficult, you still have to go to… unfortunately Bloem is not there anymore, you still have tough games, the derby which is a different game, so you still have a lot of games, difficult games to play. 

"But still for everyone else, the team to catch is Sundowns because they’re without a doubt the best team in the country but also you must not just look at them only."

What else makes Sundowns effective?

The 30-year-old has also pointed out the unity in the team as one of the reasons why the Brazilians are performing well.

"Of course they’re consistent and they’ve got all the money to buy any player they want but also you can buy all the players you want but to put them together I think that’s the difference with them, they put together a squad, they’ve got the core in the team...

"So that makes it easier for even the guys that are coming through to see players that have been there still pushing them to make their team better. 

"And that sort of unity should be a lesson to other teams, for them to have so many – I wouldn’t say star players but – very, very good players that will probably start in any of the teams in the PSL and still play like they play and still look as united as they play. It’s a huge lesson to take from them."

Both teams have collected four points from the two matches they have played in the league this season. They will be playing each other on Sunday with each team keen on getting maximum points.

It’s back! After two weeks of making way for the international matches, the exciting Premier League will be back in full swing this weekend and there’s one match you just can’t miss as Leicester City welcomes Manchester City.

The Citizens have a good track record at this ground despite a heavy 5-2 defeat at home to Leicester last season, two wins on the trot in their last two league visits to the home of the Foxes.

You can catch this highly-anticipated match with LIVENow to see if Pep Guardiola has learnt his lesson against Brendan Rodgers and continue Man City’s current two match winning run as the champions slowly but surely climbs the league table.

After an opening day defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, City has recovered brilliantly to secure back-to-back 5-0 wins over Norwich then Arsenal but both of those have come at their own backyard at Etihad Stadium.

The concern for Guardiola going into this game will be his goalkeeping position as both first choice Ederson suspended after Brazil triggered a FIFA rule for missing a call-up and back-up Zak Steffen will be unavailable as well as he recovers from Covid-19.

This match kicks off on Saturday (Sep 11) at 10pm and for just S$10 and without the additional cost of monthly subscriptions, you can purchase the online match pass for this must-watch game.

Leicester’s points total mirrors that of City with two wins sandwiching a poor away defeat to West Ham with the effervescent Vardy already picking up two goals and he’ll be raring to go against an opponent whom he already has scored a total of 11 career goals.

With LIVENow, you have the flexibility to stream this Leicester vs Man City game on various devices from PC to Mac, Chromecast to dedicated iOS/Android applications and many more, and find out if Leicester have what it takes to fend off the champions.

Both teams will have players on the mend that will not be part of this game with Phil Foden back in training but still looks to be some way off from being part of the starting eleven while Rodgers will be hoping that Harvey Barnes would have improved his match fitness following 67 minutes against Norwich last time out.

Despite this being their first league encounter in the 2021/22 season, the two teams had already faced each other in the Community Shield last month where a solitary Kelechi Iheanacho penalty was enough to seal the trophy for Leicester.

CLICK HERE now to sign up and stream the Leicester vs Man City game to see whether it’ll be Guardiola or Rodgers who will guide their side to success!

Losing to Nigeria should not concern Cape Verde, according to senior national team coach Bubista who was frustrated by the timing of their own goal.

Following his team’s 1-1 away draw against the Central African Republic in their opening fixture of the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers, they were hoping to cage the Super Eagles.

Nonetheless, they bowed 2-1 to Gernot Rohr’s men at the Estadio Municipal Aderito Sena.

Owing to the quality in Nigeria’s squad, the Blue Sharks handler is not ashamed of losing while stating that he would not blame anyone for the loss in Mindelo.

“Cape Verde doesn’t have to feel squeamish about losing to Nigeria,” Bubista told media.

“Nigeria is one of the best teams in Africa. We must have the guts and humility to know that Nigeria is also an extremely strong team and losing to Nigeria is not a bad thing.

“An own goal is always difficult. It was a shame because it happened at a time when we were taking over the game, we had refreshed the team.

“But it happens. We are not here to blame anyone individually. In our team, we always win together and lose together.”

Cape Verde capped an impressive start by taking a 19th-minute lead through Dylan Dos Santos Tavares – who beat the offside trap before unleashing an unstoppable shot past goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.

That lead lasted for just 10 minutes as Napoli star Victor Osimhen restored parity from close range after profiting from a defensive mishap by the hosts.

The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations kings emerged victorious in the closing stages of the tight encounter after Kenny Rocha Santos played the ball into his team's net after goalkeeper Vozinha had left his position.

Following the loss, Cape Verde dropped to third in Group C having accrued just one point from the two games played so far.

They would be hoping to put their Qatar 2022 hopes alive when they face Peter Butler’s Liberia on October 6 in Monrovia.

After that encounter, they will shift their focus to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. 

Turkish Super Lig outfit Konyaspor have announced the signing of Ahmed Hassan ‘Kouka’ from Greek Super League outfit Olympiacos on loan.

Buoyed with the ambition of having a new challenge, the 28-year-old was shipped to Konya Buyuksehir Stadium where he will represent Ilhan Palut’s men for the rest of the 2021-22 season.

During the signing ceremony held at Medas Konya Metropolitan Stadium on Wednesday, Kouka expressed his delight in joining the Anatolian Eagles while aiming to surpass his 15-goal mark last term.

"To be honest, I'm very excited. I'm turning over a new leaf. I know our fans are pretty good,” he said as per the club website.

“I will fulfill my duty and make Konyaspor a success by scoring as many goals as I can. Every striker has a certain goal in mind, of course. I want to beat the 15 goals I scored last year.

“That's how I want to contribute to my team's wins. I followed Konyaspor's games before I came here. Konyaspor is a really strong team playing good football.

“This season has started well, and I believe we will continue to do so together. I would describe the Turkish league as a difficult league.

“There are strong opponents in the Turkish league. People are in love with football here just like in my own country. I can say that I will enjoy playing in Turkey."

Before his move to Turkey, the Egypt international had penned a touching tribute to Olympiacos.

“To everyone at Olympiacos, I would like to say thank you for everything!” he wrote on Instagram.

“It has been an incredible three years in Greece and it’s with sadness that I must say goodbye.

“Dear fans, I can’t even put into words the love I have for you, the support you have always given me since the day I arrived is everything and more!

“You are the reason behind our motivation and strength that let us win trophies and keep on playing and fighting for the win until the very last minute of the game. I will miss you all and I wish you all the best.”

At Konyaspor, Kouka has been handed jersey number 9 and he could make his debut when his team hosts Altay on Saturday.

South Africa's all-time top scorer Benni McCarthy has claimed his former coaches ruled him out for being too skinny and small before he announced himself to the world.

The AmaZulu head coach made his Bafana Bafana debut at 19 years of age when he played in the Netherlands 24 years ago. He revealed that coaches were unwilling to trust him because of his physical attributes.

However, the Champions League winner with Porto in 2004, went on to make history in the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations when he emerged as the joint top scorer with seven goals alongside Egypt's Hossam Hassan. He was also named the Player of the Tournament, although South Africa failed to defend the title.

"I’m the living example of somebody who gives young players an opportunity," McCarthy said as quoted by The Times.

"I was dying (when he was young) for an opportunity and too many coaches looked past the fact. They were saying he was too young, too skinny, he’s too small, he’s that and that. But people didn’t know my circumstances, you know.

"They didn’t know what I’m going through in my life. Just because I’m 16 or 17 it doesn’t give anybody a right to judge me, because they don’t know what I’m going through in my life.

"So, if you give me an opportunity, maybe I’m better than someone who is 30, because of my circumstances. And there was one person who took that gamble and he gave me an opportunity and look at what happened.

"But for me, I knew that if I’m given an opportunity I knew what my capabilities were and what I could do. I was given that opportunity because one person believed in me."

McCarthy added the reason he was finally given an opportunity inspires him to trust young players under his administration at Usuthu. However, he maintains that the players trusted with the opportunities have to show why they deserve them.

"Now I’m having the opportunity today to have so many players’ fate and future in my hands. Why not give them the opportunity. Now if I see a player, irrespective of the age, if I see what he does in training then I give him the opportunity," the former Orlando Pirates striker continued.

"I throw him in. At the end of the day, it’s a yes or a no. It’s simple. In life, you are going to find out. If you give young players an opportunity then it comes with responsibility, and if he fails it may be because he wasn’t ready, but I could not tell because I don’t live inside that young player’s body.

"He’s the one who determines how badly he wants it, so I give opportunities to players and they show me if they deserve it. I give them because that’s how we learn.

"If it’s a success then good, not just because it’s me who benefits. The player benefits because he will be able to look after his family and create a career.

"It’s not because you’re young and now I must just give you the opportunity. You have to show me that you want it as much as the senior players. You've got to enjoy what you do, that’s why I give young players a chance. But they also have to stand up and be counted."

At Bafana Bafana, head coach Hugo Broos hinted he would also build a future team with young players, and the likes of Ethan Brooks have already started to impress.

Andre-Frank Anguissa has hit the ground running at Napoli with his first training session with the Italian top-flight outfit as they prepare for Juventus.

The Cameroon international played a key role in Fulham’s squad during the 2020-21 season – featuring in 36 Premier League games – although Scott Parker’s men got demoted to the English second-tier.

Before heading for the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona side, the midfielder had extended his contract with the Cottagers until 2024.

And after representing Cameroon in Africa’s World Cup qualifiers against Malawi and Cote d’Ivoire, he worked out with his new teammates as Luciano Spalletti’s men continued their preparation for Saturday’s Serie A cracker against the Old Lady.

In the closed-door session at the Konami Training Centre, Anguissa trained alongside Dries Mertens, Faouzi Ghoulam, Stanislav Lobotka as well as Senegal international Kalidou Koulibaly.

The 25-year-old is expected to make his bow when the Parthenopeans take on Massimiliano Allegri’s men on Saturday.

Anguissa will be aiming to become a regular in Spalletti’s first team that boasts Diego Demme, Fabian Ruiz and Piotr Zielinski in midfield.

Following his move, he becomes the sixth African player in the Blues squad. Others include Victor Osimhen (Nigeria), Karim Zedadka (Algeria), Koulibaly (Senegal), Ghoulam (Algeria) and Adam Ounas (Algeria).

Anguissa was part of the Olympique Marseille squad that finished as runners-up in the Europa League for the 2017–18 season. And as such, his experience would prove pivotal in the Blues’ quest to win the same competition this term.

On the international scene, he boasts 29 appearances for the Indomitable Lions and four goals to his credit since making his bow in a 1-0 friendly win over Tunisia on March 24, 2017.

He is expected to play a big role in Toni Conceicao’s squad when they participate in next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Unbeaten in their last 16 matches in all competitions, Napoli would be hoping to extend their impressive form against the Old Lady.

Despite winning all the two games played so far, Spalletti’s men occupy fifth position in the Italian top-flight log judging by goals difference.

After their fixture against Juventus, they travel to the King Power Stadium where they square up against Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City in a Uefa Europa League match.

Marcus Rashford has been explaining why he will never heed the calls of some to "stick to football", with the Manchester United and England forward determined to continue with his efforts to end child poverty.

The 23-year-old began that fight during the first coronavirus-enforced lockdown of 2020, with a prominent figure in the sporting world using his public standing to put pressure on the UK government when it came to a free school meals programme.

Rashford's quest has seen him awarded an MBE and despite remaining fully committed to his day job as an international-calibre sports star, he will not be putting down a political baton regardless of what any detractors may say.

What has been said?

Speaking in The Spectator, Rashford has said: "In football, you are always stronger in numbers. With a shared focus, people from different cultures, nationalities, races, sexual orientations, political affiliations and religions can unite to achieve incredible things. 

"When you pull on that national team shirt, rivalry subsides and is replaced with a shared desire to win. When fans step into that stadium, for 90 minutes they feel a part of something, a collective, able to leave any worries outside those turnstiles. To many it is a religion. To me, it’s still a dream.

"You grow up idolising figures in this game who turn out to be just like you and me. Human beings with human emotions and who, more than likely, have overcome some level of adversity in their career. 

"Disappointingly for some, the ‘stick to football’ advice doesn’t cut it where I’m from. See, when my community had nothing to call their own, they always found something in the way of kindness to give me. 

"I am a product of their compassion, of their drive and of their willingness to offer me more than what was on my doorstep. I’d be doing that community and my family a disservice if I did not use my platform to speak on behalf of the millions whose voices are not being heard."

He added on spreading his wings outside of football: "Party politics has never interested me. What interests me is working together to find sustainable solutions. 

"The long-term effects of a global pandemic will not be resolved with short-term relief packages. So it’s time for us all to unite with the passion we saw during the Euros and make sure every child in this country is given a fair chance, and that child hunger is eradicated. No child should be starting 20 yards behind any other just because of the community they live in. It’s time to level up."

The bigger picture

Rashford has become involved in political campaigns involving free school meals, Universal Credit and literacy.

At the same time, lofty standards are being maintained as a superstar performer for club and country.

He was part of the England squad that reached the final of Euro 2020 and will be hoping to chase down major honours with United in 2021-22.

Shoulder surgery is currently keeping him on the sidelines, with no minutes taken in this season as yet, but he is back in light training at Carrington and is expected to return at some stage during the autumn Premier League schedule.

Further reading

AmaZulu head coach Benni McCarthy has revealed they are going to draw inspiration from Kaizer Chiefs' home form last season as they engage in the Caf Champions League.
 
Usuthu will face Nyasa Big Bullets of Malawi on Friday at Moses Mabhida Stadium and the tactician believes Amakhosi's home form in the Champions League in the last campaign would be a key source of inspiration in their pursuit of success. Chiefs managed to sail through to the final, where they lost to the defending champions, Al Ahly of Egypt.

"If you look at Kaizer Chiefs last season, they were ruthless at home, they were punishing teams at home, so we are going to draw inspiration from that and if we can do exactly the same, we will give ourselves a fighting chance," McCarthy said in a pre-match presser.
 
"It is an opportunity for all of us to learn. We want to make our own history and build our own success. 
 
"We are not nervous because a number of players have played for their national teams on the African stage and so we know what is expected. We are excited about that and we believe it is a great opportunity."

"We have worked on our approach, different strategies and how we are going to battle the physicality of African sides," McCarthy added. "We have worked on all aspects of our game and we think Friday can come quicker because we want to get over the butterflies in our stomachs, myself included, and the players."
 
"They will be a tricky opposition and we do not know how physically they are, how good they are, how fast, quick and strong they are. So, it is really unknown, so we just have to rely on a few games clips that we have got from TV footage and from the Malawi league. 
 
"When you are playing at home, you have to make sure the opponent's strength does not end up punishing you. We have looked at how strong they are and what they are good at doing. We have worked to ensure they do not get us off guard."
 
McCarthy will not have Augustine Mulenga and Thembela Sekhakhane available for the preliminary round encounter as the two are injured.

Gregg Berhalter says the U.S. men's national team's spirits are very high despite all of the setbacks they had to deal with on and off the field this week.

The U.S. ended the first international window of World Cup qualifying with five points in hand, and they needed a second-half surge past Honduras to get the final three of those points in a 4-1 win.

Berhalter's side struggled through opening draws to Canada and El Salvador while losing several players to injury and, most notably, Weston McKennie due to suspension, but he says the team will come out better having gone through everything they did this week.

What was said?

"Regarding the negativity, we had a meeting and we talked about just tuning it out, focusing on what we're doing," Berhalter said. "It's completely understandable that fans weren't excited with two points from two games, but it wouldn't have doomed qualifying.

"We took points off a team away from home, which is important. We noticed that a lot of teams were dropping points at home, which didn't make it as severe that we did in that game.

"It was just about getting ready for the next game and that was the important thing. So the message and I think the mindset of the guys of these last two games completely changed. I think they're more relaxed and more focused, the mood around the camp was really good. So despite all this crap that happened in these last couple of days, the guy's spirits are extremely high."

Living up to lofty expectations

In the lead-up to the game, USMNT star Tyler Adams talked up the hopes of a nine-point week, which went out the window after one game.

And, while the U.S. couldn't live up to their own expectations this window, he says the lofty aims remain as the team builds through qualifying.

"Even if we lost the game, we wouldn't have been out of qualifying," Berhalter said. "I know there'd still be 11 games to play. It's the mentality that we're just jumping all over reactions, and I think part of it was our fault for setting it up with what we wanted to do and being that open about it, but that is the expectation of the group."

He continued: "I think it's a good win for the group. We did a lot of talking before the camp, before the first game, about it being a nine-point week and that was really important. I think that's great to have high expectations. Everyone wants to win games, right? 

But the other side of it is that it's just talking, and then you have to go out and do it and it's very difficult to do. I think that we needed to give these guys that experience they needed to see what these games are like because they're completely different games.

"Both El Salvador and Honduras games were wars. You have teams and countries that are desperate to get wins to get to a World Cup and it's a different animal than we were used to. So I think that this whole window was great for this group, we really needed that, in terms of the eye-opening of what this experience actually is."

Further reading

Gor Mahia are not close to sealing the services of Cliff Nyakeya as rumours have it.

The Harambee Star is currently a free agent after his contract with Egyptian outfit FC Masr expired. Rumours are rife the attacker has agreed to join the former Football Kenya Federation Premier League champions.

But the club has denied the same, stating nothing has been finalized with the involved parties and that the initial discussions had hit a snag. 

'We could not afford what Nyakeya wanted'

The rumours about us signing Nyakeya are not true, not even close to the truth," Gor Mahia Sporting Director Omondi Aduda told Goal.

"I wonder where those lies are emanating from because it is not from the club. The fact is that we could not afford what Nyakeya wanted. His terms were a bit too high for us and we let go.

"But there is room for negotiations once he agrees to lower his demands. We can meet and get the way forward, but as it stands, nothing was agreed, logically meaning, we have not signed him as others are indicating."

The club is still negotiating with players

Aduda has further insisted K'Ogalo is engaging several players aiming at signing them ahead of the forthcoming season. 

"We have recently completed paying our former players their arrears," the administrator continued.

"Time is limited considering the many assignments awaiting us next season. Yes, we are negotiating with several players and at the right time we will unveil them to the public." 

The Nairobi-based charges were also targeting former Simba SC winger Francis Kahata who is a free agent but the terms were not met by the club. They are still open to signing him.

"We have not shut the door closed for Kahata, no…we only pulled ourselves out of the deal because the money he was asking for was too high," Aduda told Goal recently. 

"But we are still open to signing him [Kahata]. We only have two options that can bring him back to Gor Mahia and option one is if the player revises downward his asking price and option two is whether Gor Mahia can get what he is asking for without being revised, then we will pay him to come."

Kaizer Chiefs defender Daniel Cardoso has welcomed competition from the club's new signings Njabulo Ngcobo and Austin Dube ahead of their clash with Mamelodi Sundowns.

Ngcobo joined Amakhosi from their Soweto rivals, Swallows FC after he established himself as one of the top centre backs in the league and he was named PSL Defender of the Season.

Dube, who is a centre-back-come-left-back, was among the most outstanding players in the National First Division last season. He helped Richards Bay finish third and attracted Chiefs' scouts.

Cardoso admitted that the club had to sign new defenders as the team's defence was poor last term - conceding 37 goals from 30 PSL matches and it was the second-worst defence among the top eight teams on the league standings. 

“It was good that the club brought in two central defenders [Ngcobo and Dube]. Last season you could see me and Tower [Mathoho] weren’t the best central pairing... you know we leaked a lot of goals," Cardoso told Sowetan. 

"We’ve improved as a centre-back pairing and I think that extra pressure makes you not want to put a footstep wrong. Last season there wasn’t really cover and this season there are two great centre-backs.

'I mean Njabulo was defender of the season and Austin has a point to prove, coming from the NFD, so if me and Tower step one foot wrong, we know that we’ll be replaced very quickly," he continued. 

"We always have to keep on our toes, unlike last season where we were very comfortable.”

Despite the arrival of Ngcobo and Dube, Cardoso and Dube remain Chiefs' first-choice central defensive pairing thus far under coach Stuart Baxter with the duo having started three competitive matches this term including the MTN8 quarter-final defeat to Sundowns last month.

Sundowns are set to host Chiefs in a league game on Sunday and Cardoso has warned Masandawana not to underestimate them when the two Gauteng giants collide at the 2009 Fifa Confederation Cup venue, Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

“We showed in our last game against Baroka that we can play football. If you look at the first half [of the Baroka game] we should have been 8-0 up," he added. 

"So they [Sundowns] are aware of us. The Fifa break also helped us to prepare for this game."

Chiefs will be looking to make it two wins in a row in the league having claimed a 2-1 victory over Baroka FC at home on August 25.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival back at Manchester United has given Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a "luxury problem", the Portugal international's former team-mate Dimitar Berbatov believes.

Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford, coupled with the arrival of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund this summer, as well as Edinson Cavani signing a one-year contract extension, means Solskjaer now has a raft of options to choose from in attacking areas. 

With Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial also vying for opportunities, the Red Devils' boss must now work out how he is going to keep all of his forward players happy while juggling his pack effectively so as to win games. 

How well he does that could determine how successful United are this season, and Berbatov feels the task ahead of him is "near impossible".

What's been said?

“This is a problem; a luxury problem,” Betfair ambassador Berbatov told Goal about the attacking options available to Solskjaer following Ronaldo's arrival.

“When you have Sancho, Rashford, Greenwood, Martial, Cavani and Ronaldo, how do you keep everyone happy here? It is possible, but it’s also near impossible because you’re always going to have someone who is not happy with his playing time, and this is the job of the manager now: how to manage all these connections, playing time and keep everyone happy.”

With Ronaldo having undergone his first training session with his new team-mates on Wednesday, Saturday's clash with Newcastle will offer the chance to see how Solskjaer plans to rotate his six international attackers.

He has already insisted that Ronaldo has not been bought to sit on the bench, and Berbatov expects the ex-Juventus man to be a regular starter, especially in the season's biggest matches.

“Players will need rotating, but I expect Ronaldo to start important games, because when the game isn’t going well you need that special someone that can bring that spark and win you the game," he explained.

“But let’s not forget Ronaldo is 36 and the Premier League is very fast with a lot of games, so he will be rotated around the team for sure.” 

Is Ronaldo's age a problem?

At 36, Ronaldo is not the same player now compared to who he was when he left United back in 2009, and some have questioned whether the changes in his game since then will mean he struggles to make the same kind of impact this time around.

"When you’re clever, you adapt your game to whatever the situation is,” Berbatov said.

“I remember when Ryan Giggs was coming to his late thirties and still going strong, but he wasn’t playing left wing any more because obviously his speed wasn’t the same. He was dropping more into midfield and central positions where his passing and vision was very helpful. The same thing goes for Ronaldo. 

“Maybe he cannot outpace and out run some other players younger than him, but he’s still very quick, fast and intelligent.

"He can play as a centre forward like he's done in the past. Let’s not forget how many goals he’s scored from the left, right, header - all the attributes of a great striker. 

“I’m sure he knows how to adapt his game and with Greenwood, Rashford, Martial, Sancho, they’re all quick players around him. In a way he needs only to find the space in the box and they will supply him with the ball. 

"With Rashford, Greenwood, Sancho and then Ronaldo in the middle, you start shaking in the tunnel if you’re the other team."

Could Ronaldo cause an issue for younger players?

Another issue that has been raised by those who are doubting Ronaldo's suitability to modern-day United is that his arrival will limit the amount of minutes some of the club's younger players, like Greenwood, will get going forward.

Berbatov, though, feels that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner will instead be an inspiration to those players, and can have a long-term positive effect on their careers.

“I was surprised he decided to go back to United, but I was happy in the end," the former Bulgaria captain said. "It was a decision that obviously he calculated, he knows what he’s doing.

"If you look at it that way, it’s also a challenge because it’s not easy going back to the same place you started. We all know the second time is not always a successful one, many players and coaches fail when they go back to their old clubs. I hope that’s not going to be the case with Ronaldo. 

“But knowing him, how he trains, how he keeps fit, he’s 36-years-old and still fitter than someone who’s 21-years-old.

"I think he’s going to a great success, especially for the young boys in the team who can watch, observe, copy and ask for advice. This way they can raise their game as well.”

Can Man Utd win the Premier League with Ronaldo?

After finishing second in the Premier League last season, United are looking to go one step further in 2021-22 and lift their first title since 2013.

And Ronaldo's arrival will, Berbatov feels, give Solskjaer's side a huge boost as they face down the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea in the race to be English champions. 

“It doesn’t mean automatically give the crown to United and they are the champions now, no,” Berbatov said. “City, Liverpool and Chelsea play great football with great players and football is a team sport.

"But it’s a bonus because Ronaldo has been there, done that, won everything there is to win and this can boost the mentality.

"When someone like this comes to the club you start telling yourself you need to pick yourself up and do even more than before because you want to be on the same level as Ronaldo.”

Further reading

Dimitar Berbatov was speaking ahead of the launch of Betfair’s new VAR-Batov series, where the Premier League legend will be judging the unfair moments in football that affect so many punters. Watch the first in the series on Betfair’s Twitter next week.

The Indian national football team will get back into action on October 4 when they will face Bangladesh in the SAFF Championship which is scheduled from October 1 to 16 in Maldives. 

The last edition of the biennial international men's tournament was held in 2018 in Bangladesh where Maldives lifted silverware by defeating India 2-1 in the final at the Bangabandhu Stadium.

The Blue Tigers were the overwhelming favourites but an early goal from Ibrahim Mahudhee in the 19th minute tilted the scales towards the island nation. The Red Snappers doubled the lead after the hour-mark to further stamp their authority on the match. Although India's Sumeet Passi scored a goal in injury time, it was too little too late. 

Who were the previous winners? Check out the table below. 

SAFF CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER'S LIST

Which is the most successful team in the SAFF Championships?

India are the most successful nation in the SAFF Championship. as they have won it seven times. Maldives are the second most successful team with two championships. Whereas, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have won apiece. Nepal, Pakistan and Bhutan are yet to win the SAFF Championship. 

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been the standout performers for Argentina and Portugal respectively in the last decade and are still going strong for their respective countries.

Both the players have guided their nations to continental glory. While Ronaldo helped Portugal clinch their first-ever major international trophy, the Euro Cup in 2016, Messi clinched his first-ever international trophy with Argentina in the summer of 2021 when they won the Copa America beating arch-rivals Brazil 1-0 in the final.

Messi and Ronaldo have achieved multiple records in the international arena. Both the team players are the top goalscorer and the most-capped player for their respective countries. Ronaldo recently became the all-time top goalscorer in international football with 111 goals in 180 matches. Messi, on the other hand, has 76 goals in 152 appearances for La Albiceleste.

Being superstars on their own right, it is expected of the two players to deliver when their teams are in crisis situations. Both the players have bailed their teams out on multiple occasions in the past and continue to do so.

Here, we take a look at the instances when Messi and Ronaldo have bailed Argentina and Portugal out of a crisis situation. Only the matches where the two stars helped their teams to a draw or a win from an adverse position is considered.

How many times has Lionel Messi bailed Argentina out?

Out of the 152 matches he has played for La Albiceleste, Messi has managed to bail out his team on 17 occasions which is 11.18 per cent of the total matches he has played.

How many times has Cristiano Ronaldo bailed Portugal out?

Out of the 180 matches Ronaldo has played for Seleccao, the superstar has managed to bail out his team on 24 occasions which is 13.33 per cent of the total matches he played.

The 2021 SAFF Championship will be the 13th edition of the competition since its inception in 1993. It is a biennial international men's football championship that is usually held in a single venue. 

India are the most successful nation in the SAFF Championship as they have won the title seven times. In this campaign, India will be joined by Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and host Maldives. 

When will the 2021 SAFF Championship take place?

The SAFF Championship will start on October 1 and the final will take place on October 16.

Why did the SAFF Championship get postponed?

The 13th edition of the tournament was supposed to take place in 2020. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it got postponed to September 2021. But, the championship got further delayed to October 2021 after Bangladesh refused to host the tournament due to the ongoing pandemic and lack of sponsors. 

Where will the 2021 SAFF Championship take place?

On August 9, the Emergency Executive Committee met virtually to decide the host between Nepal and Maldives. After deliberating on the matter it was unanimously agreed that the competition will be held in Maldives. 

“SAFF decided to hold the championship in the Maldives because of relatively better Covid-19 situation there. Also, it has been long since the Maldives last hosted the championship,” stated ANFA (All Nepal Football Association) general secretary Indraman Tuladhar after the meeting. 

The last time the championship was held in Maldives was in 2008 when it was jointly hosted along with Sri Lanka. In the upcoming edition, all matches will be played at the National Football Stadium in Male. 

What is the format of the 2021 SAFF Championship?

Since only five nations will be participating in the competition there will be no groups and the teams will play each other once in a round-robin format. The top two teams will advance to the final. 

Why did Pakistan, and Bhutan pull out of the 2021 SAFF Championship?

The Bureau of the FIFA Council suspended the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on April 7 2021 due to third-party interference. It was deemed as a serious violation of the FIFA statutes. The PFF headquarters in Lahore was taken over by a group of protestors and thereby dislodged the FIFA-appointed normalisation committee of the PFF led by Haroon Malik. The reins of administration were taken over by Syed Ashfaq Hussain Shah. FIFA warned PFF of consequences if the status quo was not restored. However, the situation remained unchanged which forced the FIFA Council to suspend Pakistan FA. Hence, no footballing activity can be undertaken by the national team. 

Whereas, Bhutan decided to refrain from participating in the tournament after the Bhutanese government did not grant necessary permission to send the national team abroad due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

What are the Covid-19 protocols in Maldives?

All personnel entering Maldives must undergo a COVID-19 RT-PCR test. The sample must be taken 96 hours before departure for Maldives. Persons with a negative report only will be allowed to enter. 

All the teams will be hosted in a bio-bubble and their movements will be restricted. 

U.S. men's national team star Christian Pulisic was forced out of the second half of Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Honduras with an apparent leg injury.

The Chelsea winger was forced out in the 62nd minute of Wednesday's match after attempting to play on with a noticeable limp.

Pulisic, who played all 90 minutes on Sunday against Canada despite recently recovering from Covid-19, was replaced by Cristian Roldan with the U.S. tied 1-1 with Los Catrachos in San Pedro Sula at the time.

USMNT's injury woes

Pulisic's injury comes amid a series of issues for the U.S. that robbed the team of several key players throughout the international break.

After seeing Tim Weah sidelined just before camp, Gio Reyna and Sergino Dest departed the team after suffering injuries of their own.

Zack Steffen was also unable to feature, having tested positive for Covid-19 after battling a back injury, while Weston McKennie didn't feature against Canada or Honduras after violating Covid protocols.

Up next for Pulisic

Wednesday's match is the USMNT's last of the international break with Pulisic set to return to Chelsea in the coming days.

Chelsea are set to host Aston Villa on Saturday before kicking off their Champions League title defense against Zenit on Tuesday.

The USMNT, meanwhile, will return to World Cup qualifying next month as they play host to Jamaica on October 7.

Further reading