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Liverpool have denounced the homophobic chants led by some of their travelling supporters during their 3-0 win over Norwich City as "offensive and inappropriate".

The Reds' LGBT+ fan group Kopp Outs initially released a statement condemning the chants, which were aimed at Norwich midfielder Billy Gilmour.

The Scotland international, who is on loan from Chelsea, was targeted with homophobic 'rent boy' chants during the match, with Kick It Out having previously called for more action from the FA and the police.

Liverpool quote-tweeted their LGBT+ fan group about the issue after their 3-0 victory at Carrow Road, urging supporters to stop the homophobic chant.

"If I was a Chelsea male player, walking out onto the pitch and all I hear is that, I wouldn’t want to come out," Tracy Brown, co-chair of Chelsea Pride, told us in an exclusive interview. "Right now, I wouldn’t feel safe."

Other instances of homophobia in football have occurred this year, with supporters of the Mexico national team having been condemned for chants that caused their Gold Cup semi-final clash with Canada to be halted.

In June 2021, meanwhile, FIFA issued Mexico with a $65,000 fine and forced them to play two official home matches behind closed doors following homophobic chants during an Olympic qualifier.

Adana Demirspor forward Babajide Akintola is relishing the chance to link up with Mario Balotelli ahead of his debut against Fenerbahce on Sunday.

After completing his loan move to Hatayspor – where he scored six times in 35 Super Lig outings – the 25-year-old was transferred to the Blue Lightnings from Midtjylland for an undisclosed fee.

He will make his Adana bow when they take on Fenerbahce at the New Adana Stadium as the Turkish elite division gets underway.

While hoping for a positive outing against a "powerful" Yellow Canaries side that boasts Bright Osayi-Samuel, Mbwana Samatta, Marcel Tisserand and Nabil Dirarin in their ranks, the Nigerian is hoping to partner the former Manchester City and Inter Milan star in the attack.

"We have the quality to get a result against Fenerbahce and I'm looking forward to the game," Akintola told Goal.

"Adana are keen on a positive campaign and our impressive run in pre-season gives us good confidence ahead of the game against Fenerbahce.

“I also hope for a positive debut playing alongside Mario Balotelli. He has been a great guy since I joined, and I can't wait to help the team get a win in front of our home fans.”

Akintola’s experience is expected to prove pivotal for Samet Aybaba’s men, who were promoted to the Turkish elite division in the 2020-21 campaign.

Born in Oyo state, Nigeria, the winger began his career at Nigerian lower division side FC Ebedei. His impressive displays in Churchill Oliseh’s team caught the attention of Danish top-flight side Midtjylland.

In this maiden season in 2015, Akintola featured prominently for Midtjylland U19s, where they won the league, scoring nine goals.

Nonetheless, his inability to tie down a regular place in the club’s senior team saw him loaned to Thisted. The following season, he was sent to FK Jerv to garner more experience.

Before leaving the MCH Arena, he had represented Haugesund, Rosenborg, Omonia and Hatayspor, all on loan spells.

Blessed with blistering pace and dribbling ability, the youngster is eligible to represent three-time African champions Nigeria at international level.

One of the most significant movements in the latest edition of the FIFA rankings, released on Thursday, was that of Qatar without doubt. The reigning Asian champions climbed an impressive 16 spots to be ranked 42nd in the world, courtesy an impressive showing in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. 

It is Qatar's highest-ever ranking, equalling the mark they set in 1993 in the first-ever edition of the FIFA rankings. And this was all the more significant for Qatar, given that this is coming with a home World Cup only a bit more than a year away. The Maroons are peaking in good time ahead of their first-ever World Cup campaign, judging by the performances and now the rankings. 

They set the tongues wagging with a terrific campaign in the 2019 Asian Cup, where they scalped the likes of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, South Korea and crowned it with a win over Japan in the final. Now, with their 2021 Gold Cup campaign, they've served a reminder that the Maroons are not going to the 2022 World Cup as just hosts but that they're there on merit. 

Qatar were invited as a guest team to the 2021 Gold Cup, North America's continental competition. And Felix Sanchez Baz's men completely utilised the stage to showcase their skills outside their continent, reaching the semifinals. And they lost out on a place in the final only narrowly, an 86th-minute goal by Gyasi Zardes helping the USA sneak into the final. And Hassan Al-Haydos missed a penalty in that match as well. Qatar could very well have won the tie on another day. They had 18 shots on goal as opposed to 6 by USA.

They played an open, fast, counter-attacking brand of football that saw them score a tournament-high nine goals in the group stages, racking up seven points with wins over Grenada (4-0) and Honduras (2-0) and a 3-3 draw against Panama. El Salvador's challenge was overcome in the quarter-finals 3-2 before they took on eventual winners USA. And the 10th-ranked side in the world (20th during the Qatar match) had to dig very deep in order to find a way past Qatar.

It also marked the end of a 12-game unbeaten streak by the Asian team. It must also be noted that Qatar are the only side that finished their second round of Asian 2022 World Cup qualifiers unbeaten. Interestingly, Qatar played Croatia in a friendly before the Gold Cup. Though Croatia featured only home-grown players, Felix Sanches Baz's men emergeed triumphant.

And if the run to the semifinals was the cake for Qatar's efforts, the icing on the cake was that Almoez Ali, their 24-year-old star striker, was the tournament's topscorer with four goals to his name. Also impressive were the likes of Akram Afif and captain Al-Haydos.

Qatar's brilliant showing in foreign conditions defined their capabilities in many ways, especially coming after their Copa America campaign in 2019. Again playing as a guest team, Qatar ended winless in the group stages. However, most importantly, they were extremely competitive, holding Paraguay before suffering slim losses to continental giants in Colombia and Argentina.

Of course, the opposition Qatar had at the Gold Cup might not have been the strongest in the world, certainly not the level one would expect at the World Cup next year. But the competitiveness and style of football Qatar played promises a few good moments. 

At the Gold Cup, Qatar gave a glimpse as to what to expect from them at the World Cup - a team that works hard, is not afraid to cede possession and wait for their chances and a team that moves through their attacking gears all at once, with pace. Of course, no one expects supernatural performances but Qatar's rise in the footballing echelons make a competitive showing a guarantee. 

When Thomas Dennerby was appointed as the head coach of the Indian women's national team, it was for the first time that an overseas tactician was handed over the reins of the Indian eves. It is a historic decision in many ways for the Indian women's team.

After Maymol Rocky stepped down in July, the position was vacant and AIFF's (All India Football Federation) Technical Committee thought that it would be best to use the experience of Dennerby for the benefit of the senior team, keeping in mind the upcoming AFC Asian Cup in 2022 which will be hosted in India.  

From Sushil Bhattacharya in the 1970s to Rocky, all the previous managers of the Indian women's team had been Indians. 

Rocky had taken over the reins of the team in 2017 and had been in charge for the past four years. The Indian team has produced some brilliant results under her tutelage as they made it to the second round of the Olympic qualifiers for the first time in November 2018. They also won the SAFF Women's Championship title in 2019 and gold at the South Asian Games in Nepal.

After a hiatus of almost 40 years, India will be participating in the AFC Asian Cup and the AIFF do not want to leave any stone unturned to prepare Ashalata Devi and co. for the marquee continental tournament. Dennerby, who is a proven candidate in women's football, has been asked to charge. 

The 62-year-old will straight away get to work with the girls at the national team camp in Jharkhand which is set to commence from August 16. He has been extremely successful in his previous stints as the coach of the Swedish and the Nigerian women's national teams. In fact, he guided the Scandinavian country to a 3rd-place finish in the FIFA World Cup in 2011, and a quarter-final spot in the 2012 London Olympics.

Whereas, with the African country he won the AWCON Award 2018 and was even awarded the 2018 Coach of the Year in Nigeria.

The Indian women's team has struggled in the recent past and they remain winless in 2021. They played five matches including three matches in the Turkish Cup and two friendlies. Indian eves suffered a 8-0 humiliation to Russia in one of those games. Though they were winless in the other matches, the eves were competitive in the other matches. However, it remains to be seen how Dennerby shapes the fortunes of this squad.

Bengaluru FC will be vying for a spot in Group D of the 2021 AFC Cup when they take on Club Eagles of Maldives at the Maldives National Football Stadium, on Sunday, in an AFC Cup play-off.

The Blues registered a 5-0 win against Nepal Army back in April in the preliminary round in what was Marco Pezzaiuoli’s first game in charge of the Blues. Meanwhile, Club Eagles beat Bhutan's Thimphu FC 2-0 to get to the playoff round.

The group stage of the competition is also set to be staged in Maldives between August 18 and 24 and will involve ATK Mohun Bagan (India), Maziya S&RC (Maldives) and Bashundhara Kings (Bangladesh) in Group D.

Here's how to watch Bengaluru FC vs Club Eagles in India.

Contents

What time does the AFC Cup 2021 playoff between Bengaluru FC vs Club Eagles start?

Initially to be played in India in April, the fixture was postponed due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country before Maldives FA accepted to host the tie in May.

However, the match was called off for a later date after a few members of the Bengaluru FC squad had allegedly breached COVID-19 protocols in the island nation.

A win over the Eagles on Sunday will pit the Blues against Indian Super League (ISL) rivals ATK Mohun Bagan in their opening Group D tie on Wednesday.

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How to watch Bengaluru FC vs Club Eagles on TV & live stream in India?

Fans can catch a glimse of the action as Bengaluru FC will be streaming the game live on BFC TV - the club's official YouTube channel. 

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Bengaluru FC vs Club Eagles: Team news

Bengaluru FC have traveled to Maldives with a 29-man squad with Alan Costa, Cleiton Silva and Yrondu Musavu-King being the three foreigners in the squad.

New Indian signings such as Bidyashagar Singh, Danish Farooq, Jayesh Rane, Sarthak Golui and Rohit Kumar, besides four members from the club's developmental squad have also been included.

Pezzaiuoli has revealed that Congolese forward Prince Ibara has been left out due to an infection while Edmund Lalrindika and Harmanpreet Singh are nursing injuries. "I have 26 players available for selection and we want to make it to the next stage of this competition," the coach stated.

Bengaluru FC squad:

Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Lalthuammawia Ralte, Lara Sharma, Sharon Padattil

Defenders: Pratik Chaudhari, Wungngayam Muirang, Ajith Kumar, Ashique Kuruniyan, Parag Shrivas, Yrondu Musavu-King, Biswa Darjee, Alan Costa, Sarthak Golui

Midfielders: Suresh Wangjam, Namgyal Bhutia, Jayesh Rane, Danish Farooq, Rohit Kumar, Muhammad Inayath, Ajay Chhetri

Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Udanta Singh, Cleiton Silva, Leon Augustine, Naorem Roshan Singh, Bidyashagar Singh, Sivasakthi Narayanan, Akashdeep Singh, Harmanpreet Singh
 

Club Eagles squad:

Goalkeepers: Mohamed Sinnahu, Mohammad Taha

Defenders: Haisham Hassan, Humaid Hussain, Ahmed Numaan, Elsayed Mahmoud, Hussian Sifaau, Hisam Saleem

Midfielders: Areen Abdulla Ibrahim, Ali Solah, Ahmed Samah, Zain Zafar, Hassan Aleef Ibrahim, Mohamed Aflaam Ali, Hussain Ahusam Moosa, Hamdhann Abdul Sattar, Shaifulla Ibrahim, Mossa Abdulla Sameeh, Mohamed Nain, Hassan Raid Ahmed, Imran Nasheed

Forwards: Riham Abdul Ghanee, Ahmed Rizuvan, Ashadh Ali Mohamed Osama Saber Elshihy

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Further reading: 

Anayo Iwuala says it was “an easy choice” to swap life at Nigeria Professional Football League side Enyimba for that at Esperance.

After representing the Aba Elephants for two years, the winger opted to take on a new challenge with the Ligue Professionnelle 1 outfit.

Although not certain that the decision would make him a regular face in Gernot Rohr’s Super Eagles, he is keen on profiting his worth at Stade Olympique de Rades.

"It's a huge privilege to join such a great club like Esperance who have continental titles to show as part of their success story," Iwuala told BBC Sport Africa.

"It was an easy choice to come to Esperance, they are four times African champions.

“A big cub with an incredible culture, the professionalism and modern facilities, the welfare, tradition and standard of operation are quite attractive."

Having been handed a three-year contract by the Blood and Gold, the 22-year-old will remain at the Stade Olympique de Rades until 2024.

Under the direction of former Bolton Wanderers star Radhi Jaidi, Iwuala would be hoping to help the reigning Tunisia elite division champions to a remarkable outing during next season’s Caf Champions League.

"From my position [playing in Nigeria] once I saw a chance here with the club I decided to grab the opportunity," he continued.

"I need to focus on the job, helping the team achieve more success and that remains the main priority of every professional footballer.

"I also look forward to working with coach Radhi Jaidi and prove myself under him. That is the immediate target for now.

"I don't know if coming here will further help me establish myself in the Super Eagles, but I know I will give my best here and that's all I can do for now."

The Lagos-born player started his professional career in 2018 at amateur side Kada City before heading to Delta Force – where he was signed by two-time Caf Champions League winners, Enyimba.

Following his awe-inspiring displays in the NPFL,  he was handed a senior team call-up by coach Rohr.

He made his debut for the three-time African champions in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Benin Republic on March 27.

Ahmed Musa is thrilled to have made a scoring debut in Fatih Karagumruk’s 3-2 victory over Gaziantep in Saturday’s Turkish Super Lig encounter.

After a short stint with Kano Pillars, the 28-year-old penned a two-year contract with the Istanbul side, with the option of an additional year.

Musa was named in the Black Red’s starting XI, and he repaid Francesco Farioli’s faith in him by contributing a goal at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

After receiving a pass from Kerim Frei, the former VVV Venlo and CSKA Moscow star beat his markers before slotting the ball past goalkeeper Gunay Guvenc.

The winger was on parade from start to finish as his team made a winning start to the 2021-22 Turkish elite division campaign.

The Nigeria international took to social media to celebrate his goal as well as his team’s victory over Erol Bulut’s team.

“A good start, we keep going mates,” he wrote on Instagram.

Musa began his European expedition at Eredivisie side Venlo and his impressive performances at the Dutch side saw him sign for Russian top-flight side CSKA Moscow.

Having won three Premier League titles, one Russian Cup and two Russia Super Cups with the Horses in his four-year spell, he joined Leicester City on July 8, 2016, for a club record of £16.6 million at that time.

His inability to tie down a regular place at the King Power Stadium saw him sent back to CSKA Moscow on loan, before teaming up with Al Nassr in 2018 on a permanent deal.

The Asian outfit beat several European clubs to the signing of the speedy forward who impressed at the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia with two goals in three matches.

He parted ways with Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr on October 25, 2020, before heading to Sai Masu Gida for a second stint.

"I was very impressed with the team's philosophy, style of play and it's clearly an ambitious club," Musa BBC Sport Africa on what inspired his move to Karagumruk.  

"I feel wanted and that's what made all the difference. I want to repay that faith. I can't wait to link up with my teammates and help the club achieve their ambitions."

Mauricio Pochettino proclaimed he is "very happy" with Kylian Mbappe following a 4-2 win over Strasbourg on Saturday in which Paris Saint-Germain fans whistled at the forward amid transfer speculation.

Mbappe, who has been steadily linked with Real Madrid, delivered a goal as newcomer Lionel Messi watched from the stands.

His boss offered praise for his focus on the task at hand and said he didn't hear any of the jeers at Parc des Princes.

What has been said?

"I did not hear the whistles," Pochettino said via L'Equipe. "I am very happy with him. He's focused on what he needs to do and had a really good game. He must continue on this path.

"It is very important for us to have our supporters around us. It's extraordinary and we missed him dearly. Football is completely different with the spectators. 

"With the presentation of the newcomers, it was a great evening for PSG. Now, we have to prepare them gradually, without taking too many risks, whether it is Leo Messi or the others."

Mbappe to Madrid reports

Earlier this summer, before the signing of Messi, Goal reported that Real Madrid would slash their wage bill in order to position themselves either for a late Mbappe move before the deadline or an approach in 2022.

Since then, Los Blancos have cleared Raphael Varane from their books and could yet sell Martin Odegaard to Arsenal, among other moves.

However, the addition of Messi to PSG could convince Mbappe to put off an exit from Ligue 1.

At least that's what the hierarchy at Parc de Princes has demanded, with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi saying "there is no excuse" for a departure this window with Messi now in the fold to boost their Champions League ambitions.

Further reading

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

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

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

A new record

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

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

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

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

Further reading

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What was said? 

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

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

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

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

The bigger picture 

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

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

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

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

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

Further reading 

Manchester City will get their Premier League title defence under way when they face off with  Tottenham in their opening clash of the 2021-22 campaign.

Watch Tottenham vs Manchester City on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

Pep Guardiola's side head to London to face a Spurs team under Nuno Espirito Santo's new management - and with Harry Kane on the opposing side amid talk of an Etihad Stadium swap.

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), Premier League matches 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

It has been a turbulent off-season for Spurs, having struggled to both replace Jose Mourinho as head coach and keep England captain Kane happy amid another barren season.

That the Three Lions striker could face the team who have pursued him hardest over the transfer window will not be lost on either party - but it could be a familiar Spurs side that features in their opener, with new recruits Bryan Gil only recently returned from Olympic duty and Cristian Romero still injured.

Predicted Tottenham starting XI:  Lloris; Doherty, Sanchez, Aurier, Reguilon; Winks, Hojbjerg; Bergwijn, Son, Moura; Kane.

Having come up short in the Community Shield against Leicester thanks to a last-gasp Kelechi Iheanacho penalty, Pep Guardiola's side missed out on an early chance to pick up silverware - but they will still firmly be among the favourites to retain their crown this year.

Their big-money purchase of Jack Grealish has offset the loss of Sergio Aguero in attack, though the need for a talismanic number nine arguably still remains after the Argentine's exit.

Predicted Man City starting XI:  Ederson; Walker, Stones, Dias, Zinchenko; Fernandinho, Rodri, Gundogan; Mahrez, Torres, Grealish.

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