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Dani Alves says that he would return to Barcelona in a heartbeat, telling the club that he would be ready to answer the call once more if they came knocking for his services.

The Brazil international, who spent eight successful seasons at Camp Nou, is currently without a club after terminating his contract with Sao Paulo last month over a rights dispute.

Barca are currently mid-table in La Liga following a slow start to the campaign - but Alves believes he can help shape their young squad were he to make a remarkable comeback.

What has been said?

"It would sound very opportunistic to say that Barca need me now," the veteran defender, who left in 2016, told Sport . "I always said that I left because I saw things were not the way I thought they should be.

"You never want to see everything that [has] ended up happening since I left. I've said that when Barca need me and want me, I would be at their disposal regardless of where I am. The affection, love and respect I have for this club is too much.

"If Barca think they need me, they just have to call me. I still think I can contribute anywhere, but more at Barca because of the number of young players that they have now."

Alves reflects on future

The 38-year-old's abrupt end to life at Sao Paulo, following spells with Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, came mere weeks after the right-back added another honour to his name with Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020.

Yet he has no plans for retirement and intends to continue at the top level, adding: "I always look for a club that allows me to compete with the greats, fight for titles and be decisive wherever I am.

"I do not consider another scenario that is not this. It was for this reason that I chose Sevilla, Barcelona, ​​and all the places where I went. I want to bring a winning, fighting and conscious mentality wherever I go."

The bigger picture

Regardless of Alves' future, Barca can look to rescue their season when they face Valencia upon their return from the international break this weekend.

Koeman's side - who lost Lionel Messi during the off-season amid financial struggles - have failed to click this term and look like they could be out of the title race in La Liga already.

Any failure to qualify for Europe would spell disaster at Camp Nou, highlighting the magnitude of the task at hand.

Further reading

Cristiano Ronaldo has tumbled record after record during his two decades as a professional footballer thanks to his incredible capacity to conjure goals for his teams.

He has become the all-time top scorer in the history of the Champions League and he is also the most prolific international goalscorer of all time.

Goal takes a look at how many different clubs Cristiano Ronaldo has scored against, as well as his record in the Premier League and internationally.

Last updated: October 15, 2021

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How many different clubs has Cristiano Ronaldo scored against?

Ronaldo has scored goals against 119 different clubs across his career in Portugal, England, Spain and Italy.

As well as scoring against clubs in those four countries, Ronaldo has found the net against a host of teams all over the world, playing in competitions such as the Champions League and Club World Cup.

In European competition, most of Ronaldo's goals have been scored against German opposition (28), followed by Italian (18) then French (14).

He has also scored goals against teams from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Hungary, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine.

Interestingly, Ronaldo has not scored a single goal in four games against Scottish opposition (three games against Celtic, one against Rangers).

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Teams Cristiano Ronaldo has scored against in the Premier League

As of October 2, 2021, Ronaldo had scored a total of 87 goals in the Premier League, hitting the back of the net against 24 different teams in the division.

His favourite opponent in the division is Aston Villa, having scored eight goals in the league against them, with Villa closely followed by Fulham and Newcastle United (seven goals).

You can see the teams Ronaldo has scored against in the Premier League in the table below.

Ronaldo has found the net against the Red Devils' nearest rivals, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham in the Premier League. However, he has not scored against Chelsea in the competition - his only goal against the Blues coming in the 2008 Champions League final.

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How many international teams has Cristiano Ronaldo scored against?

Ronaldo has scored against 46 different international teams as of his last international appearance for Portugal on October 12, 2021.

He has cemented his legacy as the greatest goalscorer in international football, surpassing a goal record that had long been held by Ali Daei and his record-breaking hat-trick against Luxembourg on October 12, 2021 brought his tally to 115 goals.

Luxembourg are the international team that Ronaldo has scored most against during his career, with nine goals put into their net. He has scored seven times against Lithuania and seven times against Sweden.

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Former Kaizer Chiefs winger Junior Khanye believes all the coaches Khama Billiat has played under at Amakhosi have failed to get the best out of the player who he feels made the wrong choice to sign for the Soweto giants.

Billiat joined Chiefs from Mamelodi Sundowns in July 2018, to end a trophy-laden five-season spell at Chloorkop.

He was signed by Italian tactician Giovanni Solinas under whom he played for four months and has since then had Ernst Middendorp, Gavin Hunt and currently Stuart Baxter as his coaches.

“Psychologically Khama Billiat is no longer the same. He is regretting the decision to join Kaizer Chiefs because all the coaches he has played under at the club do not believe in ball-players,” Khanye told Massiv Metro as per iDiski TV.

“The coaches do not know how to get the best out of the player like Pitso [Mosimane]. Even the position they deploy him in is wrong. He is always playing under tremendous pressure whereby they rely on his individual brilliance.

“There were games I believe he shined under Ernst but there were not many. In order for Khama to shine like during his Sundowns days you need a proper coach who believes in ball players and then be surrounded by people who supply you with balls. Then you must find him a fixed position lest you will confuse him like playing him as a winger, striker etc, you want him to drop from your half.

“Another thing, you can’t rely on him alone. Then you become defensive by fielding seven defenders. The coaches he has played under at Chiefs are Ernst, Stuart and Gavin put eight defenders then you have Khama, Samir Nurkovic and now Keagan Dolly or Manyama.

“Khama playing behind Nurkovic and Manyama yet you can’t rely on Manyama. Obviously, they rely on Khama and Samir Nurkovic is just standing.”

Khanye feels Billiat is struggling to thrive at Chiefs because he is playing alongside “ordinary” players who make him regret ever signing for the club.

“He has realised that he took the wrong decision to join Chiefs and that this team is not going to win anything, ‘if I don’t score no one will score,’” said Khanye.

“He has realised that in this team I play with ordinary players. No one can compete against him in the Chiefs squad. At Sundowns he knew that if I’m not doing it, Keagan Dolly will do it, the coach will always allow me to run with the ball. Pitso is a believer in the style Khama thrives in, he got the best out of the boy. 

“If you check Khama now he is not psychologically fine after realising he joined the wrong team. I think his first season at Chiefs broke him as he realised he is not going to win anything both individually and as a team.”

Billiat has started all Chiefs’ six Premier Soccer League matches this season and is expected to feature in Saturday’s hosting of Chippa United. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kaizer Chiefs would want to end a rough Premier Soccer League patch of form when they host fellow-strugglers Chippa United at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Just a point separates the two sides with Chiefs 12th on the table while the Chilli Boys are a rung below with both teams having played six league games so far this season.

Victory for Amakhosi would see them settle on position eight, given that Baroka FC and Cape Town City lose their respective matches on the same day.

Chippa also have a chance to climb up to eighth spot with a win but that would be subject to, again, Baroka and Cape Town City losing.

It will be Chippa coach Gavin Hunt’s first time to return to FNB Stadium since he was sacked by the Soweto giants at the end of May.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

Squads & Team News

Earlier in the week, Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter confirmed that attacker Lebogang Manyama is back in rehabilitation after getting injured in training.

The length of his time out is not yet clear but his absence deepens the attacking crisis at Chiefs who do not have strikers Samir Nurkovic and Leonardo Castro who are also injured.

Chiefs still have defender Siyabonga Ngezana and Dumisani Zuma out with fitness problems.

But Zuma was, however, captured participating in full training with the team this week although Baxter says he is not yet ready to start playing.

Amakhosi welcome back defender Sifiso Hlanti who was serving suspension in their last match away at AmaZulu. 

No Chippa United player is suspended for Saturday’s match against Amakhosi.

The Chilli Boys welcome back from international duty goalkeeper Ismael Watenga and Riaan Hanamub who were with Uganda and Namibia respectively in the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.

Match Preview

Chiefs go into this match having failed to win their last four league matches in which they have recorded two defeats and as many draws.

In their last five outings, Amakhosi’s attacking shortcomings have been laid bare and they have managed just four goals while conceding six times.

Their opponents Chippa are equally struggling, having a five-game winless run.

The Chilli Boys have managed three defeats and two draws in their difficult run which has left them three points better than bottom-placed TS Galaxy.

With Chippa having scored two goals in this tough patch, they have shipped in six goals, just like Chiefs.

Chippa’s last visit to FNB Stadium was a fruitful trip in which they claimed a 1-0 win over the Soweto giants in April and that was the last time the two sides met.

Gor Mahia came from a goal down to defeat Al-Ahly Merowe 3-1 in the first leg of their Caf Confederation Cup first round fixture.

Ahmed Abok had given the hosts a lead but Samuel Onyango, Benson Omalla, and Jules Ulimwengu struck back at the New Suez Stadium in Egypt on Friday night.

The Football Kenya Federation Shield Cup champions had to do without their new signings after failing to register them early owing to an initial transfer ban that had been placed on them by Fifa.

The Sudanese outfit started the game well and had their chances. They managed to take a lead in the 42nd minute. It happened to be the only goal in the first 45 minutes.

In the second half, the Mark Harrison-led charges upped their tempo in search of the equaliser. They did not have to wait for long as former Sony Sugar winger Onyango answered their prayers in the 55th minute.

Youthful attacker Omalla then made it 2-1 10 minutes later when he headed in from close range. 

The third goal was scored by Burundi international Ulimwengu with 20 minutes to go. It was a welcome strike for the attacker who was almost let go by the club last season.

Before the journey to Egypt, the club's assistant coach Sammy Omollo had explained why they opted to give him another chance.

"This season, expect a different Ulimwengu; he has a very positive attitude and has promised to give his best. If you look at him in training, you can attest to what I am saying. He will surprise many," the former Harambee Star had told Goal.

"Ulimwengu is a quality player and has the potential to perform well. He will be a key player for us if he replicates his training form to matches."

K'Ogalo made it to the first round after being exempted from the preliminary round, while Merowe defeated Atlabara of South Sudan 4-0 in aggregate to set a date with the Kenyan side.

The second leg will be played at Nyayo Stadium on October 24. K'Ogalo will advance to the group stage with a draw or a one-goal defeat.

Arsenal defender Ben White has admitted that he doesn't particularly enjoy watching football, while also revealing he prefers to be called Benjamin.

White is in his first season in north London after joining the Gunners from Brighton in a £50 million ($69m) summer move.

But while he dedicates his professional life to football and says he loves playing the game, the 24-year-old is keen to partake in other activities when he's away from the pitch.

What was said?

"Football is so intense. You come in every day giving 100 per cent. All I want to do is go home and not think about it, then come in in the morning fresh and ready to give 100% again," White told Sky Sports News.

"I watch myself for analytical reasons. I watch England, maybe, but I'm always busy doing something. I wouldn't just sit down and watch a game.

"I didn't ever watch football when I was younger. I still don't now. I just loved the game, I was always playing it, never watching.

"So I don't know too much about the older generations, but I know [Patrick] Vieira was a very good player. But I don't know the details."

On his preferred name he added: "You can call me whatever you want, I just might not reply! But my name is actually Benjamin."

What's next for Arsenal?

Following the international break, the Gunners are back in action on Monday when they face Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium.

Palace are coached by Vieira, the former Arsenal great who has gone on to a managerial career that has seen him take charge of New York City FC and Nice.

Arsenal are currently 11th in the Premier League table, but just four points outside of the top four.

Further reading

Singapore didn't deal as well with the Covid-19 enforced break from football as some of their rivals and 2021 has been a year to forget so far.

Tatsuma Yoshida's men started off on a positive note when they drew 1-1 with Afghanistan in a friendly back in May, but they were unable to build on that when their World Cup qualification resumed in June.

Palestine, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia all proved to be too strong as Singapore conceded a disappointing 12 goals in three games - and they had to settle for fourth place in Group D as a result with a mere seven points from eight games.

They will be looking to turn things around at the Suzuki Cup and the news that the tournament will take place on home ground will have served as a major boost for the Lions.

Much will depend on the form of star players Hariss Harun and Ikhsan Fandi, though, with the former returning home this year after a hugely successful spell with Malaysian giants JDT, while the latter continues to play his trade in Europe with Norwegian side Jerv. 

Suzuki Cup group A table

Suzuki Cup Group A fixtures

Singapore squad

How to watch Singapore at the Suzuki Cup

Singapore national team results

2021

2019

Hearts of Oak midfielder Emmanuel Nettey insists the club have a point to prove when they take on Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca in the Caf Champions League on Sunday.

Back in continental inter-club actions for the first time since 2015, the Phobians first un uphill task to reach the group stage as they are billed to challenge the 2017 champions in the first round.

“We are going out there all guns blazing,” Nettey told Citi Sports.

“We know we have been out of the competition for a very long time.

“We are back and we want to prove a point not just to WAC but to the whole of Africa that we did not make the progression by fluke,’ he revealed ahead of the match.”

Hearts made the first round of the Champions League after a 2-0 victory over Guinean fold CI Kamsar in the preliminary round.

The match was a one-off tie played in Accra, owing to pollical instability in Guinea.

“So far I think it’s been good. Our first game against Kamsar we were able to overcome them by winning 2-0 and we’re progressing,” Nettey told Joy Sports in a separate interview.

“Now we have a much tougher opposition in WAC but I think it’s not too much of a hurdle to cross.

“We are going to do our best, considering the training sessions we’ve had with our technical team. I think everything is going the right way for us Sunday. We’re going to deliver.”

Unlike in the clash with Kamsar, where they had to play behind closed doors, the Phobians will be privileged to welcome back fans in attendance as Caf has approved an intake of 2000 fans for the tie at the Accra Sports Stadium.

“The reason why they [our fans] are asking for tickets [to the game] and stuff is because they’ve missed us, and we too we’ve missed them,” Hearts attacker Daniel Afriyie Barnieh said.

“They’ve missed seeing us on the field of play and we have also missed them in the stands. So what I will tell them is that they should keep on praying and support us, and come in their numbers on Sunday.

“I think we are not going to disappoint them, we will make them proud on Sunday. When we see our fans the morale and everything comes up.”

Hearts have won the Champions League once, whereas WAC have lifted the cup on two occasions.

Asante Kotoko’s Brazilian attacker Fabio Gama Dos Santos considers himself the best player in the Ghana Premier League.

The 29-year-old playmaker has been a sensation in the West Africans’ top flight since joining the Porcupine Warriors ahead of last season.

In his first term, he made 28 league outings, scoring on four occasions and providing a handful of assists.

“We have many good players in Ghana. In my mind, I am always at the top but we have good players. [Augustine] Boakye from Wafa, we have Salifu Ibrahim, very good,” Ghana told Joy Sports.

“We have the number 10 from Great Olympics [Gladson Awako], [Ismail Abdul0 Ganiyu and [Salifu] Mudasiru of Kotoko.

“We have many, many good players. It is impossible to choose 3 or 5 or 10 options because you have more than that.”

Gama made his Kotoko and Ghana Premier League debut as a second-half substitute in a 1-1 draw with Medeama last December.

He made his first start in a 2-0 triumph over Liberty Professionals, capping a fine day at the office with an assist.

“Tough games? We have a lot. There were great games against Wafa, the two games against Hearts were very tough,” said the Brazilian.

“In Ghana there are no easy matches because all the teams come to beat Kotoko 100 per cent. So this makes all matches more difficult for us, but we could have done better in some of them.”

Gama joined Kotoko as a free agent in October last year, putting pen to paper on a two-year contract.

In his first season, the former Brazil U17 and U20 man missed out on the Premier League title as Kotoko finished second on the table behind arch-rivals Hearts of Oak.

He became the third Brazilian to sign for Kotoko since 2005, following in the footsteps of Gleisson de Souza Ferreira in 2005 and Hermes da Silva in 2013.

The 29-year-old has previously played in his homeland and in Sweden when he was on the books of Jonkopings Sodra, his last club before deciding to continue his career in the Ghana Premier League.

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed Kelechi Iheanacho's availability for their Premier League game against Manchester United on Saturday but Wilfred Ndidi is yet to recover from his injury.

Iheanacho played in Nigeria's double-header 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against the Central African Republic but he did not end both games.

The Super Eagles striker opened his league goal account for the season against Crystal Palace before the international break and Rodgers is expecting him to play a part against the Red Devils at the King Power Stadium.

“He’s 100 per cent fine," the Northern Irish coach said in a press conference on Friday, per Leicester Live.

On the other hand, Nigeria's Wilfred Ndidi is not available for Saturday's game as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Rodgers disclosed that the combative midfielder won't return to action until after the next international break in November.

"He’ll probably join the group, I would say, in the next international break," he said. "Over the course of this section of games, he probably won’t be available. We’re hoping that by then he’ll be back." 

Another African star that Rodgers talked about was Zambia's Patson Daka who has played just 26 minutes of football in the Premier League this season.

Daka joined Leicester City on from RB Salzburg on a five-year deal in June but he has struggled for playing time and he is yet to impress.

"Patson, he’s here for the long term but we know he can contribute," Rodgers said.

"What we’ve done is strengthened our squad with the signings and hopefully we’ll see that over the course of the season.”

Orlando Pirates co-interim coach Mandla Ncikazi is optimistic that they can defeat Diables Noirs following their clash on Friday.

The Buccaneers were held to a 0-0 draw by the Congo-Brazzaville side in the Caf Confederation Cup second round first-leg match which was played at Stade Alphonse Massamba-Débat in Brazzaville.

Mandla, who took charge of his Caf match alongside fellow co-interim Fadlu Davids, pointed out that they need to appreciate the draw due to the adverse conditions in the west-central African country.

"Based on the conditions that we have faced in Congo-Brazaville, let's take the draw and take the performance of the players, the conditions of the artificial turf ad how the opponents treated us," Ncikazi told the club's media department. 

"But the personality and character of the players, one needs to appreciate [them], let's take the draw. We are not done yet.

"Remember that if they score at home [then] there is a problem, but I think we have the capacity to beat this opponent, especially when we play at home."

The draw extended the Buccaneers' winless run to three matches across all competitions having recorded two successive draws after losing to Mamelodi Sundowns in a PSL clash on September 25.

The 52-year-old mentor explained that they now know what to expect from Diables and he revealed how they plan to outsmart the seven-time Congo-Brazzaville champions in the second-leg clash at Orlando Stadium on October 24.

"I am happy with the performance today and the application of the players," the former Maritzburg United coach added. 

"They [Diables] are just a direct team, they were playing to get behind our defence. They were looking to play crosses, they have dribblers on the sides, who want to put the crosses.

"Let's stop the crosses [and] let's deal with their threat inside the penalty area, but again when we have the ball, Pirates must play. And if we do that and become comfortable on the ball, I think we will get the result."

Pirates are set to take on Maritzburg United in a PSL encounter at Harry Gwala Stadium next week Wednesday, before they host Diables in Soweto.