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Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac has indicated they have accomplished their mission of registering wins in his first two games back at the helm.

This comes after the 1-0 away victory over Zimbabwe in the 2022 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.

In the second game of his return to the Black Stars, the Serbian coach walked away with three points from the Group G matchday four away fixture in Harare, thanks to a Thomas Partey first-half goal.

Three days earlier, Ghana beat Zimbabwe 3-1 in the reverse fixture, Rajevac’s first game since replacing CK Akonnor as Black Stars head coach last month.

“As you all know, this was my first camp after I came back and I have to say that I am really grateful to everybody; my players, the medical department, the technical team and GFA. We all did this together,” the Serbian said at the post-match press conference on Tuesday.

“I felt immense support from everybody these days, so really feel happy because we managed to accomplish our mission to win these two matches and to get six points so that we can still be in contention for the World Cup.

“This match was as hard as the previous one. I want to congratulate my players for the performance and also the Zimbabwean team and coach for their excellent fighting and desire.”

Rajevac first coached Ghana between 2008 and 2010, leading the Stars to the final of the 2009 African Nations Championship, the final of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and the quarter-final of the 2010 World Cup.

After Ghana’s uninspiring start to the 2022 World Cup qualifiers which involved one win and one defeat, the Serbian was brought on board to inject some bite into the Black Stars team.

Tuesday’s win has moved the West Africans to nine points on the table, one point below leaders South Africa, while Ethiopia and Zimbabwe occupy the third and fourth positions with three and one points respectively.

Only the group winners will qualify to the third and final round of qualifiers.

Next month, Ghana play as guests of Ethiopia and then host South Africa in their last game.

South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has explained he is still searching for "better players" despite his side's great start in the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.

Bafana Bafana are currently placed at the top of their qualifying table, the Group G standings - a point above second-placed Ghana and they need four points from their last two games to reach the next round.

Broos, who has been in charge of Bafana since May this year, believes that there are some areas where they need to improve having already introduced a lot of new faces to the national team set-up.

"Little by little, I will find the group with which I will work within the coming months, maybe years," Broos told the media. 

"But we're still looking for better players because we still have some weaknesses in our group, certainly.

"It would be a miracle after two months' work that you immediately have a fantastic team."

Broos has surprisingly omitted established internationals such as Thulani Serero, Andile Jali, and Rivaldo Coetzee from his Bafana squads despite the players' good form at club level.

The Belgian tactician indicated that he will bring in quality players into Bafana in order to improve the team with South Africa set to face Zimbabwe and Ghana in their last two Group G matches next month.

"This is impossible, so we have to continue working as a technical team to go and watch more games to see more good players who can bring more quality to our team," he added.

"But, in general, I can say now that we're not so far from the group of players that we’ll continue working for the next months or years."

Bafana are scheduled to play host to the Warriors of Zimbabwe on November 11, before travelling to Ghana where they will face the Black Stars on November 14.

Ahmed Al Masli has called for the sacking of Libya coach Javier Clemente following the Mediterranean Knights’ defeat to Egypt.

Libya’s chances of reaching the 2022 Fifa World Cup looked to have crumbled following back-to-back defeats to the Pharaohs in the qualifiers.

Having suffered a 1-0 loss to the Egyptians on October 8 at the Borg El Arab Stadium, Alexandria – courtesy of Omar Marmoush’s 49th-minute effort, the North Africans went into the reverse fixture eyeing revenge.

However, they crumbled 3-0 at home. In the 41st minute, Carlos Queiroz’s team took the lead thanks to Ahmed El Fotouh’s unstoppable shot past goalkeeper Muhammad.

Before the half-time whistle was sounded, Galatasaray star Mostafa Mohamed doubled Egypt’s advantage as he headed home a cross from Marmoush, while super-sub Ramadan Sobhi completed the damage at Benina Martyrs Stadium in Benghazi.

That setback saw them drop to second spot in Group F with six points, while the seven-time Africa Cup of Nation winners occupy the summit with 10 points.

Irked by the Knights’ collapse against Queiroz’s side, the former Libyan national team striker has lost patience. Clemente was named as a replacement for Zoran Filipovic in May 2021.

“The performance I saw from the national team was shocking, I was surprised to see it,” El Masli told Kingfut.

“Our chances of getting to the next round are very slim now. Hamdou Elhouni’s performance was disappointing.

“Clemente should be dismissed from his position; the first two group stage wins were attributable to the players’ high spirits.

“Libyan national team had no tactical game plan against Egypt, we need change.”

Libya would be hoping to revive their qualification hopes when they visit the Stade de Franceville for a date with Gabon between November 11-13.

Three days later, they welcome Angola to Benghazi in their last qualification match in the same month.

Disappointingly, Libya will be missing in action when the 2021 Afcon gets underway in Cameroon following their inability to qualify for the African football showpiece.

Football Kenya Federation Premier League side Gor Mahia have left for Egypt for a Caf Confederation Cup tie against Al Ahly Merowe on October 15.

The local giants have left with just 17 players for the Confederation Cup encounter, which will be their first continental engagement this season after they were given a bye in the first preliminary round. 

Since they are banned from signing new players, head coach Mark Harrison will have to depend on a squad that has stars who have never featured in a continental game. 

Boniface Oluoch, Geoffrey Ochieng, Charles Momanyi, Andrew Juma, Kenneth Muguna, Cliffton Miheso, and Tito Okello are the players who featured in Gor Mahia's last Confederation Cup assignment against Napsa Stars in February 2021 but are not in the Egypt-bound squad.

Momanyi left for Premier League champions Tusker, Muguna joined Tanzania top-flight side Azam FC while Oluoch is no longer part of the team's setup since he was largely overlooked last season. Juma and Miheso are yet to confirm their next destinations since parting ways with Gor Mahia as Ochieng is recuperating from a long-term injury.

Ernest Wendo, Samuel Onyango, John Macharia, Jules Ulimwengu, Gad Mathews, Joachim Oluoch, Sydney Ochieng, Alpha Onyango, and Benson Omala are the players in the current squad who were part of the team that featured in the last continental game for K'Ogalo.

Caleb Omondi, John Ochieng’, Victor Ayugi, Frank Odhiambo and John Nyawir are the stars who were not involved in the last Confederation Cup game but have been included in the squad this time around.

Mark Harrison, the head coach, has been accompanied by his assistant Sammy Omollo, the team manager Jolawi Obondo, the fitness trainer Musa Hamisi, and the kit manager George Omodu.

The game will be officiated by Jean Ouattara from Burkian Faso with Seydou Tiama, Habib Oumar Sanou and Hamidou being his assistants while the match commissioner will be Khaled Ibrahim from Egypt.

Gor Mahia squad:

Gad Mathews, Caleb Omondi,  Philemon Otieno, Haron Shakava, Frank Odhiambo, Joachim Oluoch, Ernest Wendo, John Ochieng’, Victor Ayugi, Alpha Onyango, Sydney Ochieng’, John Macharia, Samuel Onyango, Jules Ulimwengu, Benson Omalla, Fred Nkata, John Nyawir.

Defending champions Mumbai City FC will have a new coach on the sidelines this season in Des Buckingham. The former Melbourne City FC assistant coach was appointed as Mumbai City's new new head coach recently.

The Englishman takes over from Sergio Lobera who guided the Islanders to the ISL League Winners' Shield and the ISL title last season. The Spaniard is set to be given a new role within the City Football Group (CFG) which have around 10 clubs around the world. 

So, who is Buckingham? Let us have a look at his journey: 

Youth career as a goalkeeper and early start to coaching

Buckingham's career as a player was short-lived. His youth career began as a goalkeeper with English second division clubs Reading (2000-02) and Oxford United (2002-04). However, he could not turn professional and decided to turn towards coaching. 

He acquired a coaching license and began his coaching career at the age of 18 as the coach of Oxford United youth team. He initially trained the club's under 9s during this period. 

His steady progress helped him evolve from coaching the youth to the older players at the Oxford and Cherwell Valley College. Eventually, he returned to Oxford United, marking a steady growth through the ranks in nearly a decade to become the first team coach.  

Coaching the likes of Roy Krishna and Sarpreet Singh

Buckingham, however, wanted a new challenge and thus moved to New Zealand as the Development Manager for Waikato & Bay of Plenty Federation in 2013. He was, then, offered a similar role by Capital Football and was later roped in by Wellington Phoenix as their goalkeeping coach in 2015. 

His contributon was acknowledged by then Wellington Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick offered him the role of a full-time assistant. He was, then, named as the interim coach of the club in the succeeding season after Merrick resigned in 2017. He was, at 31, the youngest manager in A-League history and lifted the club from the bottom of the table, guiding them to a finish just outside the play-off spots.

During his time at Phoenix, he managed the likes of Roy Krishna, Dylan Fox and Sarpreet Singh (who moved to Bayern Munich from Phoenix).

Later in 2017, he returned to England to serve as the assistant coach of Stoke City's U23 team. He guided the club to a eighth-place finish in Premier League 2's second division. 

He, then, returned to Oceania as the new manager of New Zealand U20 team. It was under his tutelage that the team reached the Round of 16 in the FIFA U20 World Cup in 2019. The young Kiwi side under Buckingham played some slick and scintillating brand of football and instantly won admirers.Interestingly, his New Zealand side also defeated a Norway side which featured Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland. Their run came to an end after an agonising penalty shootout defeat against Colombia.

As a result, Buckingham was elevated to the position of New Zealand's assistant coach before taking new guard as the coach of New Zealand U23 team. 

He led the New Zealand U-23 side to its first-ever gold medal at the 2019 Pacific Games. Later, in the same year, he guided the side to OFC U-23 Championship triumph which helped them to seal a berth for Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

His contract with the team was, however, not extended with the postponement of the Olympic Games due to the pandemic despite leading the team to a 12-game unbeaten run. He was, however, awarded the men's coach of the year at New Zealand Football Awards 2020. 

Influenced by Chris Wilder, Mark Hughes and Brendan Rodgers

Buckingham's coaching philosphy has been influenced by quite a few prominent managers including former Sheffield United head coach Chris Wilder who was the head coach of Oxford United from 2008 to 2014. Buckingham was part of Wilder's first team coaching staff at the age of just 29.

He was also influenced by another Oxford manager and former player in Mickey Lewis. However, another name that has played a huge role in shaping his philosophy is current Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers who managed him during his time at Reading's youth set-up.

He also worked under former Manchester United striker Mark Hughes and Paul Lambert during his time with Stoke City in 2017. 

First visit to India in 2018

It was, then, that he joined the A-League club Melbourne City FC as assistant coach after being identified by the City Football Group for his remarkable growth at the start of the 2020-21 season. The club completed the double by winning the league and their first A-League Grand Final. He also managed the first team in the absence of the head coach Patrick Kisnorbo (who fell ill) on three occasions, winning all three matches.

Incidentally, the upcoming stint with Mumbai City will not be his first visit to India as he had previously visited the country in 2018 as the assistant coach of New Zealand in the four-team Intercontinental Cup.

Qualified Pilot

Interestingly, Buckingham is a qualified pilot and holds a Master's degree in advanced performance football coaching through the University of South Wales. Buckingham's tryst with the skies started on his 30th birthday when he received a trial flight with an instructor. He was hooked and committed to getting a pilot's license and did so two years later.

"They took me up in this little aircraft and the guy up there sold me on this package. Over a two-year period, I went through 100 hours of lessons, six theory exams and a flying test. If I had known the work involved I wouldn't have gone near it because it was substantial," he told Sky Sports.

Fifa has lifted the ban placed on Chad, a decision taken by the Bureau of the Fifa Council.

The African country was suspended indefinitely in April owing to government intrusion – a decision that saw Les Sao disqualified from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification race.

In December 2020, Fifa had disregarded a request from the country’s Ministry of Sports to dissolve the Chadian Football Federation.

On March 10, the Minister for Youth and Sports released a statement to prevent the FTFA from performing its obligatory duties due to a reported dispute between both parties.

“The Bureau of the Fifa Council decided to suspend the Chadian Football Association (FTFA) with immediate effect due to government interference,” a statement from the Fifa website read.

“The suspension was prompted by the recent decisions of Chadian government authorities to permanently withdraw the powers delegated to the FTFA, establish a national committee for the temporary management of football and seize control of the FTFA’s premises.

“The suspension will be lifted once the relevant government decisions have been repealed and the FTFA and its management, led by president Moctar Mahamoud Hamid, have confirmed to Fifa that the FTFA premises are again under its control.”

Nevertheless, this verdict has been revoked on Tuesday as the Chadian government authorities have reinstated the powers delegated to the FTFA and also reverted their decision to establish a national committee for the temporary management of football.

“After taking note that the Chadian government authorities have reinstated the powers delegated to the Chadian FA (FTFA) and repealed their decision to establish a national committee for the temporary management of football, as well as that the FTFA’s premises are once again under the control of President Moctar Mahamoud, the Bureau of the FIFA Council has decided to lift the suspension of the FTFA with immediate effect,” a statement from Fifa website read.

“Following the lifting of the suspension, a joint FIFA-CAF mission will be deployed to N’Djamena without delay in order to follow up on the ongoing discussions with the FTFA and the Chadian government.”

With this, Chad will be eligible to take part in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Denmark have qualified for the 2022 World Cup after beating Austria 1-0 on Tuesday.

Joakim Maehle scored the decisive goal as Kasper Hjulmand's team preserved their perfect record in qualifying, making sure they will finish first in Group F.

The Danes are seven points clear of second-placed Scotland after eight matches, with two left to play.

How did Denmark qualify?

Denmark headed into the clash with Franco Foda's team knowing a win would solidify their place at the top of the table.

Had Scotland failed to beat Faroe Islands, a draw would have been enough for the group leaders to go through.

Denmark have been untouchable throughout the qualifying campaign.

Not only have they won all of their matches so far, they have not even conceded a goal.

They are averaging over three goals per game, too, having scored 27 times.

Who else has qualified for the tournament?

Denmark are just the second European team to confirm their place in next year's competition.

Germany booked their ticket the previous night when they ran out 4-0 winners against North Macedonia.

The only other team sure of a place in the World Cup finals at this stage are the hosts, Qatar.

Who can finish second in Group F?

Scotland are currently occupying the runner-up spot behind Denmark.

They now have 17 points after beating Faroe Islands 1-0 thanks to a late goal from Lyndon Dykes.

That result keeps them four points ahead of Israel, who beat Moldova 2-1 on Tuesday.

Austria have slipped to seven points behind Steve Clarke's team after losing to Denmark.

Further reading

The Ballon d'Or ceremony will return on November 29 after two years away, with the 2020 edition scrapped due to the ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The likes of Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo are all considered contenders for the top individual prize, but who else has a shot for the honour?

Goal has a look at the favourites, underdogs and outsiders for this year's award.

Who are the favourites to win Ballon d'Or 2021?

Lionel Messi is the odds-on favourite to win his seventh Ballon d'Or trophy with odds of 4/11 via Oddschecker. He had a disappointing season with Barcelona where they failed to win La Liga, finishing third in the table, and crashed out of the Champions League round of 16 before his transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer. He did, however, lead his Argentina side to a first-ever Copa America trophy that also served as his first major tournament win with his national team.

Robert Lewandowski is priced at 5/1 to win. Had the Ballon d'Or taken place in 2020, he surely would have won, after leading his Bayern side to a treble. But the Poland international has continued to go from strength to strength, scoring 41 goals in 29 league matches in 2020-21 and setting a domestic record.

Chelsea midfielder Jorginho is poised at 13/2 to be named the winner, after his successes on both club and international level. Chelsea earned their second Champions League title with Jorginho considered the heartbeat of the squad, and he was also involved in the superb Italy team that won Euro 2020.

Who are the underdogs to win Ballon d'Or 2021?

Jorginho's Chelsea team-mate N'Golo Kante has odds of 10/1 of scooping up the award.

A defensive midfielder has never before won the Ballon d'Or, and should Kante win, it would be thoroughly deserved. The French international has been a pivotal part of the Chelsea side for years now, the fruits of his labour not coming through goals but with dominating the pitch and serving as the backbone of the squad.

Cristiano Ronaldo is pegged at 14/1 to win his sixth Ballon d'Or, and though he had an impressive season with Juventus – scoring 29 Serie A goals – as well as hitting the ground running in his second spell at Manchester United, he isn't considered a frontrunner for the prize.

Juventus failed to win the Serie A last season, and Portugal crashed out of Euro 2020 disappointingly during the round of 16, losing to Belgium 1-0. Portugal, as defending European Championship title holders, were considered tournament favourites, but perhaps Ronaldo will have a better chance next year.

Kevin De Bruyne is at 16/1 to scoop up the top prize, after guiding Manchester City to to a seventh Premier League title and eighth League Cup trophy before falling at the final hurdle against Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final. The midfielder suffered an unfortunate ankle injury during Belgium's 1-0 victory over Portugal in the Euro 2020 round of 16, but recovered enough for the next game, only to lose in the quarter-finals to eventual champions Italy.

Who are the outsiders to win Ballon d'Or 2021?

Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe are both set at odds of 20/1 to win the Ballon d'Or. Kane's Tottenham placed a disappointing seventh in the Premier League, though he managed to successfully guide England to the Euro 2020 final (only to lose to Italy on penalties).

Mbappe, meanwhile, missed out on winning Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain (being bested by Lille). The forward also had an upsetting Euro 2020 tournament with world champions France, who crashed out of the competition after a shocking last-16 loss to Switzerland in which he missed the definitive penalty in the thrilling shootout.

Erling Haaland and Romelu Lukaku have odds of 33/1 to be named Ballon d'Or winners, with wonderkid Haaland scoring 41 goals for Dortmund in 2020-21 and Lukaku's impressive 30 strikes at Inter earning him a £98 million ($136m) return to Chelsea.

Ted Lasso has been a massive hit with audiences and critics alike, the Apple TV series that stars Jason Sudeikis as the charismatic and well-meaning Coach Lasso as he tries to bring glory to fictional Premiership club AFC Richmond.

The series has been lauded for its light-hearted, positive humour and the way it deals with discussions surrounding mental health, and swept the 2021 Emmy Awards; Sudeikis won the Emmy for Best Actor, Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein won Best Supporting Actress and Actor, and the program won the Best Comedy Series award. 

With the season two finale of Ted Lasso having aired, will there be a season 3 and when will it be released? Goal takes a look.

Will there be a third season of Ted Lasso?

Yes, there will be a season three of Ted Lasso.

A third season of Ted Lasso was already commissioned prior to the production of Season 2 and was announced in October 2020.

The ending of the second season definitely paved the way for a next chapter in the story, with the character of Nate defecting from AFC Richmond to work as a coach at West Ham, which had just been bought by Rebecca Walton's ex-husband. Tensions are sure to rise between AFC Richmond and West Ham in the next instalment of the series, with Ted having to deal with Nate's turning to the dark side and working for "the enemy".

The series two finale also included a potential cliffhanger with Keeley and Roy's romance heading into unknown territory, after Keeley turned down Roy's offer to go on a six-week holiday and prompting him to question their future together.

When will Ted Lasso season 3 be released?

Given that season 2 of Ted Lasso only premiered in summer of 2021, it is likely that the third season will make a return in August 2022.

Who will star in Ted Lasso season 3?

The main cast of Ted Lasso is expected to return for the third season.

Sudeikis implied that the third season of the series could be the last, telling Entertainment Weekly: "The story that's being told—that three-season arc—is one that I see, know, and understood. I'm glad that they are willing to pay for those three seasons. As far as what happens after that, who knows? I don't know."

How to watch Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso is available to watch exclusively on Apple TV.

For U.S. viewers, an Apple TV subscription is $4.99 per month after a free 7-day trial.

For UK viewers, an Apple TV subscription is £4.99 per month after a free 7-day trial.

Arsene Wenger believes offside calls will be decided by technology by next year.

Technology is taking on an increasing role in refereeing decisions across the game, with goalline technology and VAR in effect across the world.

But former Arsenal manager Wenger, who is now in charge of global development at FIFA, believes the next big step forward is just around the corner, with the offside rule soon to be made easier for referees.

What has been said?

Wenger believes VAR has been too slow in making offside decisions and believes the process must be streamlined by the time the 2022 World Cup comes around.

"We must continue to progress in the speed of decision-making, particularly in terms of offside," he said to reporters.

"In 2022 at the World Cup, we'll be much better able to make very quick offside decisions. And it will stop the game less because that is what the VAR can be faulted with. There is a real emotional lift, but after that you have to know if you want fair decisions or not.

"There is a good chance that the offside will be automated at the 2022 World Cup. I am bound to secrecy, but this will be the next of the big developments in refereeing."

Wenger defends VAR 

Despite his criticism of VAR, Wenger believes it has a positive impact on the game and has resulted in fewer refereeing errors in big matches.

"I think it’s positive in that if it was announced tomorrow, people would be against it. We realised in the decisive matches that the VAR was able to prevent bad decisions from being made," he added.

"But there are things that still need to be perfected. VAR is a new process. The level of the VAR people may not be at the level of the referees. But it will come in a few years.

"There is an issue because it requires a lot of people and it is still expensive. VAR is a useful aid and it must remain to make more fair decisions. Before, there were 93 per cent fair decisions and today it is 97%. So that's hundreds of decisions over an entire championship. It is important."

Further reading

Thiago Silva has offered his emotional support to Neymar, his close friend and Brazil team-mate who earlier this week admitted he doesn't know if he has the "strength of mind to deal with football" much longer.

Silva has played alongside Neymar for the Selecao for a decade and also competed alongside the forward at Paris Saint-Germain. As a world-renowned centre-back, Silva said he can relate to the feelings Neymar has expressed - and acknowledged it was hurtful to be publicly labelled "a crybaby, weak, very weak, mentally" when speaking out on his struggles.

So, the defender is determined to provide public backing to his countryman in hopes of helping him regain his love for football.

What has been said?

"Here at the national team, I have gone through some moments that are very similar [with what Neymar is going through], especially after 2014 World Cup," Silva told reporters.

"I was called a crybaby, weak, very weak, mentally. These are things that hurt you and you know that you are not what you have been called.

"I hope he doesn't lose his joy, continue to be happy the way he always is. He is a very special kid and, when he's happy, doing what he loves, he delivers."

In an Instagram story, Silva added: "If you need someone strong to be by your side, know that I will always be there. The Silva family love you."

What were Neymar's retirement comments?

"I think it's my last World Cup [in 2022]," the Paris Saint-Germain star said on DAZN. 

"I see it as my last because I don't know if I have the strength of mind to deal with football anymore.

"So I'll do everything to turn up well, do everything to win with my country, to realise my greatest dream since I was little. And I hope I can do it."

Bigger picture

Mental health has become a key conversation in football in recent years as players have started to open up about their personal struggles, helping normalise the importance of asking for help rather than keeping emotions inside.

Neymar has joined the likes of Jack Wilshere, Tyrone Mings and Christian Pulisic in speaking out about mental health this year.

Further reading

Ghanaians are delighted with the Black Stars’ 1-0 away win over Zimbabwe in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday.

In the Group G matchday four fixture in Harare, Thomas Partey netted the only goal to earn the West Africans all three points and send Ghana to second the table with nine points, one below South Africa.

For new coach Milovan Rajevac who replaced CK Akonnor following a 1-0 away defeat on matchday two, Tuesday’s result makes it two wins out of two games, having led the Stars to register a 3-1 victory at home in the reverse fixture on Saturday.

Below are some of the best reaction to Tuesday’s game:

Senegal are through to the final round of qualifiers for the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar following Tuesday’s 3-1 triumph over Namibia.

Famara Diedhiou’s hat-trick helped the Lions of Teranga see off the Brave Warriors – who got their only goal through Peter Shalulile - at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg.

Heading into the fixture, Aliou Cisse’s men had brushed aside the Southern Africans 4-1 in the reverse fixture held in Thies.

Knowing that a win would send them to the third round, the West Africans began the showdown on the front foot – dominating ball possession and launching numerous attacks.

That paid off in the 22nd minute as Diedhiou headed a delightful cross from Liverpool star Sadio Mane past goalkeeper Lloyd Kazapua.

That lead lasted for just five minutes as the hosts restored parity through Shalulile. Teed up by Willy Stephanus, the Mamelodi Sundowns forward struck a brilliant left-footed shot from the edge of the box that beat goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

Although Namibia put up a brave performance, they were poor in the final third and they paid heavily for that.

In the 51st minute, Diedhiou put the West Africans ahead as he drilled home a rebound from Keita Balde.

With six minutes left on the clock, the Alanyaspor star completed his treble with Mane supplying the last pass.

Thanks to this result, Senegal are through to the play-off round with two games to spare – having garnered 12 points from four matches.

At the Stade General Seyni Kountche in Niamey, Algeria revived their fading qualification hopes by securing a comprehensive 4-0 away victory over Niger Republic.

Captain Riyad Mahrez broke the deadlock in the 20th minute with a low shot inside the box after he was picked out by Baghdad Bounedjah.

The North Africans stamped their authority in the game as they went two goals up courtesy of Aissa Mandi who put the ball beyond goalkeeper Kassaly Daouda.

AC Milan star Ismael Bennacer put them three goals up in the 48th minute before Mahrez set up Bounedjah just six minutes before the hour mark.

Following this win, the Desert Foxes are now tied with Burkina Faso at the summit of Group A with 10 points – although, they boast a superior goals difference.

Elsewhere, Togo went to the Stade Alphonse Massamba-Debat, Brazzaville, saw and subdued Congo 3-1 to the dismay of the home fans.

The visitors got their goals through Euloge Fessou and Kevin Denkey while the hosts got their only goal through Guy Mbenza.

Even at the result, the Hawks have seen their qualification hopes flattened following Senegal’s result against Namibia.

The Ballon d'Or returns this year after being cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and excitement is ramping up about who will be presented with the highest individual honour in European football.

The shortlist of 30 Men's players for the award has already been announced, and Lionel Messi has the chance to win a record seventh title (his sixth win in 2019 allowed him to surpass Cristiano Ronaldo's total of five).

Goal has what you need to know about when the ceremony this year, who the nominees are and more.

Who are the Men's Ballon d'Or 2021 nominees?

Below is the Men's shortlist of 30 players, announced on October 8, 2021.

When will Ballon d'Or 2021 take place?

The Ballon d'Or 2021 ceremony will take place on November 29, 2021 at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.

In addition to announcing the Men's Ballon d'Or award, the Women's winner, Kopa Trophy (presented to the best performing player under the age of 21) and the Yashin Trophy (recognising the best goalkeeper) will also be revealed.

How to watch Ballon d'Or 2021

The ceremony will be available to watch for free on on L'Equipe's YouTube channel.

Who are the favourites to win Ballon d'Or 2021?

Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is the bookies' favourite to be named the Men's winner with odds of 4/11, despite a disappointing season with Barcelona in which the Blaugrana finished third in La Liga and were knocked out of the Champions League round of 16.

On an individual basis, however, Messi impressed, scoring 30 goals in La Liga and a further six in the Champions League – not to mention successfully guiding Argentina to a first-ever Copa America title in the summer.

Robert Lewandowski is 5/1 to win the Ballon d'Or. Had the award been presented in 2020, the Poland international surely would have won, scooping up the treble with Bayern and scoring an astonishing 54 goals in 48 games with the Bundesliga side.

Rounding out the top three favourites is Chelsea and Italy midfielder Jorginho, with odds of 13/2 to win. Jorginho has enjoyed the most fruitful period of his career, winning the Champions League with Chelsea and being crowned Euro 2020 champions with the the Azzurri. The 29-year-old has been pivotal for both club and country, pulling the strings from his position in midfield.