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Former Kaizer Chiefs attacker Patrick Mayo feels the Soweto giants are struggling because new players need to “adapt and adjust” as he also asks for patience on coach Stuart Baxter.

Chiefs have had a difficult season so far, marked by elimination from the MTN8 as well as failing to win their last four Premier Soccer League games.

They have managed six points from as many league games so far this season.

Their shortcomings upfront have been underlined by scoring just four league goals and they have conceded eight times.

After the Soweto giants signed nine new players following the end of their Fifa transfer ban, Mayo feels it will take time before the team becomes a highly competitive side.

“After the changes that they made, there was a big gap and this is why Chiefs is stumbling, but people tend to forget that Chiefs is a brand,” Mayo told iDiski Times.

“They want Chiefs to perform overnight, and it is not something that will happen like that. If you look at the players that Chiefs have brought in, they need to adapt and adjust to the style of play of Kaizer Chiefs.”  

Of the new Chiefs signings, Sifiso Hlanti, Phathutshedzo Nange and Keagan Dolly have been enjoying regular game time while others have been used sparingly.

Acquisitions like Hlanti, Nange, goalkeeper Brandon Petersen and Njabulo Ngcobo were already a target of former coach Gavin Hunt but Baxter completed their signings.

In his second stint as Chiefs coach, Baxter has come under criticism for his tactics as well as team selection.

Mayo has called for patience on the coach who was the last to lead Chiefs to silverware, the 2015 league title.

“They must just be patient with the coach and give him time to fix this team,” said Mayo.

“Otherwise it is not how you start in the league, it is how you finish. You can have a very bad start and end up finishing on top of the log, it is a marathon.”

After the current Fifa international break, Chiefs resume their league business by hosting Chippa United on October 16.

Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula believes it is high time Nick Mwendwa was removed from Football Kenya Federation.

Pressure is currently building against the federation and the Harambee Stars technical bench, after Thursday night's 5-0 defeat away to Mali in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

The administrator says "enough is enough" and the current office should be removed for the betterment of football in the country.

'They are now quiet'

"Currently, nobody is talking, everyone now is quiet [after voting Mwendwa] in," Shimanyula told Goal on Saturday.

"Some decisions were really shocking. Why did [Engin Firat] leave Ulinzi Stars goalkeeper James Saruni and opt for cartoons?"

The goalkeepers selected in the squad were Ian Otieno, Farouk Shikhalo and Brian Bwire.

"We are being taken back which is not good. If I don't speak, no one will; it is high time Mwendwa and his people were removed from office because they are not doing anything good for Kenyan football. He should leave because he is taking Kenya backward."

Will Kenya redeem their image?

On Sunday, Stars will host Mali at Nyayo Stadium in a Group E assignment, aiming at redeeming their image after the humiliating loss away. 

After arriving in the country on Friday, the Turkish tactician claimed full responsibility for the defeat, stating the players are not to blame.

"I take the opportunity to apologise to Kenyan fans [especially] for the first half," Firat told the media.

"If [fans] want to blame somebody then it should be me. But the [players] should be left to concentrate on [the Sunday match against the same opponent]. I need the [players] to have their minds free... for the match."

After Thursday's defeat, Kenya are third in Group E with two points. They shared the spoils with Uganda and Rwanda in 0-0 and 1-1 draws, respectively, in their initial matches. 

The West Africans registered a 1-0 win over Amavubi at home before settling for a stalemate away to the Cranes. The latter defeated Rwanda by a solitary goal to take their points tally in the pool to five, two fewer than leaders Mali. 

In the next round of fixtures on Sunday, Kenya will be hosting the Eagles, while Uganda will be entertaining Rwanda in another Group E fixture. 

Lionel Messi has revealed that he is "very happy" to be at Paris Saint-Germain, with the Argentina superstar professing he has no regrets over choosing the Ligue 1 outfit as his new home.

The veteran forward, one of the favourites to claim the 2021 Ballon d'Or, arrived at Parc des Princes in August having spent his entire career with Barcelona at club level.

It has been a somewhat mixed start to life in the French capital for the 34-year-old however - but reflecting on his first two months, the striker insists that it was still an easy call to head there.

What has been said?

"Barca issued the statement saying that I was not going to continue and from that point on I started to wonder how I was going to bounce back," Messi told France Football.

"I had to find a new club to continue my career. I was lucky to be contacted by several clubs including PSG. I am grateful to the club because from the start they treated me very well.

"They showed they really wanted me and took care of me. I thank them because I am very happy today. I received other offers, but ... we came to an agreement with PSG quite quickly.

"I was obviously won over by the project, the players it has, the quality of the group … all these elements made it easier to find an agreement.

"Knowing that I had friends in the locker room allowed me to tell myself that things were going to be simple for me to adjust. And I was not wrong, because it was very easy to integrate myself, especially because there are many players who speak Spanish like me."

Messi settling into new chapter

Having been brought to Camp Nou as a youngster, a move to Paris - particularly in the twilight of a career expected to be spent entirely with Barcelona - has presented challenges for the striker.

The need to resume full fitness following a busy summer with Argentina, and then rapid-fire international breaks across September and October, have disrupted any rhythms he might have built.

But a goalscoring appearance against Manchester City in the Champions League late last month showed that while he still may need more time to adapt, his talent remains undiminished.

The bigger picture

Messi is currently looking to drive Argentina on towards a berth at the Qatar 2022 World Cup this month, leading the Albiceleste in their CONMEBOL qualifiers.

Having finally triumphed in the Copa America during the club off-season, next year's tournament in the Middle East is likely the final chance he will have to nab the only major honour to elude him.

Before then however, he will return to PSG where he will look to aid them in their pursuit of a maiden Champions League triumph, one of the key factors in his arrival at Parc des Princes.

Further reading

Premier League side Newcastle United made the headlines this week as they saw a change in the club's ownership from Mike Ashley to Saudi-led group Public Investment fund (PIF), PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media. 

The Saudi Arabian firm-led consortium completed the takeover of the Magpies for a sum of £300m on October 7 from British billionaire Mike Ashley who was the club's majority owner since 2007. PIF will now own a 80 per cent stake at the club after the deal received a green signal from the Premier League. The other 20 per cent stake will be held by PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media.

This will be the first big money takeover of a club since Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke completed a full takeover of the Gunners in 2018. Kroenke was involved at Arsenal since 2007 had bought a 9.9 per cent stake at the club initially and then increased that share to 63% in 2011 before assuming full control in 2018.

The first major takeover of a Premier League club in the 21st century was that of Chelsea FC when Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the club for £140m in 2003. Abramovich not just cleared the club's debts but also pumped in enough money into the club which would help them win back-to-back Premier Leagues from 2004 to 2006. The Blues have won five Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues in the Abramovich era so far.

After Chelsea, the club that made the most noise with their takeover were Manchester City in 2008 by UAE's Abu Dhabi United Group headed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan a member of the Abu Dhabi Royal family. The Manchester City owners later formed a new company named City Football Group (CFG) in 2013 who are the current owners of the club.

Since the change in ownership in 2008, Manchester City's fortunes have changed overnight. During the CFG era, the club has won five Premier League titles.

Outside the Premier League, the most talked-about ownership change is that of Ligue side Paris Saint-Germain. The French club was bought by Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) group which is presided over by Qatari businessman Nasser Al Khelaifi. With QSI's arrival, PSG saw a massive influx of top footballers like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani and Thiago Silva over the years. PSG made the headlines in 2017 when the broke the transfer record by signing Neymar from FC Barcelona for a world record fee of €222 million.

But the biggest signing so far in the club's history was made in August 2021 when FC Barcelona legend Lionel Messi left the club to join the Ligue 1 side on a free transfer. In the same window, they also got hold of some of the top names like Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Georginio Wijnaldum and Achraf Hakimi.

The Indian football team have had a difficult start to their SAFF Championship 2021 campaign as they remain winless after the first two matches. The Blue Tigers find themselves at the fourth position in the table with just two points from an equal number of games. 

Maldives picked up a win against Bangladesh on Thursday night and they have leapfrogged India to third place. Meanwhile, we have a surprising leader at the top in Nepal, followed by a second-placed Bangladesh. Let us have a look at the table for further clarity. 

2021 SAFF Championship table:

What are the rules that determine the standings? 

  However, if two or more teams are equal on points, then their place shall be determined as follows:

        2. Which team has got more points in the head-to-head clashes. 

        3. Which team has a better goal difference in the head-to-head clashes.  

        4. Which team has scored more goals in the head-to-head clashes.  

        5. The overall goal difference. 

        6. The greater number of goals scored in league matches. 

        7.  Kicks from the penalty spot if only two teams are involved and they are both on the field of play. 

        8. Drawing of lots. 

How can India qualify for the finals?

Scenario1: India wins their next two matches - Even after drawing the first two games, Igor Stimac's men firmly have their fortunes in their own hands. If they win the next two games, they will finish with eight points and will qualify for the final regardless of other results. 

Scenario 2: India win against Nepal but draws againt Maldives - In this scenario, the situation might become a bit complicated. India will finish on six points from four matches. For India to qualify here, Nepal must not lose against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also must not lose against Maldives. This is how the table will look in this situation

Scenario 3: If India wins against Maldives and draws against Nepal - Even in this situation, India will finish on six points. But for the Blue Tigers to qualify, Bangladesh must not win against Nepal. Even if Maldives win against Sri Lanka, they will not qualify on head-to-head against India. 

Scenario 4: India draws against Nepal and Maldives - But it is going to be really difficult task for Sunil Chhetri and co. if they do not improve and are held by Nepal and Maldives as well. Then they will end up with four points. For India to have a chance of qualification in this case, Maldives and Bangladesh must lose against Sri Lanka and Nepal in their respective matches. If this happens, then four teams will be locked at four points. And the head-to-head equation will also come into play in this scenario. 

Scenario 5: India loses any of the next two matches - If India loses any of the remaining two matches, then they cannot qualify for the final. So in order to go through without complicating matters, the best way is to win the remaining two matches against Nepal and Maldives respectively and challenge for the eighth title. 

Tottenham have unveiled two virtual American football strips for the game Madden 22, ahead of the club hosting this weekend's NFL London Series 2021 opener.

The Premier League club will host a clash between the New York Jets and the Atlanta Falcons at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, ahead of a match between the Miami Dolphins and the Jacksonville Jaguars a week later.

Now, to commemorate the occasion, Spurs have revealed that their 2021-22 kit will be available in the popular video game franchise, as an optional strip for players in its The Yard mode.

What has been revealed?

Tottenham took to social media to reveal the outfit, posting a video on their channels in celebration of the announcement.

"New kits have entered Madden NFL's The Yard!" the club stated on Twitter, to accompany the 30-second clip for the reveal.

Avatars within the game were shown in both the traditional home kit of white and navy blue, plus their third-choice strip of the shade of purple known as "wild berry".

The bigger picture

Tottenham will continue to look to build on the bright start they enjoyed two years ago when they first welcomed the NFL to their new home.

With the London Series having been exclusively held at Wembley Stadium since its inception in 2007 through 2015, the sport further expanded to Twickenham in 2016.

But following the completion of their new ground, Tottenham took over co-hosting duties with the national stadium in 2019, hosting two games - and this year is the exclusive venue of the game's fixtures outside of North America.

Further reading

South Africa international Siyanda Xulu has warned his Bafana Bafana teammates against complacency ahead of their clash with Ethiopia on Saturday.

Bafana will travel to the Bahir Dar Stadium in Ethiopia where they will take on Walia Ibex as they look to make it two wins a row in the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualification Group G having secured a 1-0 win over a much-fancied Ghana side at home last month.

“We don’t want to be complacent about what happened against Ghana, because we know very well that we were able to perform the way we did because of the preparations we had and the respect we gave to Ghana,” Xulu told the media. 

“We are going to do the same thing against Ethiopia. They are going to earn our respect and we are going to prepare the way we always do whenever we play our tough encounters.

“That we have beaten Ghana and now we think that we have reached whatever it is that we want to reach, no. We are not even nearly there. We have played two matches but it does not mean anything, because there are still four matches to play.”

South Africa are currently placed at the top of the Group G standings, while Ethiopia are sitting on third place - level on points with second-placed Ghana with four matches left.

Xulu revealed that they have been able to analyze Ethiopia with the East African side having claimed a 1-0 win over Zimbabwe at home in their previous Group G game last month.

“The fact that Ethiopia is sharing the same [three] points as Ghana shows that it is never easy. We watched the Ethiopia match against Ghana before we played Zimbabwe and they were competitive," he continued. 

“They were getting into Ghana’s box, they were having chances and missing them, which shows they are a good team and they deserve respect.

“We are very aware of the competition we are going to be up against because we are playing them at home. That is why I was persistent in warning the guys against being complacent.”

Bafana lost 2-1 to Ethiopia in their last visit to the East African country in the 2014 World Cup qualifier in June 2013. 

Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac has challenged Crystal Palace striker Jordan Ayew to rise to the occasion in Saturday’s 2022 World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe.

The 30-year-old has struggled for goals for both club and country, bringing his selection under scrutiny.

At Palace, he has played more than 30 matches without a goal, a situation manager Patrick Vieira believes is a result of a lack of confidence and self-belief.

“This is something that is very common for goal scorers and strikers. Sometimes they have crisis, sometimes they find it difficult to score goal but we are here to support our player and it is important for him [Jordan] to have our support and to understand that this is a team play, a team game,” Rajevac said, through an interpreter, at a pre-match press conference on Friday.

“It is important to score goals, and sometimes you assist. We have a few other strikers in the team and we believe we can make this work and I hope that his goal drought will probably end tomorrow.

“Goal scoring has been an issue but we hope that can change tomorrow. We are going to try our best to improve our goal scoring potential.

“Of course we have two be aware there are two goals, football is a game in two directions. We have to be ready for everything in all areas and have a game plan to score goals.”

Rajevac took over as Ghana coach last month, replacing CK Akonnor after the Black Stars lost 1-0 away to South Africa.

Victory over Zimbabwe on Saturday will not only bring the Stars back to winning ways, but could also secure a spot back at the top of the table.

“I have my philosophy and the purpose of football is to try to win matches. Like I said before, the next match is the most important,” Rajevac said.

“Our next match against Zimbabwe will be different from the friendly match we played [against a club side], we can expect something at a higher level.

“This a competitive match and we are going to give our best to win. This is our goal and our target, so we will use all our capacity and try to win three points.

“We will do our best to make everybody happy and try to deliver a good performance and a positive result for all of us.”

Ghana are seeking a fourth qualification for the World Cup.

Ulsan Hyundai and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors are currently the front runners for the K League title, with both teams having played 32 games out of 38.

The two newly promoted teams, Suwon FC and Jeju United are also showing outstanding performances and are occupying the fourth and fifth spots respectively. However, FC Seoul, known as the traditional giant, has struggled, and are currently ranked ninth.

At present, there are 12 teams competing in the K League 1, which is less than the J League 1 (20) or Chinese Super League (16). Generally, most professional football leagues around the world hold about 30 to 40 matches per season, but in case of K League, with only 12 teams, it is not easy complete the same number of games.

How does the K League counter this situation?

The K League is using 'Split System' as the solution. This is benchmarked from the Scottish Premiership, which also consists of 12 teams. Initially, all 12 teams face three times each and play up to 33 rounds. Following which, the top six teams and the bottom six teams face each other to play for five more games. In this way, a total 38 rounds of matches are completed.

The first 33 rounds are called the 'Regular Stage', and the last five rounds are called the 'Final Stage'. All records obtained from the regular stage, including points, wins and losses, will be inherited to the final stage. However,, the points earned in the finals will not allow the lower-ranked team to be promoted to the top-ranked team.

What it means for the teams in the final stage

The final stage is not only to ensure the number of matches, but also to provide fans with a better watching experience. When the season is heading towards the end, there is less tension in the match between teams with the finalised rank. Therefore, the system minimises such meaningless games.

Instead, the final stage is filled up with more dramatic and important games, between the top-ranking teams to fight for the league title and for a spot in the AFC Champions League, and a battle to avoid relegation for the bottom-ranking teams.

At this moment, there is only one game left for the regular stage and there are two final stage tickets left to enter the championship group. Jeju United, Suwon Bluewings and Pohang Steelers are fighting to break into the top six positions.

Islam Slimani has become Algeria's all-time top scorer with 38 goals after scoring a brace in their 6-1 thrashing of Niger in a Fifa 2022 World Cup qualifying fixture. 

Slimani overtook Abdelhafid Tasfaout who held the record previously with 36 goals, after replacing Baghdad Bounedjah in the 67th minute and he went on to score two late goals. 

Manchester City forward Riyad Mahrez put Djamel Belmadi's men in front with his well taken free-kick in the 27th minute and Sofiane Feghouli doubled the lead, two minutes into the second-half. 

Niger responded with Daniel Sosah's 50th-minute goal that halved the deficit, however, it was not enough to inspire their comeback as Mahrez hit the target again on the hour-mark with his strike from the penalty spot. 

The game was put beyond Jean Cavalli's side after Zakaryia Souleymane scored an own goal in the 70th minute. 

Slimani wrapped up the party for the hosts at the Stade Mustapha Tchaker with goals in the 76th and and 88th minutes. 

Friday's brace increased the 33-year-old's tally to six goals in the World Cup qualifiers after he scored four goals in their 8-0 triumph over Djibouti in September. 

Although they are level on seven points with Burkina Faso who beat Djibouti 4-0 on Friday, Algeria remain at the top of Group A with a higher goal difference (+13). 

They visit Niamey for the return fixture on Monday while Burkina Faso will wait in Marrakech to host Djibouti because both countries have no stadiums approved for the World Cup qualifiers.

Thanks to a second-half goal from Stuttgart forward Omar Marmoush, Egypt edged North African neighbours Libya by 1-0 in another World Cup qualifying fixture. 

Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah was in action from start to finish for the Pharaohs as he continues to wait for his first goal in the qualifiers. 

Egypt lead the standings in Group F with seven points after three matches while Libya are second with six points. 

In the second group match, Angola grabbed their first win after a stunning 3-1 victory over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Gabon. 

The Arsenal captain has played every minute of the Panthers' games in the qualifiers but unfortunately, his contributions have not resulted in a goal for him. 

Gabon sit at the bottom of Group F with just a point after three games, and they will be aiming to boost their World Cup chances on Monday when they host Angola for the second leg.

Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois doesn't understand why his country will face Italy in the UEFA Nations League third-place game, calling the match "pointless."

Courtois saw his side fall to France 3-2 on Thursday in the semi-final, with Italy losing to Spain in their last-four match.

The Real Madrid shot-stopper has questioned the necessity of his country's next match, which is set for Sunday at the Allianz Stadium in Turin.

What was said?

“Saturday’s match against Italy is pointless,” Courtois told reporters after his side's defeat to France.

“Being third in the Nations League is pointless. I don’t know why we have to play that match. I'll take it as a friendly match."

What's next for Belgium?

Roberto Martinez's side will take on the Italians on Sunday ahead of the final later in the day between Spain and France.

The international break will conclude for Belgium after the third-place match, with the country set to reconvene in November for World Cup qualifiers. 

Courtois and his team-mates will face Estonia and Wales as they look to solidify their spot atop Group E of qualifying.

Further reading

Barcelona have long been associated with their signature blue-and-red striped kits, the colours they have donned while lifting major trophies throughout their illustrious history.

It's been worn by legendary figures like Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry, but what is the reason the Blaugrana play in these colours?

Goal takes a look.

Why do Barcelona wear red and blue kits?

Barcelona have been wearing red and blue since their formation, and have stuck with their trademark colour palette in the many years since.

The club's nickname of "Blaugrana" stems from their dual colourway; in Catalan, "blau" means blue and "grana" means garnet.

The side's home kit always features the iconic red and blue colours exclusively, with their jerseys in red and blue stripes and their shorts donning a solid blue.

There are several rumours and theories about how Barcelona chose the red and blue colours specifically. According to one tale, the son of the first president – Arthur Witty – stated that it was his father's idea that the colours of Barcelona match the Merchant Taylor School team (their family is British).

Another possibility, put forth by the author Toni Strubell, is that the colours are inspired from Robespierre's First Republic. 

In Catalonia, however, the popular belief is that the colours were selected by club founder Joan Gamper as they are the same colours as his home team Basel.

Why do Barcelona have the England flag in their crest?

What's now recognised  as the English flag - a red cross over a white background - is actually St George's cross.

St George is a fabled heroic military saint and a crusader, with his cross becoming the national flag of England since the early modern period.

He is known as the patron saint for both England and also Catalonia, known as Sant Jordi to Catalans.

The flag of Barcelona itself incorporates St George's cross, the red and yellow stripes of the Senyera and the symbol of the Crown of Aragorn.

Barcelona's crest, in turn, consists of St George's cross in the upper-left corner, the Catalan flag next to it, and the team colours (blue and red) underneath it.

Bayern Munich striker Eric Choupo-Moting scored a brace as Cameroon defeated Mozambique 3-1 in a 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying match on Friday.

Choupo-Moting found the target in each half of the encounter before Lyon star Karl Toko Ekambi brought his goalscoring form from the Ligue 1 to the Indomitable Lions' camp to seal their victory in the 63rd minute. 

Following their 2-1 loss to Ivory Coast in September, Cameroon bounced back in style with the Bayern Star breaking the deadlock at the Stade Omnisports in the 28th minute.

The goal separated both teams at the break and six minutes after the restart, Choupo-Moting made it 2-0 for the hosts.

The lead was later extended by Toko Ekambi, however, goalkeeper Devis Epassy Mboka could not keep a clean sheet as Mozambique pulled a goal back through Sporting Lisbon midfielder Geny in the 80th minute.

With two minutes left on the clock, the visitors were reduced to 10 men as second-half substitute Danilo was given a straight red card.

The victory gave Cameroon six points after three matches in Group D while Mozambique suffered their second straight loss and they picked up just a point so far.

In South Africa, Ivory Coast put in a commanding display to defeat hosts Malawi 3-0 in the other group fixture.

Max Gradel opened the scoring in the 35th minute and two goals from PSV midfielder Ibrahim Sangare and Sassuolo's Jeremie Boga wrapped up their unbeaten streak in Group D.

The Elephants remain at the summit of the group with seven points from three outings while Malawi are Thies in the table with three points.

Patrice Beaumelle's men will host Malawi for the return fixture on Monday while Mozambique are scheduled to face Cameroon in Morocco the same day.

Ghana skipper Andre Ayew is delighted by the return of Arsenal star Thomas Partey and Ajax sensation Mohammed Kudus for international duty ahead of Saturday’s clash with Zimbabwe in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

The two players are back in the Black Stars squad after missing September’s games against Ethiopia and South Africa due to injury.

Ghana are set to host Zimbabwe in a Group G matchday three fixture in Cape Coast on Saturday.

“It is very important to have a full squad back in the squad,” Ayew said at the pre-match press conference on Friday.

“They [Partey and Kudus] are talented players, so we know what they bring to the team. And for me, that they are back and especially that they are fit from injury is important.

“For them to be back, I am very happy and I hope that all the injured ones like [Mubarak] Wakaso will also be back. But having these two back is very important and we hope that they will feel good and be injury-free.”

Ghana are seeking a return to winning ways after losing 1-0 away to South Africa in their last match.

Three days before the disappointment in Johannesburg, the Black Stars pipped Ethiopia 1-0 on matchday one.

“Everything is going on well. We have been training for a while now in these few days,” Ayew remarked.

“We know this is an important game, so we are just calmly getting ready, the squad is ready, the players are ready to give everything to get the three points on Saturday.”

Ghana’s current set-up is filled with a host of exciting youngsters including Kudus, Stade Rennes sensation Kamaldeen Sulemana and Liverpool-linked Issahaku Fatawu.

“I was on the shoes of these young boys coming up [eleven years ago]," Ayew continued.

“Coach [Rajevac] was here then [during a first spell] and I learnt a lot from him, especially that you have to take your game to another level, so I believe these young boys here, if they do what they have to do and they do the job right, they will have the opportunity to show what they can do to the whole wide world.

“So I am just encouraging them to continue working hard and help us win matches.”

Ghana are currently second on the table in Group G, one point below South Africa.

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski are among the nominees on the 30-man 2021 Ballon d’Or longlist to have been released by France Football.

Other superstar performers to get the nod include Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema and Romelu Lukaku.

A Golden Ball heading in the direction of any of those mentioned above would come as no surprise, but the likes of Euro 2020 winner Jorginho and his Chelsea team-mate N’Golo Kante also have their sights set on a shock win.

Who is in contention for the 2021 Ballon d’Or?

Cesar Azpilicueta

Nicolo Barella

Karim Benzema

Leonardo Bonucci

Giorgio Chiellini

Kevin De Bruyne

Ruben Dias 

Gianluigi Donnarumma

Bruno Fernandes

Phil Foden

Erling Haaland

Jorginho

Harry Kane

N'Golo Kante

Simon Kjaer

Robert Lewandowski

Romelu Lukaku

Riyad Mahrez

Lautaro Martinez

Kylian Mbappe

Lionel Messi

Luka Modric

Gerard Moreno

Mason Mount

Neymar

Pedri

Cristiano Ronaldo

Mohamed Salah

Raheem Sterling 

Luis Suarez

When will the 2021 winner be revealed?

Now that a 30-man list of top performers from the last 12 months has been compiled, the voting process can begin.

A selection of international journalists, national team coaches and captains will be polled to determine the winner, with each voter being asked to pick out their top five.

Once that process has been completed, the prestigious prize will be handed out at a glitzy ceremony in Paris on November 29.

Past winners

With France Football being forced to take a coronavirus-enforced break from Ballon d’Or duty in 2020, the current holders of the men’s and women’s gongs have reigned for two years.

Argentine superstar Messi was the last man to land the male award back in 2019, with the iconic South American claiming top prize for a record-breaking sixth time.

Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski missed out on succeeding the now Paris Saint-Germain forward despite enjoying a remarkable run in front of goal last year – with the prolific Pole having to make do with a FIFA Best award.

Messi and his eternal rival Ronaldo have shared 11 of the last 12 Ballons d’Or between them, with Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric the only man to have broken their duopoly in 2018.

Among the other notable names to have taken first prize in the past are Kaka, Fabio Cannavaro, Ronaldinho, Michael Owen, Luis Figo, Zineidine Zidane, Ronaldo, George Weah, Marco van Basten, Roberto Baggio, Michel Platini, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff, Gerd Muller, George Best, Bobby Charlton, Lev Yashin, Alfredo Di Stefano and Stanley Matthews.

The current holder of the women’s award is USWNT star Megan Rapinoe, with England’s Lucy Bronze finishing as runner-up in 2019.

The inaugural winner of the female Golden Ball back in 2018 was Norwegian star Ada Hegerberg, who has just returned to action with Lyon after 21 months stuck on the sidelines through injury.

Who is in contention for the 2021 Ballon d’Or Feminin?

France Football also released 20 nominees for the women's award, with superstars like Sam Kerr, Pernille Harder, and Vivianne Miedema making the list.

Rapinoe was not nominated this time around, though her international team-mate Sam Mewis did make the list as the only American nominee.

Alexia Putellas, who won this year's UEFA Women's Player of the Year award is on the list, as well as three major contributors for Canada's Olympic gold medal winners: Jessie Fleming, Ashley Lawrence and Christine Sinclair.

Full list

Alexia Putellas

Magdalena Eriksson

Marie-Antoinette Katoto

Sam Kerr 

Stina Blackstenius

Wendie Renard

Samantha Mewis

Pernille Harder

Vivianne Miedema

Sandra Panos

Lieke Martens

Jessie Fleming

Irene Paredes

Ashley Lawrence

Christine Sinclair

Ellen White 

Christiane Endler

Jennifer Hermoso

Fran Kirby

Kadidiatou Diani

Other awards

France Football announced 10-man shortlists for two further awards: the Kopa Trophy, given to the best performing player under the age of 21, and the Yashin Trophy, given to the best goalkeeper.

Kopa Trophy shortlist: Mason Greenwood, Bukayo Saka, Pedri, Jeremy Doku, Ryan Gravenberch, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Jude Bellingham, Giovanni Reyna, Nuno Mendes

Yashin Trophy shortlist: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Ederson, Kasper Schmeichel, Edouard Mendy, Keylor Navas, Emiliano Martínez, Manuel Neuer, Jan Oblak, Samir Handanovic

Further reading

Former Harambee Stars striker Boniface Ambani has challenged the Football Kenya Federation to reconsider hiring Adel Amrouche to help the rebuilding of the national side.

The pressure is currently piling up against Federation head Nick Mwendwa and the Kenya technical bench after poor showings and inconsistencies in recent international assignments. 

The latest came on Thursday night in Agadir, Morocco, where the East Africans fell 5-0 to the Eagles in Group E of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

As a result, Kenya dropped to the third position in the pool with two points from three matches. Mali are top with seven while Uganda come in second with five. Rwanda are at the bottom with a point.

'Eat humble pie and bring back Amrouche'

Amrouche and the current office had some conflicts regarding the former's compensation after illegal dismissal. Fifa, eventually, ruled that the Algerian should be paid, failure to do so would leave Kenya locked out of international competitions.

The former AFC Leopards attacker believes that, for the betterment of Kenyan football, all parties involved should work together.

"It is all about the national team, right now I am not looking at these qualifiers because we are as good as out," Ambani told Goal on Friday.

"The Federation should eat humble pie and bring back Amrouche. He was professional and his call-ups to the national team were not controversial. Coming to his job, we all know he was good, and can be considered if all parties decide to work together.

"Not necessarily Amrouche, but anyone coming in should be given about two or three years to prepare the team."

There should be transparency in appointments

Ambani further challenged those in administration to have transparency when appointing national team coaches, and avoid shortcuts.

"I have nothing against [Engin] Firat who was recently appointed, but what were the criteria used? We want to see coaches being shortlisted and those deserving getting a chance," he added.

"For example, what can Firat achieve in two months? This is a national team and long-term solutions are needed. Not quick fixes."