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Red Bull Salzburg starlet Karim Adeyemi has been backed to have a "great international career" with Germany as he continues his development at the Austrian champions.

The 19-year-old forward broke into the Salzburg first team in the closing weeks of the 2019-20 campaign, and has gone onto make regular appearances for Jesse Marsch's side this term.

His return of four goals and six assists in 2020-21 is strong for a player who has started just seven matches in all competitions, and it is expected that over the next 12 months he will continue to improve on those numbers in the final third.

What was said?

Speaking to Goal after Adeyemi was named on the 2021 NXGN list of the world's top footballing wonderkids, Salzburg sporting director Christoph Freund said: "Karim has great potential and exceptional weapons, with his speed and scoring ability.

"If he continues to really step on the gas and is spared injuries, I believe he can have a really great international career.

"The next step, however, is for him to really take off with us in Salzburg in the coming months."

Karim Adeyemi: The story so far

Adeyemi's talent was first noticed by Bayern Munich, but he was released by the German giants before he was even a teenager under a cloud of disagreements and issues with his attitude.

He was then forced rebuild his reputation and continue his education at lower-league outfit SpVgg Unterhaching.

It was there where some of Europe's biggest clubs again began to take notice, but despite interest from Chelsea and Liverpool, he instead opted for Salzburg, joining the Red Bull Arena outfit as a 16-year-old in 2018.

He spent his first 18 months at the club playing in th youth teams and for the club's reserve side, FC Liefering, who play in the second tier of Austrian football, before finally making the step up to the first-team ranks.

"We followed Karim very closely in the junior teams of Unterhaching and the German junior national teams," said Freund. "He is a type of player whose qualities fit our style of football perfectly.

"He is a difference-making player who, with his extreme speed, was classified by our scouting department as a perfect Red Bull Salzburg player, which has been confirmed.

"Karim has developed very positively, especially as a personality, both on and off the pitch. He has become a professional and, despite his young age, already has a very good standing within the team.

"A lot has also happened with Karim in terms of football and he is on a very good path overall."

Adeyemi's record-breaking exploits

Adeyemi has already started breaking records at Salzburg having this season become the club's youngest-ever goalscorer in the Champions League.

At the age of 18 years and 318 days, he found the net with a fine individual strike against Lokomotiv Moscow in December.

"He used his special quality, namely his speed and his carefree nature, to score his first goal in the Champions League, Freund recalled.

"You could really see the sparkle in his eyes all evening. I don't think he was able to sleep much the night after the game!"

Further reading

Nigeria Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare has urged the Super Eagles not to underestimate the Republic of Benin on Saturday.

The Squirrels will take on the Super Eagles in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game at Stade Charles de Gaulle, Porto Novo.

Nigeria lead the Group L table with eight points from four games and victory over the hosts will seal their place at the continental finals.

Dare, who lamented the disappointing performances of the Super Eagles against Sierra Leone in November, assured the three-time African champions of support and encouraged them to aim for a win in the encounter.

“Nigerians are solidly behind you as you take on the Squirrels of Benin Republic in a Nations Cup qualifier,” Dare said in a statement.

"The match is important,  hence you must put in your best to ensure victory.  You started the series well, so you have a duty to finish well and pick a ticket for the Nations Cup.

"No match comes easy, there are no minnows, so don't underrate your opponents because football is unpredictable.

"I urge you to be inspired by the Nigerian spirit of excellence by soaring like the great Eagles you are."

Meanwhile, Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho has promised to produce his very best to ensure the Super Eagles secure victory against Benin.

"It is not going to be easy but I'm not promising anything but I strongly believe that we are going to come out victorious in those games,” Iheanacho told Channel TV.  

“Me personally I am going to do my best to make sure that we win. so we are all ready, we are working really hard to make sure that we win the games.

The three-time African champions last failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017 and also missed the previous edition in 2015.

After the Benin game, Nigeria will take on Lesotho in their final qualifying game at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on Tuesday.

The Super Eagles finished third at the last edition of the continental tournament in Egypt, behind winners Algeria and Senegal.

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe says he was criticised for not scoring enough goals during his time as a youth player.

The 22-year-old is the top scorer in Ligue 1 this season with 20 goals from 25 matches, while he is joint-second in the Champions League chart with six in seven appearances.

But the France international admits he has not always been so prolific and was accused of being a showman in his earlier days.

What has been said?

He told UEFA: "For a long time, in youth teams, people said I didn't score enough and showed off too much. In football nowadays, you have to score. And to score, you have to practice how to do it. You have to work on it in training.

"When you're struggling, no one else can pick you up. You have to be strong mentally and do everything to understand that you can move mountains. When I go onto the pitch, I say to myself that I'm going to give my all to be the best I can possibly be."

Mbappe wants another World Cup trophy

Mbappe has already been crowned a world champion with his national team.

The attacker netted four times in the 2018 World Cup as Les Bleus lifted the title for the second time.

Didier Deschamps' men began their campaign to defend their crown this week when they started their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 1-1 draw against Ukraine.

They are favourites to win the group, which also includes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland and Kazakhstan, but Mbappe hopes to go on to lift the trophy once more.

He said: "We want to win a second one. The World Cup is a goal, something you work towards for a long time and that you win when you have worked your way to the top.

"I was fortunate enough to win it at 19, that's something that is going to help me progress in my career. There will be other challenges, and my ambition is to win a second one."

Further reading

Sir Alex Ferguson says he looked for determination in instinct when it came to recruiting players for Manchester United.

The Scottish manager spent 27 years in charge of the Old Trafford side after spells at East Stirlingshire, St Mirren, Aberdeen and St Johnstone.

He is regarded as one of the finest coaches in football history and he admits part of his success is down to his eye for players who shared his mentality.

What has been said?

He told the club's website: “I think that it could be divided into maybe a few parts. Some players I had were absolute natural footballers, with natural talent. But there were other players who shared my determination, who maybe weren’t the best players but they made themselves the best players, because they had something inside them too. 

"I go back to one of my first defeats as a manager, at 32 years of age. I didn’t expect it. I went into the game eyes wide open, that this was going to be easy. We lost 5-2 to Albion Rovers. I was the manager of East Stirling, the players were on £5 a week, or something like that. I came home and I said ‘if I don’t get Alec Ferguson in my team, I’m not going to succeed’. So I made sure that my players had a mental toughness about them, from that moment on.”

He added: “I believe in instinct. I had a good instinct about players and I had a good instinct about watching players who I maybe wanted to buy. I knew that, looking at certain players, I could see traits that told me they were Manchester United players, or Aberdeen players, or St Mirren players. I could see that in certain players I watched.

"Instinct was really important. Also on instinct, sometimes it’s picking the team. We’re playing certain teams and I’d have an instinct: ‘right, I’m not going to play certain players. I’ll play other players.’ I wouldn’t say it’s intuition, I’d say it’s instinct.”

Ferguson's success at Man Utd

United won 13 Premier League titles and lifted the Champions League crown on two occasions under Ferguson.

They also won the FA Cup five times, four League Cups and the Club World Cup once.

United's signings under Ferguson

Ferguson's near-three decades in charge of the Red Devils saw many players come and go at Old Trafford.

Among some of their most notable signings were the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona, Wayne Rooney, Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Edwin van der Sar.

Further reading

John Noble claims he is in the Nigeria team to give his best, insisting he is not daunted by the presence of Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho in the Super Eagles squad.

The gifted Enyimba goalkeeper will challenge the duo for a place in Gernot Rohr’s starting XI when the Super Eagles take on Benin Republic in Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Porto-Novo.

When quizzed if he feels threatened knowing he must be at his best to displace the Europe-based shot-stoppers, the 27-year-old laughed off that suggestion claiming he has his own ‘quality’.

“I am not intimidated because I know my quality and I am in the Super Eagles to give my best and also to deliver for the country,” he told Goal.

“If I am given the chance to play against Benin Republic, I will surely put in my best and Nigerians should also expect nothing short of victory.

“Getting a call-up itself means a lot to me because it is the dream of every Nigerian player to feature for the Super Eagles. That was why I was extremely happy when I got the invitation.”

If the poll on Goal Twitter handle is anything to go by, Sparta Rotterdam’s Okoye is preferred in goal against the Squirrels, having claimed the higher percentage of votes cast.

Although he has been in breathtaking form for Fatai Osho’s People’s Elephant – a reason why veteran Theophilus Afelokhai left the Aba giants – he was spotted by national team selectors during the two-time African kings’ Caf Confederation Cup encounter with Rivers United.

In the second leg play-off round at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Nobel saved two penalties and scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot after aggregate scores stood at 1-1.

“What led to my call-up was my performance against Rivers United in the Caf Confederation Cup. I picked up the challenge and delivered for my team to qualify us for the group stage,” he recalled.

Victory for the three-time African champions or a draw at least against Michel Dussuyer’s men at the Stade Charles de Gaulle will hand them a place at the 2022 Afcon.

Yanga SC have come out to confirm three coaches have made the final cut as they continue to search for a replacement for Cedric Kaze.

The Burundian tactician was fired by the Jangwani giants on March 7 after the team posted a 1-1 draw against Polisi Tanzania and the draw came three days after they had suffered their first defeat of the season 2-1 against Coastal Union.

Since the exit of Kaze, Yanga moved to re-appoint Juma Mwambusi on an interim basis as they seek a permanent solution and the club through Vice Chairman of the Registration Committee Hersi Said has confirmed they are in the final stages of naming the new coach as the list has now been reduced to three contestants.

“For now, we want to finalise the whole issue so the new coach can come early to start assessing the team in terms of where improvements are needed prior to the next season,” Hersi said as quoted by Daily News.

“Mwambusi will continue to be with the team until the end of the campaign that is why we want the incoming coach to arrive as fast as possible to begin analysing the whole squad and we now have three shortlisted for the job.”

Goal understands the club has already finalized plans to hire the services of former Harambee Stars coach Sebastien Migne.

In a recent interview, Migne told Goal he will not hesitate to take up the vacant coaching role at the Mainland Premier League giants and also confirmed Yanga had contacted him over the vacant role.

When asked about the Yanga role, Migne told Goal: “Nothing new at the moment, just some contact from other different clubs.”

On whether he is willing to take up the coaching role at Yanga, Migne explained: “Depends on different parameters but why not? You know my love for East Africa.”

Pressed further to reveal the last time Yanga made contact, Migne said: “I guess it is your job to have this kind of information, not mine, just ask Yanga but in the meantime, just wait and see what happens.”

Migne was Harambee Stars coach when they qualified for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, and although the team did not do well in the competition held in Egypt, the coach helped the country make an appearance at the continental podium for the first time since 2004 in Tunisia.

Brest forward Steve Mounie believes the Republic of Benin are battle-ready for their meeting with the Nigeria national team while singling out the Super Eagles' strong attack.

The Squirrels will take on the Super Eagles in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game at Stade Charles de Gaulle, Porto Novo on Saturday.

Benin are second in Group L with seven points behind leaders Nigeria and a win over their West African neighbours will seal their place at the continental showpiece.

Mounie revealed the Squirrels are well-prepared for the encounter and analysed how his side can qualify for the competition.

“We all feel very good, very happy to have been able to travel, to come to the country to help the nation to qualify for this Afcon 2022,” Mounie told bj foot.

“We trained well this week and we are ready for this match. The ideal scenario would be for Lesotho and Sierra Leone to play a draw. And that we will only have to play a draw or a victory against Nigeria to qualify. ”

The Brest attacker also rued the absence of their fans from the stadium due to the Covid -19 rules but he is confident of their support for the match.

“For us, it is not pleasurable to play without the fans. We know that they are always behind us and that they support us strongly during our home matches,” he continued.

“They are really the 12th man, not having them with us, we'll miss that for sure. We hope that they will support us in front of their TV, pray for us and that we will all qualify together.

Benin coach Michel Dussuyer hopes his side can upset the three-time African champions, although he is wary of the Super Eagles attack.

"It's a great meeting. We are also looking forward to it. It's a great game too. We know what awaits us," Dussuyer said.

"This Nigerian team is a great African team, therefore with individuals, especially in the offensive sector.

"We know that danger can come at any time. It's up to us to be ready to play a great match as we know what to do when we meet big teams."

After their meeting with the Super Eagles, the Squirrels will then square off against Sierra Leone in their last qualifying game on Tuesday.

Uganda full-back Joseph Ochaya has cited their quality training sessions ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Malawi.

The Cranes will travel south for March 29's do-or-die encounter against The Flames and Ochaya believes they have had enough recovery training before the qualifier.

"Training in camp is not bad. Everyone is concentrated because we need only a win away from home, not a draw," the TP Mazembe star said as was quoted by Sports Nation.

"The reason as to why we are training is to get a win away from home. With the training, we are having, it has made us come back quickly because we know the task ahead of us so the training is for a must-win."

Uganda failed to confirm their qualification early on home soil after they were held to a goalless draw against Burkina Faso. In that encounter, Ochaya would have broken the deadlock but he was denied by goalkeeper Herve Koffi from close range.

The draw was enough for the Stallions to qualify to leave the Cranes in a tight position in the last game of the group.

"We are football players and we have been playing wherever we have been," he said.

"When we get a draw it will not be bad but the most important thing is a win. That is why we are training so hard to fight for our luck in the away game."

Ochaya's teammate Taddeo Lwanga had also explained how ready they are for the tough Malawi battle.

"I feel well and I think other players are also generally well and we are getting better and better for Monday’s encounter against Malawi which is the decider," Lwanga said in an earlier interview.  

"We do not need any favours from anyone, so we need to do ourselves a favour and get results," Dennis Onyango, Uganda's captain said. "We need to play total football, not sitting back because it might cause more problems if you sit back but those are the tactics for the coaches."

As the Cranes will need a draw or a win to qualify, Malawi will need a straight victory to go second and join teams who have already booked their Cameroon tickets.

Yanga SC administrative and technical advisor Senzo Mazingisa has explained why they will sign a new coach mid-season.

Timu ya Wannachi were forced to search for a new coach after Cedric Kaze was sacked early in March after a 2-1 loss against Coastal Union. Former Harambee Stars head coach Sebastien Migne is understood to be close to joining the Mainland Premier League giants.

Initially, Herbert Velud, currently in charge of the Sudan national team, had been linked with the club but reports indicated negotiations collapsed due to high demands by the French coach.

"We are still in a position to win the league and even the FA Cup and that is why we need a new coach this season instead of waiting until when the next campaign will begin," Mazingisa told Mwanaspoti. "We know a new coach will bring the fresh air that we need.

"If the new coach will come at the beginning of the next season, he will not quickly understand what is needed of him unlike when he arrives now.

"We are in the last stages of getting the new coach and we hope that before we get back on the pitch, a new coach must be around already. We still got a huge chance to win the league despite the slippery road we have travelled recently. That was just a storm and it has passed."

Juma Mwambusi will be maintained as an assistant head coach and Mazingisa has explained why they need the Tanzanian even in the new dispensation.

"Mwambusi will maintain his place in order to help the incoming because he understands the team, its culture and mission," he added.
 
"Not that we do not trust Mwambusi, no we have always had trust in him but what we need is just to get him a helper who will help the club attain its objectives. 

"We understand that we might not succeed in the league without having a man of Mwambusi's knowledge and that is why we will retain him.

The South African also stated the arrival of a new coach will inject a new sense of freshness into the players and the fans.

"Every time the players see there is a new coach, they would always up their games in search of regular places and this will help increase the momentum of the competition," he concluded.

"We also have our fans who have given up and that should not be the case. We need to convince them that we are still in the battle and if they see a new coach they will get energy and come back to push the team."

Currently, the Tanzanian soccer competitions are suspended in order to honour the late President Pombe Magufuli.

Chelsea striker Armando Broja has revealed why he has opted for Albania over England at international level ahead of a meeting between the two sides in a 2022 World Cup qualifier on Sunday.

The 19-year-old, who is on loan with Vitesse in the Netherlands, featured for Edoardo Reja’s side on Thursday when they got off to a winning start in World Cup qualification with a 1-0 win against Andorra.

Although born in Slough, Broja explained his reasons for opting for the land where his parents were born instead.

What has Broja said?

"It is a big decision, of course, when you choose your country to play for," Broja told Goal. "I went for it because I have got Albanian blood in me, I am Albanian, my parents are Albanian so it was an easy decision.

"I thought I would love to make the people there proud and make my parents proud. I wanted to lift Albania up as a country to get us to the World Cup or Euros. That’s the biggest thing for them.

"If we got to the World Cup, it would be crazy and we would make history. We have never got there before so it would be something crazy as a country, you know.

"My parents are Albanian, I am Albanian and I have a lot of family in Albania. I visited there every year so it is really a big part of my life."

What has Broja achieved so far with Albania?

Broja was capped at youth level with Albania, for the Under-19s and U21s, scoring eight goals in eight games. Those strikes helped his Chelsea career along, pulling him out of a slump after he lost confidence moving up to the U18 side.

"In the first year of U18s, I was 17 and I wasn’t having the greatest season," he said. "I scored two goals all season so I was really down.

"I was even missing shots in training, so I didn’t play a lot. Then, I had a boost from my mum and dad that Albania called me to play with them in the summer.

"It was the U19s, so I thought it would be good to go there and get some confidence, in a different team with different players, to get my mind away from Chelsea where the season wasn’t the best. I went to Albania, played four games and I scored six goals so I felt good.

"I was scoring, playing well and Chelsea saw it. Before the start of the season, I played in Albania’s U21s against Wales in my debut. I came on at half-time and I scored within two minutes of coming on. I scored again 10 minutes later and I was feeling good and sharp and we were winning 2-0. I came off and we won.

"I felt good and I had a big confidence booster. I felt really good in pre-season with Chelsea and they saw what I achieved ahead of my second year of the youth team. I really hit the ground running and I made sure it was a good year for me.

"I went there and I scored two goals in each of my first two games and carried on scoring. It kickstarted and continued until I am here now. It is good I had that period going down to go back up. You learn a lot in that time that it is not always easy."

Broja became Chelsea's No.1 academy striker, earning his productive loan move to the Netherlands. The forward is attempting to help his side qualify for Europe and have a chance to win silverware with a KNVB Cup final place against Ajax to come.

"To be a full international at 19 is something many players have done but also a lot of others haven’t done," he added. "Yes, it is good because as a player from Chelsea, they also expect a lot from me in Albania.

"They expect my quality to help the team so it is good to be in these types of games and, at the end of this month, we are playing against England. So, in these games, I can really showcase my potential.

"So, it is another stepping stone in my career where I have gone and become a full international. It is something special to play for my country."

Further reading

Sporting C.P. defender Nuno Mendes has been backed to make a big-money move this summer having been dubbed the top talent in Portuguese football.

The 18-year-old only made his first-team bow in June, but he has enjoyed a rapid rise, which culminated in him making his international debut as a starter in Portugal's World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan on Wednesday.

Manchester United, Liverpool and Real Madrid have all been linked with the teenager, and it seems only a matter of time before he leaves the Primeira Liga leaders behind.

What was said?

Speaking to  Goal  after Mendes was named on the 2021 NXGN list of the world's top teenage footballers, former Portugal international Costinha said of his compatriot: "Nuno Mendes [is the top talent]. I don't think he will be here next season.

"If I was a scout for the big clubs in Europe, I would look at him. Eighteen-years-old, a left-back – and there aren't many left-backs in the world with that quality – then I would definitely go and pick him.

"He is strong physically and in his head. He has an excellent left foot and he has very good pace.

"Sometimes, I think he needs to learn more about defending, but he is only 18. He has so much time to improve.

"I don't think he is going to stay here for a long time."

Nuno Mendes: The story so far

Mendes joined Sporting's academy at the age of 10,  after the Lisbon outfit were forced to fight off interest from rivals Benfica and Porto in the precociously talented youngster.

Originally deployed as either a No.10 or wide forward, he was eventually moved to full-back, though his attacking instincts make him more suited to his current role as a wing-back.

He was called up to Ruben Amorim's squad following the coronavirus-enforced suspension of football last spring, and made his debut off the bench in the Leoes' second game back in the early summer.

The following week, he became the youngest player since Cristiano Ronaldo to start a match for Sporting, before becoming the club's third-youngest scorer, behind only Ronaldo and Ricardo Quaresma, in October.

With his displays having caught the eye of Europe's elite teams, Sporting have twice improved his contract in the last nine months, and the latest deal he signed in December included a €70 million (£60m/$82.5m) release clause.

Who are Portugal's other NXGN stars?

Mendes is one of four Portuguese players on the 2021 men's list, and one of three currently at Sporting.

The highest-placed of his compatriots is Fabio Silva, the striker who left Porto for Wolves in a club-record £35m ($47m) in September, who ranks at 17th.

Mendes places 23rd, while his Sporting team-mates, Eduardo Quaresma and Joelson Fernandes, come in 36th and 44th, respectively.

Centre-back Quaresma has been linked with Manchester United and Atletico Madrid in the past, while winger Joelson and fellow teenage forward at Sporting, Tiago Tomas, have both reportedly appeared on Arsenal's radar.

And Costinha has been keeping a keen eye on the talent coming through in the country in his role as a prominent pundit.

"Quaresma hasn't been getting as much time in the team as Goncalo Inacio, who is doing very, very well," the ex-Porto man said.

"I think the striker from Sporting, Tiago Tomas, is very good. He has pace, but he needs to improve some qualities as a striker in receiving the ball with his back to goal. These are small things with training that he can improve.

"Portugal will always have excellent young players. We maybe need to give them more space in the first team and be less afraid to put them in, even if we lose games.

"But, I repeat, the one I see who won't stay here next season is Nuno Mendes. He is a very good player."

Further reading

Vipers SC striker Milton Karisa has confirmed his readiness to return to action in the Ugandan Premier League for the champions after recovering from an injury setback.

The pacey forward had only managed one game for the Venoms – the 5-3 win against Busoga United at the start of the season in Njeru last December – but after the match, he was named in the Uganda Cranes squad for international matches and it is where he suffered a thigh injury in January.

Karisa has confirmed his readiness to return to action and help the Venoms defend their league title by stating he was feeling better and stronger than before after recovering from the setback.

“It’s been tough watching and supporting the team from the stands,” Karisa told the club’s official website. “It’s been weeks of both pain and self-belief for me but thank God the injury has gone. I can’t wait to play with my mates once again.

“A lot of things have happened since I got out and it has given me the opportunity to work on different parts of my game for example power among other things.

“Yes, I am now feeling better and stronger than before and I can’t wait to get back on the pitch to play for my team as soon as possible. I think this is the perfect time for me because I have missed so much already.”

The former BUL FC player is one of the most experienced players in the Venoms set up and his return will be timely in the team's quest to return to the top of the table and also retain the title.

Vipers coach Fred Kajoba has also acknowledged they missed the services of the player and he was confident his return will help the team.

“We had to play over 10 games without him something we did not expect. It was not easy for us. Karisa is a special player and has been working hard to get back,” Kajoba told the same portal.

“We have to continue supporting him and hope he will give the team more upon his return in the second round.”

Karisa’s return will boost and sharpen Vipers' already rich frontline that has Yunus Sentamu, Cesar Manzoki, Shaban Muhammad, Dan Sserunkuma, Richard Basangwa, and Najib Yiga who have all fared quite well.

Vipers will kick start the second round of the top-tier with a trip to Bombo where they will face UPDF FC on April 2, 2021.

Paint company Kansai Plascon and Fufa have entered into a two-year deal that will see the sponsorship of the Uganda Cup.

The leading paint company will release Ush132 million as part of its financial obligation to the domestic tournament. Uganda Cup will now operate on boosted ground as they are also enjoying a financial partnership with banking giant, Stanbic.

The Kansai Plascon partnership was made public on Friday in Kampala where the format of this years' edition was announced.

The managing director of Plascon paints Santosh Gumte explained why they joined Fufa to sponsor the tournament that produces Uganda's Caf Confederation Cup ambassador.

"I am very honoured to have come on board, we are always associated with sports, we have always wanted to associate with the Uganda Cup because of its rich history," Gunte said as was quoted by Sports Nation.

Fufa's third vice-president Florence Kiyingi challenged the new partner to invest even in women's football.

"We are excited to see that the Uganda Cup continues to grow, this is good news for the game," said Nakiwala. "I wish to encourage Plascon to explore more opportunities in some of our tournaments that they haven’t joined like women's football that is on a high rise."

The injection of the money by the new sponsor will see the prize money go up from Ush132 million to Ush166 million.

The competition did not proceed to its natural end the last time as it was cancelled in March then declared null and void later in May due to the challenges brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Fufa's competitions director Hajjat Nalule, the tournament will begin from the Round of 32 with only Premier League and Big League clubs taking part in it. Initially, lower league sides were included meaning the competition was always beginning at the Round of 64.

April 5 was revealed as the date when the competition will begin and its final tie will be held on July 24, 2021. The ties will be conducted in a home and away format at the venues that are yet to be confirmed.

Since the 2019/20 edition was not concluded, it means Proline FC, who were relegated at the end of that season, are still the reigning champions. 

Kampala Capital City Authority FC, after finishing second to Vipers SC in the Premier League, were picked as the 2020/21 Confederation Cup representatives but were eliminated by Rwanda's Rayon Sports in the second round.

Kasasiro Boys and Express FC are the sides that have won the tournament most with their tallies standing at 10. Sports Club Villa, the record Premier League champions, have won the domestic cup on nine occasions.

South Africa coach Molefi Ntseki says he was surprised Sudan had to play their penultimate Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sao Tome e Principe on Wednesday, a day before Bafana Bafana hosted Ghana.

The coach has questioned Caf’s scheduling of fixtures, saying he expected all Group C games to be played simultaneously.

A similar situation was witnessed in the reverse fixture when Sudan had an extra day of training after hosting Sao Tome ahead of their trip to South Africa.

“And the expectation was for the four teams to play on the same day‚ at the same time‚ but we were very surprised to be told that Sudan played their game on Wednesday. And we are still to face the same situation‚ like what happened in the first leg,” said Ntseki as per Sowetan Live.

“In the first leg they played on the Wednesday against Sao Tome‚ and flew into South Africa that night. We had to play Ghana in Ghana on Thursday‚ drive through the night to the airport‚ fly to South Africa and arrive in the evening on Friday‚ one training session [on the Saturday] to prepare and then play Sudan on the Sunday.

“So it’s a repeat. But being a repeat it has made us much stronger‚ because this is a situation that we can’t do anything about. And the team is looking forward to going to Sudan and doing everybody proud.”

Bafana Bafana are in Sudan for their final group game needing at least a draw to seal qualification for the Afcon finals to be hosted by Cameroon in January next year.

This is after Ntseki’s men were held 1-1 by Ghana on Thursday at home.

The Black Stars lead the Group C standings with 10 points, while South Africa are second with the same number of points and Sudan are placed third with a point less.

“They [Sudan] have got the points and currently we have South Africa at 10‚ Sudan at nine and Ghana at 10. So I think the group is still very much open. And Sudan playing at home will always fancy their chances of winning and qualifying‚” Ntseki said.

“But I think from our assessment and analysis of Sudan and the players who we have in camp we are capable of doing well and qualifying in Sudan. We are aware that Sudan won‚ and we have the clips of how they won the game.”

Group anchors Sao Tome have lost all their qualifying games and are in Ghana for their final match.

Kenya coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee is confident of returning with a win from their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Togo if the team plays as they did against Egypt.

Harambee Stars will conclude their Group G matches with the away match against the Sparrowhawks in Lome on Monday and it comes after they secured a 1-1 draw against Egypt at Kasarani Stadium on Thursday.

Despite picking a draw against the North African giants, it was not enough to give them a qualification berth to the Afcon finals to be staged in Cameroon, as the Pharaohs, instead, qualified alongside Comoros from the group.

But according to Mulee, Kenya picked a lot of positives from the clash against Egypt, as they came back from conceding in the second minute of the game to level matters and even dominated the second half but were later undone when they were reduced to 10 men following the straight red card shown to defender Johnstone Omurwa.

Mulee has now told Goal if his charges will replicate the same display against Togo away in Lome, then they will win the match and finish in a respectable position in the group.

“It is a game we don’t want to lose, at least we need to finish the group in a respectable position and with a respectable result,” Mulee told Goal on Saturday.

“We are going to Togo to try to win that game, it is a long time since Kenya won away from home, it is not going to be an easy match but judging from our display against Egypt, if we can just equal the same away then we believe we can finish third in the group.”

Mulee has further explained the display against Egypt has given his team a true picture of what to expect when they start their World Cup qualifying campaign.

“At least it gives us a picture of what to expect in the World Cup qualifying games that are coming up, we are in a group where we know we have Mali, Rwanda, and Uganda, it is not going to be an easy group,” Mulee continued.

“We know those are difficult opponents but looking at how we are rebuilding the team, there is a possibility that we can be able to sneak in and gain more confidence and I believe before we can start the qualifiers, we can have a quality friendly match to gauge and bring more confidence to the players.”

Mulee has also confirmed to Goal the team will miss the absence of midfielder Kenneth Muguna, who picked an injury against the Pharaohs and he has been replaced in the squad by Clyde Senaji of AFC Leopards.

“Well I think we will have a few changes to the starting XI because of several factors, Kenneth [Muguna] is out injured then we don’t have Johnstone [Omurwa] because he got a red card in the game against Egypt,” Mulee told Goal.

"So those are two obvious changes we are going to make into the team and see what happens in that game. We have also recalled Clyde [Senaji] of AFC Leopards to cover for Muguna, we cannot travel a man less hence the decision to have the player back in the squad for the Togo trip.”

Kenya will leave for Lome, Togo on Saturday and will have a feel of the field of play later in the day as they wrap up their final Group G match.

Kenya midfielder Kenneth Muguna has been ruled out of the final Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group match against Togo on Monday.

Harambee Stars will conclude their Group G fixtures with the away match in Lome but they have suffered a huge blow after the Gor Mahia midfielder, who was among the star players when they played against Egypt in the 1-1 draw on Thursday, has been ruled out after picking an injury in the clash at Kasarani Stadium.

Kenya coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee has confirmed to Goal Muguna will not travel for the match and has since been replaced by AFC Leopards' youngster Clyde Senaji while defender Johnstone Omurwa will also automatically miss out owing to the red card he picked against the Pharaohs.

“Well I think we will have a few changes to the starting XI because of several factors, Kenneth [Muguna] is out injured then we don’t have Johnstone [Omurwa] because he got a red card in the game against Egypt,” Mulee told Goal on Saturday.

"So those are two obvious changes we are going to make to the team and see what happens in that game. We have also recalled Clyde [Senaji] of AFC Leopards to cover for Muguna, we cannot travel a man less hence the decision to have the player back in the squad for the Togo trip.”

Kenya were also forced to do a change one day before they took on Egypt after Gor Mahia midfielder Clifton Miheso was drafted into the squad following an injury suffered by Erick Kapaito of Kariobangi Sharks.

Muguna will definitely be missed for Kenya as he partnered the midfield well with Lawrence Juma of Sofapaka as Kenya snatched a draw from the visiting Pharaohs.

The draw ended the Harambee Stars' slim chances of making it to a second straight Afcon finals, to be held in Cameroon, as a goal from Mohamed Magdy ensured the Pharaohs joined Comoros as the teams to qualify from Group G.

Abdallah Hassan scored the goal that ensured Egypt and Kenya drew again even though the Harambee Stars were reduced to 10 men after defender Johnstone Omurwa was red-carded in the 78th minute.

Kenya will leave for Lome, Togo on Saturday and will have a feel of the field of play later in the day as they wrap up their final Group G match.

QUICK FACTS

Country: United Arab Emirates

FIFA Ranking: 74

Nickname: The Whites (Al-Abyad)

Last match played: UAE 0-0 Iraq (12 January 2021)

Coach: Bert van Marwijk

TEAM PROFILE

Even before the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had a professional domestic structure, they had managed to make it to the FIFA World Cup, in 1990. They had lost all their games in the tournament but managed to score a goal against eventual champions West Germany.

It has been quite the journey since then for the team. They have qualified for each and every edition of the Asian Cup barring the 2000 edition. Their best finish was as runners-up in 1996, coincidentally the last time they hosted it. They lost out to Saudi Arabia in the final on penalties at the Al Nahyan Stadium. Regionally, UAE have won the Gulf Cup only twice - 2007 and 2013.

Former coach Alberto Zaccheroni last led their charge in the 2019 Asian Cup, as UAE topped Group A which also included India before losing 4-0 to Qatar in the semi-finals before Bert van Marwijk took over. 

RECENT PERFORMANCES

Ever since Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk's appointment in March 2019, Al-Abyad started off with a few friendlies against teams like Saudi Arabia (2-1 win), Syria (0-0), Dominican Republic (4-0 win) and Sri Lanka (5-1 win), before undertaking the assignment in the joint qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup. UAE kicked off the World Cup qualifiers on a promising note, with wins over Malaysia (2-1) and Indonesia (5-0) but were caught on the wrong side of 2-1 and 1-0 results against Thailand and Vietnam, respectively. Marwijk's side are set to host Malaysia and Thailand in the fifth and sixth rounds on June 3 and 7 respectively, before a match against Indonesia (June 11) followed by an encounter against Vietnam (June 15) to conclude their qualification matches. The last piece of competitive action for UAE was in the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup where they couldn't make it past the group stage, suffering defeats at the hands of Iraq (2-0) and Qatar (4-2) after a 3-0 win over Yemen. Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, UAE have played a couple of friendles. They were in action against Uzbekistan (2-1 loss), Tajikistan (3-2 win) and Bahrain (3-1 loss), and last played out a goalless draw in a friendly against Iraq in January, 2021. 

LESSONS FROM THE PAST

The highest margin of victory for UAE remains a 5-0 thrashing in a friendly in 2011 and for India a 2-0 win in the 1981 Merdeka Tournament that was held in Malaysia.
 

TEAM COMBINATION

The UAE national team, under head coach Bert van Marwijk, have been training at the sub-stadium of Al Wasl Club since Tuesday, March 23rd.

Having played out a goalless draw in a friendly against Iraq in January, Van Marwijk  had earlier announced  a 29-member squad for the friendly tie against India, the Dutch coach began the camp with 26 players.

Key midfielders Abdullah Al-Naqbi and Caio Canedo are ruled out with injuries while goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani has been dropped from the previous squad.
 

PLAYER TO LOOK OUT FOR

Ali Mabkhout:  He scored in the 2-0 win over India in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup with midfielder Khalfan Mubarak bagging the other. He added three more goals against Thailand, Kyrgyz Republic and Australia in the competition. The top scorer in the 2015 Asian Cup with six goals, Ali Mabkhout has netted six times in the ongoing qualifiers including a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Indonesia. He is UAE's all-time top goalscorer with 60 international goals.
 

FULL SQUAD

When India took the field against Oman after 492 days without international football, it was not only about the result but also about improving the performance of the players.

Igor Stimac's new-look India squad has plenty of fresh faces and the coach handed out debuted to 10 players in the first of two international friendlies in Dubai ahead of their World Cup-Asian Cup qualifiers in June later this year, 

Suresh Wangjam (Bengaluru), Akash Mishra (Hyderabad), Bipin Singh (Mumbai City), Jeakson Singh (Kerala Blasters), Ashutosh Mehta (NorthEast United), Mohammed Yasir (Hyderabad), Ishan Pandita (FC Goa), Chinglensana (Hyderabad), Lalengmawia (NorthEast United) and Mashoor Shereef (NorthEast United were the new faces introduced by Stimac. 

The 10 new faces were given the biggest stage till now in their career to show their skillset to the world. The last time so many players made their debut for the India national team was more than five years ago, on March 12, 2015. 

The then-head coach Stephen Constantine handed seven players their national team debut on that day against Nepal. In a game that ended 2-0 in favour of the Blue Tigers, Pritam Kotal, Saumik Dey, Sandesh Jhingan, Cavin Lobo, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Jackichand Singh and Halicharan Narzary took the field for India for the first time in their life. 

Out of those seven players, four players - Kotal, Jhingan, Jackichand and Narzary - are currently still competing for places in the national team. Kotal and Jhingan have become mainstays in defence and the latter recently started India's 1-1 draw against Oman on March 25, 2021. 

Although Constantine faced flak for his team selection more than once during his four-year stint, he ended up giving debuts to more than 40 players. Stimac took over from the English gaffer after India's exit from the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and has led the team to just one win so far. 

India's style of play has improved and by giving 10 players their national team debut, Stimac is involved in an attempt to revamp the India squad to make it efficient to hunt for success. With more debuts to come during his tenure, the Croatian coach could break Constantine's record with the Blue Tigers.