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Virgil van Dijk has been set the “goal” of returning to action for Liverpool before joining the Netherlands’ quest for European Championship glory, with Ruud Gullit eager to see a fellow countryman get vital minutes under his belt.

No return date has been set as yet for a commanding centre-half that has been stuck on the sidelines with knee ligament damage since October 2020.

Positive progress has been made in his recovery, but it remains to be seen whether the 29-year-old defender will get any domestic game time before heading away on international duty at another major tournament.

What has been said?

Dutch icon Gullit, who tasted glory at the 1988 Euros, has told beIN Sports on Van Dijk’s fitness race: “I know for sure that if you saw the seriousness of the injury in the beginning, you already know that you’re not going to play a lot of games with Liverpool.

“But you need to have a goal when you have an injury, and his goal was to at least get fit for the Euros, if it’s possible.

“His doctors would say that as well, is it possible.

“Of course the club wants him at least to play a couple of matches before he does, I think in Holland we want that as well.

“I can understand that he has that goal, and I hope that he does get it.

“If he’s going to be fit, he doesn’t have a lot of rhythm, so it’s to be seen.

“For Holland, it’s the most important thing that he plays some matches already with Liverpool.”

How many games has Van Dijk missed?

Van Dijk lasted less than 11 minutes of a Merseyside derby date with Everton on October 17 and has not been seen since.

He has sat out 34 games across all competitions at Liverpool and three fixtures for his country.

No part will be played in the start of 2022 World Cup qualification during the March international break, with more work being put in behind the scenes at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp’s side still have nine Premier League matches to take in this season, with a top-four finish now the best that the injury-ravaged reigning champions can hope for.

They are also chasing down Champions League glory, having booked a quarter-final date with Real Madrid in that competition, and will be hoping to get Van Dijk back at some stage.

The bigger picture

Liverpool will not be rushing a talismanic figure back into their plans, despite his obvious importance to the collective cause.

The Netherlands will be eager to see him return before the 2020-21 campaign comes to a close, though, as they need him to work of match sharpness before rejoining their ranks.

Frank de Boer’s side are due to open their bid for European Championship glory on June 13 against Ukraine, before going on to face Austria and North Macedonia in Group C.

Further reading

Lucas Moura has insisted that the whole Tottenham squad are united behind under-fire boss Jose Mourinho amid the club's turbulent 2020-21 campaign.

Mourinho's position in the Spurs dugout has been called into question in the wake of a nightmare week which saw the team follow up a north London derby defeat to Arsenal by exiting the Europa League in shocking fashion at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb.

Spurs were thrashed 3-0 in the second leg of that last-16 tie in Croatia, but responded by beating Aston Villa 2-0 in the Premier League on Sunday, with Moura issuing a rallying cry in his post-match interview.

What's been said?

“It’s been a very bad week for us, the feeling was very bad,” the Spurs winger told the Evening Standard :  “Last night, we showed our nature, we showed attitude.

"The good thing about football is you don’t have time to cry. We talked about [the Dinamo] game. The manager told us a lot of things, but the kind of things we need to keep between us.

"He has a lot of experience and he tried to motivate us, and it was very good for last night’s game. Let’s go. We have nine games to play, we have a final (the Carabao Cup), let’s finish the season well.

“We are all together. We’re in the same boat. We lose together, we win together. What happened in Croatia was our fault. Everyone included. When we’re on the pitch, we just want to win.

"We know there are a lot of fans behind the TV supporting us. We play for our family, we play for pride and we’re all together. We believe in the coach. We believe in the coach because we know his history. We just want to be successful here.”

Spurs get back on track at Villa Park

Tottenham could have qualified for the Champions League by winning Europe's second-tier competition, but now the only way that they can gain access is by finishing in the Premier League's top four.

Chelsea are currently occupying the final Champions League spot, but Spurs took full advantage of their game in hand on the Blues by seeing off Villa, with Carlos Vinicius and Harry Kane both getting on the scoresheet.

Moura provided the assist for Vinicius to fire home the opening goal of the game just before the half-hour mark, and Kane made sure of all three points when he won and dispatched a penalty midway through the second half.

What's next?

Tottenham are now sitting just three points behind Chelsea in the table with 10 matches left to play, starting with an away fixture against Newcastle on April 4.

The north London outfit are due to play host to Manchester United seven days later, which will see Mourinho pit his wits against his former employers once again.

Further reading

Lionel Messi is yet to commit to a new contract at Barcelona, but Eric Abidal is not convinced that there would be “something better” for the iconic Argentine away from Camp Nou.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner continues to head towards free agency in Catalunya and will be making no decision on his future until the 2020-21 campaign comes to a close.

Abidal, a former team-mate of the mercurial Argentine, is among those keeping a close eye on a long-running saga and is eager to see how it plays out after several months of intense speculation.

What has been said?

Abidal told The Telegraph when quizzed on Messi’s plans: “I think, if we are to talk about performance, he’s the best player ever and he played his full career in Barcelona, so for that it is important to stay because he’s the key player. 

“But, as well, his idea will depend on the rest of the squad, the new project, the new ideas of the new board and their ideas for the coach, for example. And if, in the end, he can feel comfortable in this.

“From a marketing point a view also, Messi gives you so much so he is an unbelievable asset. But it will be his decision and it’s not easy when you spend many, many years in the same club, sometimes you want to see something else. But will there be something better than Barcelona for him? I don’t know.”

Is Abidal still close to Messi?

The Frenchman is well placed to offer an opinion on goings on at Camp Nou, having spent six years with Barca as a player.

He returned to fill a sporting director post after hanging up his boots and was only relieved of those duties at the end of a testing 2019-20 campaign for the Blaugrana.

Abidal claims to still boast a positive relationship with Messi, with several major honours secured together, but he did incur the South American’s wrath in early 2020 when speaking out in public to demand more effort from a squad that was struggling to find a spark under Quique Setien.

Asked about that incident and the fallout which saw Messi demand that Abidal reveal the identity of those he was directing contentious comments at, a popular figure in Catalunya said: “I think I was correct.

“They needed to train harder in my opinion. In my time with [Pep] Guardiola, it was ‘you want the best? Ok, you have to train like the best. You will win everything, only if you do the job during the week’. This is what I said. I never said the players wanted to get rid of the coach.

“Messi spoke to me personally as well. We had a strong conversation, but I can accept it. No problem because you have to be transparent. I was very comfortable because he was the only player who talked to me like this, the only one. I respect that. I also understand Messi is the captain and he wanted to defend the squad, but I never said that Messi told me to put the coach out. Never.

“I don’t have to fix anything with Messi, our relationship has not changed from my point of view. From his point of view, I don’t know, but, for me, the situation is over. We have exchanged many messages and he knows what I think. I didn’t want to turn a small situation into a global situation and put the whole club in trouble.”

Further reading

Manchester United are “the second-best team in the country” and should have been the ones to scupper the quadruple bid of arch-rivals Manchester City this season, says Gary Neville.

The Red Devils continue to chase down a runner-up finish in the Premier League, as the best of the rest behind Pep Guardiola’s runaway leaders, but are seeing routes to major silverware shut off.

A disappointing FA Cup quarter-final exit has been suffered at the hands of Leicester and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are now relying on others to prevent their neighbours from completing a clean sweep in 2020-21.

What has been said?

Neville, a 1999 Treble winner at Old Trafford, told Sky Sports: “I still think Man Utd are the second-best team in the country, it could be under threat (their current league position), but I just feel United will have enough to get there in the end and I think at the end of this season, the purpose of Man Utd, I said it a few weeks ago, is to finish a good second, not a bad second.

“To finish below second would be a real disappointment, but the position they are in now is to finish as close to Manchester City as possible, it does matter how close you finish to them because it is played back at the end of the season – ‘oh you finished 16 points off them, 26 points off them...’ You have to try and get to within single figures so that you then think, ‘where could we make up those four points, those eight points?’”

A man with eight Premier League titles to his name added: “I am demoralised a little bit as a Manchester United fan as I thought that was a really good one to go for this season. Also, there comes a point when if you are going to catch Manchester City, you have to beat them in a big game in a big competition.

“Spurs have got that opportunity in a few weeks in a [Carabao Cup] final and if Man City are to get to another final - they obviously still have to beat Chelsea - then Manchester United have to be there to stop them. You cannot rely on other teams to stop them and if you are the second-best team in the country, you have a half-decent record against City, which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer does, then you have to be there and be the ones to stop them.

“If you think about 1999, when Arsenal had won the double the year before, we were the only side who could stop them in the semi-final at Villa Park and we did stop them, it was hard work, but we stopped them.

“The same in the league, you can't rely on other teams to stop them for you, if you want to catch teams, you have to leave one on them, and I was disappointed with that against Leicester, I know Man Utd fans are, I've seen the reaction on social media.”

The bigger picture

Solskjaer is aware that he needs to bring a four-year barren run on the trophy front to a close this season.

He still has United in contention for Europa League glory, having booked a quarter-final date with Granada in that competition, but will be watching on from afar as City look to line their pockets with medals before the current campaign comes to a close.

The Red Devils, who are expected to dip into the transfer market again this summer in a bid to become more competitive, will be back in action on April 4 when they play host to Brighton.

Further reading

England have to find room for Trent Alexander-Arnold at the European Championships because he is a "top player", according to Peter Crouch.

Alexander-Arnold was a surprise omission from Gareth Southgate's latest England squad last week, with Reece James, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier picked ahead of him at right-back for the upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Crouch is now worried that the Reds defender will miss out on this summer's Euros, which he thinks would be a real shame considering his talents.

What's been said?

"The selection - or should that be ‘no-selection’ - that surprised me most of all involved Trent Alexander-Arnold," the former Liverpool striker told the Daily Mail. "It feels now like Reece James will be going to the Euros ahead of him, provided he stays fit.

"I like James, he’s had an outstanding season but if Trent doesn’t go to the tournament it will remind me of the time Sven Goran Eriksson overlooked Jermain Defoe for Theo Walcott in 2006. Trent is a top player and surely you have to find a place for him in the squad?"

Why was Alexander-Arnold left out?

Alexander-Arnold played a key role in Liverpool's run to Champions League and Premier League glory over the past two seasons, but his form has taken a dramatic turn for the worse in 2020-21.

The 22-year-old has faced plenty of criticism for his defending in recent months, while his contribution in the final third has also dwindled amid the Reds' slide down the top-flight standings.

Southgate said of his decision to drop Alexander-Arnold on Thursday: "There are areas where we have incredible competition for places. Trent is very unfortunate but I don't think he's played at the level that he found in the last couple of years."

Alexander-Arnold's record for England

Alexander-Arnold was handed his first senior cap for the Three Lions in a friendly against Costa Rica in June 2018 after being selected in Southgate's final squad for the World Cup finals in Russia.

The Liverpool star only featured once in that tournament with Trippier first choice at right-back, but he has since appeared in 10 more games for England, including a 2-1 win over Belgium in the UEFA Nations League last October.

Further reading

Kakamega Homeboyz head coach Nicholas Muyoti was impressed with the defensive display by his team after a vital 1-0 win over Sofapaka.

The two teams met on Sunday at Bukhungu Stadium in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League and were separated by Stephen Opoku's seventh-minute strike.

The tactician, however, believes his team would have won by a bigger margin if the chances they created were converted.

"I am impressed we went for an early goal and managed to get a win which is crucial for us," Muyoti told Goal.

"Sofapaka played well and created chances but we defended well to the end. Even when pressure was on our side, especially in the final quarter, we gave our best. I am happy that we kept a clean sheet against a good team.

"We had several chances to extend the lead but we did not take them. We would have won the game by a bigger margin."

The former Harambee Star further explained why the win against Batoto ba Mungu was important.

"The three points help us to continue surging upwards in the league and catch-up with other teams," Muyoti continued.

"It will also give us confidence because it is easier to win matches when players are confident and motivated. It was an important win for us and we are now looking forward to our next assignment.

"The main thing is to try and be consistent and that is the only way to catch-up with the teams above us."

After the win, the Western-based charges are on 21 points. They have played 16 matches this season, winning six, drawing three, and losing the remaining seven games.

They have also scored 18 goals and conceded 19 in the process.

The 11-time champions Tusker FC lead the race with 36 points from the 16 matches they have played as well. The Brewers have managed 11 wins, three draws, and two losses.

KCB are in second with 30 points after 15 games from which they have won nine matches, drawn three, and lost as many. 

The 13-time champions AFC Leopards are third with 29 points after 14 games.

Lionel Messi is being backed to sign a new contract at Barcelona by German Burgos, but the Newell’s Old Boys boss expects the iconic Argentine to “pass through” where it all began for him at some stage in the near future.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner continues to see questions asked of his future at Camp Nou, with his deal running down towards free agency.

Various landing spots have been mooted for Messi, while a return to his roots has been speculated on for some time.

What has been said?

Discussing the long and short-term future for Messi with La Capital, Burgos has said: “I have the best plan for him. I believe in him. I think he can still give more.

“I don't think he'll leave Barcelona because it's his home, like Newell's is too. I think, one day, he's going to pass through here.

“Because if Diego Maradona played here, Messi will also want to play in Newell’s. I think at some point that will pass. Hopefully it will be soon.”

When was Messi at Newell’s?

An all-time great was a starry-eyed youngster looking for a big break when he first started out in his native Rosario.

Messi spent five years with Newell’s as a youngster, with a remarkable goal return within their youth ranks bringing him to the attention of leading sides in Europe.

Barca bought into that potential in 2000 as they added him to their La Masia academy.

He has gone on to become a modern day legend at Barca, making more appearances for the club than any other player - passing former team-mate Xavi on that list - and finding the target on 663 occasions in 768 games.

What has Messi said about returning to Argentina?

The 33-year-old has made no secret of the fact that he would like to head home at some point.

He told TyC Sports in October 2019: "I have the dream of being able to play for Newell's in Argentina, but I don't know if it's really going to happen because I have a family that is ahead of my desire.

"It's a dream I've had since I was little, but I have a family, I have three children, I live in a place that has given me everything and where I am calm and can give my children a spectacular future.

"We think much more about that than my desire of playing football in Argentina. I will try to convince the family, because today we have to convince the children too."

 Further reading

Michael Essien has revealed the management lessons he learned from Jose Mourinho as he takes the first steps into his own coaching career at FC Nordsjaelland.

Mourinho was the man who lured Essien to English football from Lyon back in 2005, and the pair went on to enjoy great success together at Stamford Bridge before also linking up at Real Madrid.

Essien says he learned a great deal about management while playing under Mourinho, and is hoping to transmit the same winning mentality to the Nordsjaelland squad after taking up his first coaching role with the Danish club.

What's been said?

"I have played under so many coaches and every one is different. I would take Mourinho as an example - I was very much connected with him," the former Chelsea star told The Football Ramble podcast. 

"He's a winner, he gives you tactical details and makes sure it's very clear so when you're on the pitch you know what to do.

"It's one of the things I am going to carry with me and hopefully I can transmit to the boys if one day I become a manager."

Asked if he had always planned to venture into coaching after hanging up his boots, Essien responded: "I didn't think I would make the transition. When I was playing I always said 'no I don't want to be a coach' but when you love the game so much you always try to be in the game.

"So two or three years ago I said I am coming toward the end of my career and I want to learn about the coaching side of the game and it will give me the opportunity to be on the pitch and to be around the players.

"Actually when I started doing it, it was something I wanted to do. The whole project here is very good for my transition into the coaching side of the game."

Essien's history with Mourinho

Essien made the transition from Ligue 1 to the Premier League seamlessly upon his arrival at Chelsea, playing a key role in their successful title defence in his first season at the club.

He continued to feature prominently in Mourinho's set-up in 2006-07 and, although the Blues surrendered the top-flight crown to Manchester United, they were still able to pick up FA Cup and League Cup honours.

Mourinho was sacked in the early stages of the following campaign, and went on to spend two years with Italian giants Inter before taking the top job at Madrid in 2010.

During the current Tottenham manager's final season at Santiago Bernabeu, he signed Essien on loan from Chelsea, and the duo reunited briefly again in west London at the start of the 2013-14 campaign before the midfielder joined AC Milan.

Essien's overall record for Chelsea

Essien spent nine years on Chelsea's books in total, and won six more trophies on top of the three he won under Mourinho, including another Premier League title and the Champions League, while establishing himself as a club legend.

The former Ghana international made 256 appearances across all competitions for the Blues, scoring 25 goals and laying on 18 assists.

Further reading

Harry Maguire admits that Manchester United “must do better” after seeing another route to major silverware shut off in a 3-1 FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Leicester.

The Red Devils headed to the King Power Stadium determined to move one step closer to ending a four-year wait for tangible success.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were, however, to fluff their lines against the Foxes and their captain concedes that collective standards will need to be raised again after the international break.

What has been said?

Maguire posted on Instagram: “A tough one to take - It’s been a relentless run of games and today shown (sic), still no excuse we know we must do better.

“Still lots to play for and we must bounce back.”

What went wrong against Leicester?

United struggled to get going during a trip to the East Midlands, with Solskjaer forced to defend rotation within his ranks afterwards.

More individual errors cost the Red Devils dear against Leicester, with Fred laying an opening goal for Kelechi Iheanacho on a plate.

Maguire and Co then failed to get close enough to Youri Tielemans as he crashed in a second for the hosts, before Scott McTominay was caught under a cross that allowed Iheanacho to head home and end the game as a contest.

Mason Greenwood had levelled matters at one stage, but United rarely looked like building on that effort and booking a place in the semi-finals.

The bigger picture

Trophy bids in 2020-21 for United have not come to a close, with there still plenty left for them to play for.

A top-four finish in the Premier League is there to lock down, allowing Champions League qualification to be wrapped up.

Continental glory can also be achieved this term, with a quarter-final date with Granada lined up in the Europa League.

The first leg of that tie will take place on April 8, four days after the Red Devils return to action after the latest shutdown in domestic duty with a home date against Brighton.

Further reading

Gor Mahia head coach Manuel Vaz Pinto has expressed his confidence that the Football Kenya Federation Premier League side will overcome the challenges they find themselves in.

Gor Mahia are among the middle-table clubs at the moment after suffering six losses in the first half of the season.

Vaz Pinto, who was appointed after the club had n interim head coach at the beginning of the season, has, however, spoken of his confidence in the players.

"With an enormous sense of mutual help, we will all together overcome the problems experienced in the last few days," Vaz Pinto said as was quoted by the club's Facebook page. 

"I believe the players will demonstrate the ability to overcome the challenge."

Gor Mahia will be up against Bidco United on Monday at Kasarani Annex and it is an opportunity for them to get a good result.

In the last five outings, K'Ogalo have picked up three losses, a draw and a win and Bidco United are expected to give them a tough challenge as they have been quite a strong side. with four wins in their last five games.

The newly-appointed captain Harun Shakava said they are ready to fight for a positive outcome in order to turn things around.

"Today's match is a tough one coming from a loss but we are ready for the task and we hope for a turnaround," the former Nkana FC central defender said according to a post on the club's social media pages.

Shakava was given the armband after he returned from the Zambian Super League champions, a side he joined in 2019 after he had led K'Ogalo to their 18th Premier League title.

The reshuffle saw Kenneth Muguna being relegated as Shakava took over the captaincy and Philemon Otieno was retained as the assistant captain.

Muguna, however, in a tweet ahead of the Bidco United clash, said he was motivated and positive.

The changes came at the time the club was grappling with match-fixing allegations and Willis Ochieng, who was serving as the goalkeeper's coach, left the local heavyweights on Friday.

Gor Mahia face a tough season in which they are likely to lose out on the title should their campaign fail to pick great speed in the coming months. Tusker, despite a 2-2 draw against Nairobi City Stars on Saturday, are leading with 36 points.

KCB and AFC Leopards, are second and third with 30 and 29 points, respectively although they were also held to draws. Ingwe did not find a way past struggling Vihiga United and settled for a 0-0 draw. Zoo FC, who are fighting to get out of the relegation zone, picked up a point from a 1-1 draw against KCB on Sunday.

Gor Mahia are hopeful the three games in hand will help them rise and get into the top five brackets in the first round of the season.

After playing Bidco United, they will face Sofapaka, Nairobi City Stars and Wazito FC before the second round commences.

Former Sofapaka striker Ronald Okoth believes Harambee Stars coach Jacob 'Ghost' Mulee is super brave after leaving out influential players for their forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Kenya will host Egypt on Thursday, March 25 before playing Togo four days later. In his squad for the two games, the veteran tactician opted to leave out captain Victor Wanyama, Johanna Omolo, Eric Johanna, Brian Mandela, and Ayub Timbe. 

The 32-year-old believes this is a good opportunity for other players to show their potential for the team and cement their places.

"Coach Mulee must be super brave to leave out some important and experienced players from his Harambee Stars provisional squad for our upcoming [Afcon] qualifiers," Okoth tweeted.

"A tough call for any manager. A baptism of fire and an opportunity of a lifetime for the ones called in to replace them."

The new faces in the team include goalkeeper Joseph Okoth, defenders Nahashon Alembi, and Harun Mwale. Midfielders Kevin Simiyu and Danson Chetambe have also been given an opportunity with strikers Elvis Rupia and Erick Kapaito making the list as well.

Meanwhile, Kenya received a major boost on Monday with Michael Olunga's arrival.

The Al Duhail striker joined his international teammates for the first time in more than a year since he was absent when the Harambee Stars took on Comoros in November and dropped key points.

Olunga could not travel for the double-header against the Islanders since there were strict travel restrictions that were implemented due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Kenya's provisional squad:

Goalkeepers: Ian Otieno (Zesco United, Zambia), James Saruni (Ulinzi Stars, Kenya), Joseph Okoth (KCB, Kenya)

Defenders: Joseph Okumu (IF Elfsborg, Sweden), Eric Ouma (AIK, Sweden), Joash Onyango (Simba, Tanzania), Johnstone Omurwa (Wazito, Kenya), Nahashon Alembi (KCB, Kenya), Harun Mwale (Ulinzi Stars, Kenya), Daniel Sakari (Kariobangi Sharks, Kenya), Baraka Badi (KCB, Kenya)

Midfielders: Anthony Akumu (Kaizer Chiefs), Duke Abuya (Nkana, Zambia), Cliff Nyakeya (Masr, Egypt), Duncan Otieno (Lusaka Warriors, Zambia), Lawrence Juma (Sofapaka, Kenya), Kenneth Muguna (Gor Mahia, Kenya), Kevin Simiyu (Nzoia Sugar, Kenya), Danson Chetambe (Bandari, Kenya), James Mazembe (Kariobangi Sharks, Kenya), David Owino (KCB, Kenya), Kevin Kimani (Wazito, Kenya), Boniface Muchiri (Tusker, Kenya), Abdalla Hassan (Bandari, Kenya)

Forwards: Michael Olunga (Al-Duhail, Qatar), Masoud Juma (Difaa Hassani El Jadidi, Morocco), Erick Kapaito (Kariobangi Sharks, Kenya), Elvis Rupia (AFC Leopards)

Ida Guehai and Rebecca Elloh were on target, while Jade Boho provided three assists as Logrono beat Deportivo La Coruna 3-0 in Sunday's Spanish Primera Iberdrola encounter.

Despite a rough campaign, the Cote d'Ivoire duo and Equatorial Guinea international have impressed this season and they all produced superb performances to lead their side past the visitors.

In a quest to end an eight-match winless run, Jose Moncayo handed the African trio starting roles against Manuel Sanchez's side, who defeated Rayo Vallecano 3-0 last week.

Boho got Logrono off to a flying start when she set up Guehai to opening the scoring after just 13 minutes in the encounter.

Having enjoyed a slim first half led, the hosts built on their advantage when Boho bagged a brace of assists, with Elloh netting her inviting pass five minutes after the restart.

The Equatorial Guinea star completed her treble of assists when she played in Ines Juan to seal the triumph four minutes from full-time.

With her hat-trick of assists, Boho, who featured for 81 minutes, now has four goals and five assists for Logrono this season.

Ivorian Elloh featured for the duration of the game and increased her tally to three in 22 outings, while compatriot Guehai got her fourth goal of the season in 21 appearances for Logrono.

Kenya's Cynthia Musongo featured for the final nine minutes as Boho's replacement, while Ghana's Grace Asantewaa and South Africa's Nothando Vilakazi were not dressed for the tie.

The win saw Logrono move to 15th on the log, with 19 points from 23 matches this season. The Africans will be anxious to ensure their side avoid defeat when they take on Levante on March 27. 

Uganda goalkeeper Mathias Kigonya insists he had to be patient to get another opportunity to play for the national team.

The Azam shot-stopper is in the squad preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after five years out in the cold.

He has further stated he was not under any pressure since he was optimistic of making a return to the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup defending champions.

"Football is all about time; I just have been patient all the time and I feel so good to be back on the national team," Kigonya revealed.

"I have not been under any pressure, knowing that the time will come. I didn’t give up and I have been working hard to get back to the national team because it is every player’s dream.  

The Cranes will host Burkina Faso in Group B of the Afcon Qualifier at St Mary's Kitende Stadium before playing Malawi away five days later.

The former Bright Stars and Sofapaka FC custodian believes with teamwork, the mission to secure a ticket to Cameroon is possible.

"The first target is qualifying," Kigonya added. "We just have to work together with fellow players to see that we at least achieve something this time around."

However, the 25-year-old will have skipper Denis Onyango and Salim Jamal to contend with for a chance to be in the first XI.

Uganda Provisional Squad:

Goalkeepers: Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Salim Jamal Magoola (Al Hilal Omdurman, Sudan), Mathias Kigonya (Azam FC, Tanzania), Charles Lukwago (KCCA FC, Uganda).

Defenders: Nico Wakiro Wadada(Azam FC, Tanzania), Elvis Bwomono (South End, England), Bevis Mugabi (Motherwell, Scotland), Murushid Juuko (Express FC, Uganda), Mustafa Kiiza (DC Montreal, USA), Joseph Ochaya (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Timothy Dennis Awany (FC Ashdod, Israel), Ronald Mukiibi (Ostersunds, Sweden), Halid Lwaliwa (Vipers SC, Uganda), Garvin Kizito Mugweri (SC Villa, Uganda).

Midfielders: Mike Azira (New Mexixo United, USA), William Kizito Luwagga (Hapoel Kfar Saba- Israel), Allan Okello (AC Paradou, Algeria), Allan Kyambadde (El Gouna, Egypt), Moses Waiswa (SuperSport United, South Africa), Taddeo Lwanga (Simba SC, Tanzania), Abdu Lumala (Pyramids FC, Egypt), Bobosi Byaruhanga (Vipers SC, Uganda).

Forwards: Fahad Bayo (FC Ashdod, Israel), Daniel Isiagi (Jomo Cosmos, South Africa), Faruku Miya (Konyaspor, Turkey) Yunus Ssentamu (Vipers SC), Emmanuel Okwi (Al Ittihad Alexandria, Egypt), Patrick Kaddu (Youssoufia Berrechid-Tunisia).

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has thrown his weight behind the 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar amid the global Covid-19 pandemic that continues to restrict fans from completely thronging stadiums around the world. 

Infantino believes that Qatar have already proven their capability in battling the pandemic, having held events like the Club World Cup earlier this year with 30 per cent attendance. The Swiss-Italian further suggested that the 2022 edition will be the best-ever World Cup. 

"We will see the best World Cup ever in November, December 2022 in Qatar. The best World Cup ever means a World Cup with full stadiums. I am 100 per cent sure about that," Infantino said in a media interaction after the FIFA Council meeting last week. 

"I'm 100 per cent sure about that because we have already witnessed in one of the most difficult periods, how we could organise the Club World Cup in Qatar with 30 percent occupancy of stadiums in a healthy and safe environment."

He further explained that FIFA are in constant touch with the Qatar Government and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) and have been impressed by the facilities on offer in the Middle-East nation.

"I have been meeting the Minister of Health (Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari), His Highness the Emir (Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani), as well with the Prime Minister (Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdul Aziz al-Thani). We've been discussing these topics and what is implemented in Qatar is absolutely state of the art."

Adding the fact that vaccination drives have begun in many countries, Infantino is positive about seeing an end to the pandemic well before the 2022 World Cup.

"Looking forward, even more so, the vaccination has just started around the world. I was told around a week ago that there are around two and a half billion vaccines available. Now we are around seven or eight billion people in the world. Maybe not everyone wants to be vaccinated but hopefully we understand that the vaccines are quite efficient to over 95 per cent. So it is a question of a few months until everyone will have the opportunity to get vaccinated and we get rid of this Covid once and hopefully for all."

"But I'm confident from speaking to many government officials in Qatar and World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Tederos (Director-General of the WHO Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus) and his team, that thanks to the vaccines, everything will be in order and the World Cup will be fantastic. 

He also took the opportunity to praise Qatar's readiness and preparation for the quadrennial global extravaganza despite having had to tackle an unprecedented pandemic. Qatar's meticulous planning has meant that the work on the 2022 World Cup projects have not suffered despite being slowed down due to the pandemic.

All the projects are on time and they have already thrown open four of eight planned venues for the tournament (four of them have been inaugurated, another one is ready and waiting to be inaugurated, 80 per cent work has been completed on the other three and 41 training pitches are already completed).

"And allow me just to add one more thing that is not highlighted often enough - In spite of the Covid crisis, since one year where everything stood still, the work has been going on in Qatar. Not only with respect to the stadiums, but also more generally the whole infrastructure. And that's quite amazing because we have virtually no delays in the different projects which is again an incredible achievement.

"And now since more than 20-25 years in this world observing tournaments and events, I've never seen a country being so ready as Qatar more than one year in advance. That's why I'm also confident that everyone who will come to Qatar will come to the whole Gulf region - because you can stay a few days here, a few days there - as well.

"They will witness a welcoming place and a great World Cup."

Pritam Kotal had a decent outing with ATK Mohun Bagan in their maiden season in the Indian Super League (ISL) this season. Yet the campaign turned out to be a disappointment for the Bengali defender as the Mariners missed out on the title by a whisker after losing against Mumbai City in the final.

Kotal, who is currently in Dubai with the Indian national side, wants to look forward and do well for the national side in the upcoming friendly matches against Oman and UAE.

The 27-year-old defender is happy to don the national colours after a prolonged period and thanked the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for organising the friendly games.

"We have two important matches lined up," Kotal told Goal. "We have to play well in those matches. We are in a national camp after almost one-and-half years. Credit to AIFF that they have organised the camp amidst the pandemic. Now we have to make the most of this opportunity as we have three World Cup qualifiers in June. This is a short camp and this will definitely help in team building and team understanding.

"There are also many new faces in the camp so the faster we get into a rhythm and understand each other the better for us. The matches against UAE and Oman will be of great help. We have to get the maximum out of those three matches. The target is to at least qualify for the third round of the AFC Asian Cup."

The defender congratulated Mumbai City on winning both the ISL League Winners Shield and the title and opined that the Kolkata club needs to learn from the mistakes they committed against the Islanders.

"We have to learn from the losses against Mumbai. We have to improve as a team. Mumbai is undoubtedly a very good team. The two best teams played in the final. We put up a good fight. People have watched the match and they know what happened in the 90 minutes. But I will definitely congratulate Mumbai City FC and wish them all the best for the AFC Champions League," said Kotal, who is among ATK Mohun Bagan's leadership group.

Both at ATK FC and now ATK Mohun Bagan, Pritam Kotal has been deployed in numerous positions in the backline by coach Antonio Habas. The Spaniard had even fielded Kotal as a left-back this season.

But the experienced campaigner mentioned that he cherishes playing under coach Habas and does not mind playing in multiple positions as long as he can continue to contribute to the team's success.

"I always want to improve every year. Sometimes I get the result and sometimes you fail. But I always give my 100 per cent, be it in training or in matches. In the previous season, I played as a right centre-back and right back and in this season coach used me as a left-back as well.

"I thank him (Antonio Habas) for the trust that he has shown in me. I trained well and was feeling comfortable as a centre back. Then when the coach changed formation to 4-4-2 I slotted in as a right-back.  Again when Subhasish (Bose) got injured I played as a left-back. In today's football, you have to be versatile. You cannot stick to a single position. Your job is to give your coach as many options as possible. I hope to help the national team as well in the same spirit."

It was a difficult ISL season for all the teams and every single player due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The clubs were kept in bio-bubbles for more than five months. Kotal mentioned how life in the bubble was challenging for them but despite all the difficulties they enjoyed playing football in Goa.

"This ISL was the most mentally demanding one. More than physical fitness, you had to remain fit psychologically and mentally. A big thank you to ISL that they organised the tournament. The most important thing was to get back on the field. FSDL (Football Sports Development Ltd) made that possible.

"But no doubt, that this was the most difficult season. We are playing a result-oriented sport. When you lose you want your family and friends beside you. Getting up every day, going to train and back in the hotel was difficult. But this was a very small price to pay because, in the end, we got to play football which we love the most," said the right full-back.

It was in the 17th minute of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) match between Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC that Malayali winger Rahul KP opted to attack the defence from the right channel during a quick counter-attacking procedure. 

Gary Hooper's pass found the winger who then took the ball into the box and unleashed a powerful strike that beat India's No. 1 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu at his near post. It was a top finish against one of India's best keepers and was the winger's first goal of the season for Blasters. 

He then came up with another crucial goal - this time an injury-time match-winner against the same opposition - in January that helped Blasters claim three points from nowhere. A similar strike with the same vigour and conviction beat the same keeper once again. 

Despite the Yellow Army failing to qualify for the playoffs and ending the season with a disappointing 10th-placed finish, Rahul's individual display is one of the biggest positives from the campaign. And it was that goal against Gurpreet that turned things around for the winger.

"​I always love to score goals. That goal changed a lot of things," Rahul told Goal. "Before that, we had lost two points against East Bengal. I was really disappointed. The Bengaluru match was the trigger. 

"We also know about the fans - one mistake and you are crucified. I was really stressed and not happy with the performance. And then I got the moment, thank god for that, everything changed after that. "

The 21-year-old ended up playing 17 matches for Blasters, out of which 12 were starts and clocking over 1000 minutes.  His displays helped him get a call from Igor Stimac for an India national team camp but had to be left out due to a knock. While he is not happy with the final output from the season, there have been positive takeaways - like the fact he fended off competition from a player like Nongdamba Naorem who had played under Kibu Vicuna at Mohun Bagan to nail down a first-team role -  these are experiences he could make use of to fuel his professional growth. 

"The more games you play, you improve. Playing 17 matches is not bad. It is a positive thing to play that many games. It has been amazing - not really a rollercoaster ride but still happy to score three goals. I am not satisfied with my individual performance and that of the team. I don't know what went wrong. I don't know if it's due to the coach or the players. Whoever plays should shoulder the responsibility, that's what I feel."

"There was competition for sure in the squad. We had a lot of wingers. Nong (Naorem) had played under the coach. I fought for my place, I love it when something is challenging. Without injury, I could have done so much better."

The seventh season of ISL was played behind closed doors and the players and staff were all locked down under a strict bio-secure bubble in Goa for five months due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. This meant that football became as much a mental challenge as it was physical, especially when teams didn't find wins easily. 

"It is very difficult to deal with the bubble, to be very honest. I thought it is about professionalism, but it is more than that. All the players must have faced this problem - every day it's the same routine, you have to go to training and come back to the same place. And when the team doesn't win, it is another thing," Rahul said. 

"All I am saying is that (in an ideal world), if I got to meet my family and friends, things could have been better. I will still play and have the same motivation but if I got to meet my friends and family, it is an extra push," he opined while asserting that the bio-bubble was required to host the tournament in the middle of such a pandemic.

Rahul scored three goals this season, two of which came against Bengaluru. Both those strikes were assisted by Gary Hooper, who was Blasters' most hyped foreign signing. After initially struggling to settle into the team, Hooper ended the season with five goals and four assists and was deployed in a slightly deeper role towards the end of the season. The former Celtic forward enjoyed a good partnership with Rahul in the final third and the Malayali winger has high praise for the striker. 

"We got so close to the foreign players. We were in the bubble. I enjoyed myself so much with everyone. Hooper was close to me more. Hooper is the best teammate I have ever played with. He makes you understand the game. He is a good game manager, it is so fun. He does half of the job with his vision. He says, Rahul, you have to stay here and do this. I really enjoyed playing with him."