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Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila will face either Mamelodi Sundowns or Orlando Pirates in this season's Nedbank Cup semi-finals.

This comes after Vhadau Vha Damani defeated their Limpopo rivals Black Leopards 2-0 in a quarter-final match at Thohoyandou Stadium on Sunday evening. 

TTM controlled the match from the start, but they were wasteful in front of goal as Thabo Mnyamane unleashed a tame shot which was easily saved by Leopards goalkeeper King Ndlovu.

While an unmarked Mogakolodi Ngele missed the target with a header from close range with Ndlovu rooted to the ground as pressure mounted on the Lidoda Duvha defence.

TTM deservedly took the lead in the 38th minute when Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo broke into the box from the left flank and he fired past Ndlovu to make it 1-0 to the hosts.

The home side continued to launch attacks after the restart with Lerato Lamola being a constant threat to the Leopards defence and he was denied by Ndlovu from a one-on-one situation.

Lamola was fouled in the box by Edwin Gyimah in the closing stages of the game and visitors were awarded a penalty which was converted by Alfred Ndengane in the 83rd minute to seal a 2-0 win to TTM.

The draw for the semi-finals was conducted immediately after the match with TTM being pitted against the winner, between Sundowns and Pirates.

Sundowns are scheduled to host Pirates in a quarter-final match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on April 15.

Meanwhile, Pretoria Callies were pitted against Chippa United in the semi-final draw after they defeated Cape Town All Stars at Danie Craven Stadium on Sunday afternoon. 

Callies emerged 5-4 winners over All Stars on penalties following a 2-2 draw in a quarter-final clash between two National First Division teams.

All Stars were leading 1-0 at the interval after Waseem Isaacs netted his third goal in as many matches in the Nedbank Cup.

Callies levelled matters through Pogisho Mahlangu, who headed home Pule Matsetse's cross to make it 1-1, but parity was only restored for two minutes as All Stars responded with a goal.

Ronaldo Maarman's well-taken free-kick was headed home by Pule Maraisane to make it 2-1 to the home side and it was then end-to-end stuff in the latter stages of the game. 

Mpho Sitayitayi grabbed a late equalising goal when he volleyed home Thabo Moloi's long throw-in in the 89th minute and the match ended in a 2-2 draw in regulation time and extra-time followed.

There were no goals in extra-time and the game was decided in a penalty shootout which saw goalkeeper Itumeleng Lesu become the hero for Callies. 

Lesu denied Moremi Seketso and Thabo Moloisane during the shootout to inspire Callies to a 5-4 win on penalties.

The dates, kick-off times and venues for the two semi-final matches will be confirmed by the PSL in due course.

Inter ace Lautaro Matinez has discussed the prospect of signing a new contract with the club and says that he is confident of doing so.

The Argentine had been linked with a move to Barcelona last summer, but the Spanish side were ultimately priced out of a move for the Argentine attacker.

Martinez has since played a major role in Inter storming to the top of Serie A this term and grabbed a late winner as they defeated Torino 2-1 on Sunday to keep the pressure on their rivals.

What did he say?

“The contract renewal? We’re working on it. Inter at the moment are in a bit of financial difficulty but I am calm because the agreement can be found,” he told Sky Sport Italia following the Serie A clash.

Lautaro on Torino victory

Speaking about the latest success of Antonio Conte’s side, he said: “It’s worth a lot because it was a difficult match. We knew that Torino need points in the standings and we had to come here to get the win to stay in the league.

“It wasn’t the perfect Inter. Today, we needed heart and mind as well as quality. We proved again that we have all these values.”

The bigger picture

Inter have now won eight matches in succession in Serie A. That means that they hold a nine-point advantage over second placed Milan, who have a game in hand.

Conte’s men are also the leading scorers in the competition. Romelu Lukaku has 19 but Martinez is sitting on 14.

Further Reading

Thomas Muller says he does not care who succeeds Joachim Low as Germany coach.

The German football association (DFB) confirmed this week that the 61-year-old will leave his post after the European Championship this summer .

Low has spent 15 years in charge of the national team but has faced a lot of criticism since their disappointing group-stage exit from the 2018 World Cup.

What did Muller say?

Bayern Munich attacker Muller says he is more concerned about his country's prospects at Euro 2020 than who will take Low's place at the helm.

"I have not yet formed an opinion, that is also not the most interesting thing," he told reporters.

"What actually interests us Germans is that we will be successful in the summer. We want to be successful at the European Championships and not know who the successor is."

Who are the favourites to take Low's place?

Bayern coach Hansi Flick has been tipped as a potential replacement for the man he assisted for eight years.

Flick was Low's second in command at the 2008 and 2012 Euros as well as the World Cup in 2010 and 2014, which they went on to win.

Asked about the prospect of taking over from Low, Flick told reporters this week : "I have a contract until 2023 and want to be successful and win titles with Bayern Munich. It's not the time to speculate about my future."

Former RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim coach  Ralf Rangnick said that he would be open to taking the job as he is still out of work, though he is in talks over a role at Schalke .

What could Low's departure mean for Muller?

Muller has not been picked for the national team since November 2018, when he made his 100th appearance.

He, Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels have all been frozen out of the team by Low since then.

Low said recently that the door is open for the trio to make a return in the near future, but should the coach leave them out in the cold then a change in manager could change their situations.

Further reading

Youssef En-Nesyri is making the ‘most of himself’ as well as getting ‘better each day’, says Brazilian centre-back Diego Carlos.

The Morocco international joined the Andalusians on January 2020, for a reported fee of €25 million on a five-year-deal following the exit of Mu'nas Dabbur and Javier Hernandez.

Nonetheless, he made a sluggish start to life at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan – scoring just four goals in 18 LaLiga outings as Los Nervionenses finished the 2019-20 campaign in fourth position.

This season, however, his performances have been nothing short of superb – scoring 13 goals in 25 outings so far – fifth behind Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid), Gerard Moreno (Villarreal) and Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) in the Spanish topflight’s Golden Boot race.

During a LaLiga conference call ahead of Sunday’s El Gran Derbi, the 27-year-old is nothing but enthralled with the African’s performance for Julen Lopetegui’s team.

“En-Nesyri is a very good striker and he really stands out. He is scoring a lot of goals and he is very strong,” Carlos told Goal.

“Also, he is making the most of himself and I think gradually, he is getting better each day.”

Sevilla were bounced out of the Champions League and have now shifted their attention to the Spanish topflight where they would be aiming for their second diadem ever – albeit, they must negotiate their way past Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis.

When asked how important En-Nesyri’s role would be against the Big Green, Carlos states that the responsibility to secure all points at stake does not rest primarily on the former Leganes forward.

“For me, it’s not just about En-Nesyri,  all the players are well prepared and we are a team and a family,” he continued.

“Everyone is prepared because obviously, we need all the players from now until the end of the season.

“We are aware that we are no longer in the Champions League, we did our work and we put in as much effort, but it was not meant to be.

“We are working very hard and our focus is on Real Betis and we will be playing with another expectation and we want to get a positive result.”

After 25 games played so far in the 2020-21 campaign, Sevilla are third in the log with 48 points - 15 points behind leaders Atletico Madrid.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been left out of Arsenal's starting XI to face Tottenham for disciplinary reasons, Mikel Arteta has confirmed.

The striker was dropped to the bench for Sunday's north London derby clash at the Emirates Stadium.

Aubameyang, 31, has scored 14 goals in 29 appearances in all competitions this season and captained the side on Thursday as they beat Olympiacos 3-1 in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie.

What did Arteta say?

"He was going to start the game. We had a disciplinary issue, we have drawn the line and we move on. He's on the bench," Arteta told Sky Sports.

"We keep that internally. We have a process we have to respect for every game and that’s it.

“It was a decision made after evaluating everything."

Who takes Aubameyang's place?

Alexandre Lacazette has been called on to fill in for the punished forward.

Lacazette is the Gunners' joint-top scorer in the Premier League this season alongside Aubameyang, having scored nine times in 23 appearances.

Arteta has made two more changes to the team that started against the Greek giants in midweek, as Cedric Soares starts at right-back in place of Hector Bellerin and Emile Smith Rowe is on instead of Willian.

The state of play before the derby

Arsenal are 10th in the Premier League heading into Sunday's clash and are seven points behind Spurs, who sit seventh.

While Jose Mourinho's team are on a three-game winning run in the league, Arteta's men have collected four points from their last three matches.

Arsenal drew 1-1 with Burnley last week after beating Leicester and losing to Manchester City.

Further reading

Kaizer Chiefs have announced their travelling squad for their upcoming Caf Champions League encounter against Petro Luanda.

The Soweto giants are set to take on the Angolan club in their fourth Group C match at Estadio 11 de Novembro in Luanda on Tuesday. 

Chiefs will be looking to complete the double over Petro having defeated The Tricolours 2-0 at FNB Stadium on March 6. 

New Amakhosi captain Ramahlwe Mphahlele and Serbian striker Samir Nurkovic, who both missed the win over Petro, have been included in the 18-man squad. 

Mphahlele missed the encounter due to suspension, while Nurkovic was nursing an injury. 

However, the Glamour Boys will be without experienced goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, who is missing due to a family bereavement.

Colombian marksman Leonardo Castro is also a noticeable absentee from the squad as he continues to nurse an injury.

Chiefs are familiar with Angola having defeated Primeiro De Agosto 1-0 on aggregate in this season's Champions League first round.

A 0-0 home draw in the first-leg match in Johannesburg saw Chiefs win 1-0 in Luanda courtesy of a Castro goal.

Chiefs also faced Inter Clube Luanda in the 2011 Caf Cup Winners Cup final when they drew the away in the first-leg match 1-1 in Luanda on that occasion.

Amakhosi are currently placed third on the Group C standings and a win over Petro could see them move up to second if the result between Wydad Casablanca and Horoya AC go their way.

Guinean champions Horoya will play hosts to Moroccan giants Wydad at Stade General Lansana Conte in the other Group C game on Tuesday.

Chiefs' full 18-man squad:

Goalkeepers: Bruce Bvuma, Daniel Akpeyi

Defenders: Siyabonga Ngezana, Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Daniel Cardoso, Yagan Sasman, Erick Mathoho, Reeve Frosler, Njabulo Blom

Midfielders: Philani Zulu, Kearyn Baccus, Willard Katsande, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, Lebogang Manyama, Happy Mashiane

Forwards: Samir Nurković, Bernard Parker, Lazalous Kambole

Gor Mahia midfielder John Macharia has lauded the Football Kenya Federation Premier League, stating the standards are rapidly rising and there is not much of a difference with Europe. 

The midfielder has played initially for Thika United, FC Kolkheti, and FC Saburto-2 of Georgia and was part of the Harambee Stars squad that defeated South Sudan 1-0 in a friendly at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday. It was the 22-year-old's first appearance for the national team.

"The FKF Premier League is improving, it is competitive," Macharia told Goal on Sunday.

"Other teams are doing well, and the teams are well organised. There is no difference with Europe. I am impressed to see the local game developing, its quality is improving."

So how did it feel to play for the national team?

"It is a privilege to get an opportunity to play for the national team and considering it was my debut, I had mixed feelings," Macharia continued.

"I had to think; it was my first call up and I also had to ask myself how to help the team on the pitch. Being the debut game I had to give my best to stand a chance of being considered for the next assignment."

The K'Ogalo player went on to explain why he loves playing behind the main striker and further revealed his main target for the team.

"My best position is behind the striker, the number 10 position. I get confidence with the ball because I get the ball regularly, I feel more comfortable playing in the position.  

"It was my dream to play for Harambee Stars and my desire is to help the team qualify for Afcon. The last time the team made it to the competition they played well.  

"Now, I want us to qualify once again and win the competition; it will be a very big achievement for us."  

Being 22-years-old, Macharia has watched many players. The midfielder has now revealed the player he wants to emulate.

"Francis Kahata is my role model and I wanted to play like him, I watch and learn hoping to emulate."

The winger is expected to be involved on Monday when Kenya takes on Tanzania in another friendly at Nyayo Stadium.

Kenyan coach Francis Baraza has confirmed his decision to leave Biashara United for struggling Kagera Sugar in the Mainland Premier League.

The former Sony Sugar and Tusker player was among the coaches being linked with the vacant role at the club after they parted ways with experienced Mecky Maxime a week ago.

According to Baraza, he has now agreed on terms to sign for the Sugar Millers and will start work in the new week.

“I have already bid farewell to Biashara United, and I am happy to take another challenge in the league,”: Baraza said as quoted by MwanaSpoti. “I know I am heading to a struggling team, I know about that but it is what we call football, it is our job to make teams better than you find them.

“I don’t fear anything, it is my job and I am looking forward to the new challenge.”

According to the MwanaSpoti, Baraza has signed a two-and-half-year contract and he will now join the Bukoba-based club.

Baraza is leaving Biashara United in position four of the 18-team table where they have managed to collect 39 points from 23 matches. Biashara have won 11 matches drawn six and lost six.

On the other hand, his new team Kagera have struggled in the top-tier this campaign and are placed 13th on the log with 25 points from 24 matches. The Sugar Millers have won six matches, drawn seven, and lost 11.

Apart from handling Tusker and Sony, Baraza is the only Kenyan coach to have lifted two league titles as a player and one as a coach. He won the league title with AFC Leopards in 1998 and Oserian in (2001) before guiding Sony Sugar to the league title in 2006.

Before joining Biashara on November 14, 2019, Baraza was linked with Kisumu All-Stars to replace coach Henry Omino, who later passed on, but he opted against the deal to travel to Tanzania.

Former Tanzania coach Ettiene Ndayiragije from Burundi was also on the radar to replace Maxime.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang "can be quite angry" during matches, according to Bukayo Saka, who says the Arsenal captain always tries to toughen up his younger team-mates.

Saka has played regularly alongside Aubameyang since graduating to the first team at Emirates Stadium in 2018, with the pair forming a profitable relationship in the final third of the pitch.

The 19-year-old says the Gabon striker is an inspiring figure who helps to bring the best out of him, but has also admitted he is unafraid to crack the whip as skipper if he ever feels his colleagues are falling short of the required standard.

What's been said?

“Every time I played with him I've always had so much confidence," Saka told beIN Sports of Aubameyang's leadership qualities.

"Sometimes he would tell you, you would have to pass to him and if you make a mistake then he can be quite angry.

"But the game where I scored my first goal for Arsenal against Frankfurt, before the game he said to me, 'Bukayo, you know you're very good player. If you're there in front of goal and you want to shoot – shoot! I'm not going to say anything'.

"My parents love him so much as well!"

How has Aubameyang performed for Arsenal in 2020-21?

Aubameyang has been Arsenal's main source of goals since his arrival at the Emirates from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018, scoring 84 goals in 138 games across all competitions.

However, only 14 of those efforts have been recorded in 2020-21, with the 31-year-old having endured struggles for form and fitness over the past few months.

Aubameyang has just nine goals to his name from 23 Premier League outings to date, with his last goals coming in a 3-2 Europa League win over Benfica on February 25.

What can Auba & Saka achieve at Arsenal this season?

Aubameyang's failings in the final third have coincided with a worrying slide down the Premier League table for Arsenal, who are sitting in 10th after 27 matches. 

However, the Gunners still have an outside chance of making the top four if they can win most of their remaining games, and the Europa League is also still up for grabs for Arteta's side.

The continued presence of Aubameyang and Saka will be crucial to their chances of success, with the latter insisting that Arteta is helping him to become a better all-round player.

"He's always telling me how to be one step ahead of the opponents and always try to be proactive instead of reactive," he added on the Spaniard.

"That means instead of reacting, always being ahead of the game and trying to read where the space is going to be and be there a step earlier so that I can have a bit more time."

Further reading

Anfield games are "easier" for smaller clubs now according to Xherdan Shaqiri, who admits Liverpool have suffered in the absence of their fans.

Last season's Premier League champions have allowed their grip on the title to slip without putting up much of a fight in 2020-21, losing nine and drawing seven of their fixtures to fall 28 points behind leaders Manchester City.

Six of those defeats have been suffered at Anfield, with Shaqiri conceding the Reds are no longer the force of old on home turf with supporters still unable to attend matches amid the coronavirus pandemic.

What's been said?

"Everybody knows how our fans are when they push us," the Swiss winger told Sky Sports. "Everybody knows how many games we have managed to come back in if we concede a goal.

"I think there are many, many games where you can see that, many examples. Of course, we miss them a lot.

"For the smaller teams, it is easier to come to Anfield with no fans. There is no pressure. You can see that in many ways and in many games. The smaller teams have more of a chance."

Liverpool's Anfield woes

Jurgen Klopp's side had gone 68 Premier League matches unbeaten at home, the second-best record in the competition's history, before coming up against Burnley on January 21.

The Clarets ran out 1-0 winners on Merseyside thanks to a late Ashley Barnes penalty, with the final result sparking a dramatic downturn in fortunes for the Reds.

Liverpool have lost all five of their subsequent fixtures at Anfield, with Brighton, Manchester City, Everton, Chelsea and Fulham all picking up victories.

The defending champions have only managed to score once in that period, and won't have the chance to bring the unwanted streak to an end again until April 10 when they host Aston Villa.

What's next?

Liverpool got back to winning ways by beating RB Leipzig last week to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals, and will be in Premier League action away at Wolves on Monday.

Klopp's men must pick up another victory in order to keep their top-four hopes alive, with Shaqiri confident that the German head coach can get the Reds back on track.

"We are trying. We just need to improve performances and then I am sure we can succeed again," he said. "We have to stay positive and work hard. This club has to be successful. It has to be at the top.

"We speak a lot together and the coach gives us the right directions. I don't want to tell everyone what is said in our dressing room but we are speaking a lot and we know we have to come back stronger and give what he wants on the pitch. We have to stay positive."

Further reading

Carlo Ancelotti is confident Everton will not be without Jordan Pickford for too long after the goalkeeper suffered a rib injury.

Pickford, 27, had to be replaced late in the first half of Everton's 2-1 defeat at home to Burnley on Saturday after sustaining an injury.

The Toffees are waiting for the England international to have a scan on his ribs, but Ancelotti believes he will be available again before long.

What has been said?

Asked about Pickford's condition after the match, Ancelotti told reporters: "We don't know. He has exactly the same problem as the month when he was out for two or three games. 

"He has a scan on Monday and we will see after the scan.

"I hope that Jordan can recover soon but we have to see, we have to check.

"It is not going to be a big, big problem because it is the same problem [as before]. It is true he was out for two to three games but I hope he can recover soon."

What happened to Pickford?

Pickford hurt himself when he dived in an attempt to stop a shot from Johann Berg Gudmundsson in the first half and was replaced by Joao Virginia.

The former Sunderland star missed four matches in February with a rib problem and Robin Olsen took his place in the starting XI.

Olsen has been left out of the squad for all of Everton's matches this month, allowing Virginia to make his first appearance of the season.

The injury could see Pickford miss out on a place in the England squad for the World Cup qualifiers against San Marino, Albania and Poland.

Further reading

Cedric Kaze has claimed Yanga SC would have beaten rivals Simba SC if he was still in charge of the team in the second round of the Mainland Premier League.

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

Despite his exit, Kaze has explained he was more than prepared to give the team a win over their rivals in their second-round fixture having managed a 1-1 draw in the first meeting of the season which came five days after he had signed to handle the side.

Their second-round fixture is expected to be played on May 8 at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

“If I were still on the technical bench of Yanga towards our game against Simba in May, I believe I would have beaten our opponents,” Kaze said as quoted by Sokalabongo.

“I know many can’t believe it but that’s the truth because I know our opponents well and in the way, they were the best they failed to take three points from us when we met them in the first round.

“In my first game [against Simba], I had a chance to get three points but my players were overwhelmed with tactics to get a draw at the end but in the way I had studied them, then our second round game I would have scored and beaten them.”

Despite hiring Juma Mwambusi as the interim coach, Yanga are still searching for a permanent coach with Nikola Kavazovic leading the race to succeed Kaze.

Kaze left Yanga at the top of the 18-team table with 50 points from 23 matches, four more than second-placed Simba SC, but who have played three matches less.

Azam FC are third on 44 points from 24 matches while Biashara United under Kenyan coach Francis Baraza are fourth after amassing 39 points from 23 matches.

The father of Barcelona wonderkid Ilaix Moriba has revealed that he cancelled a flight to Manchester just as the midfielder was about to join City in 2019.

Moriba made his long-awaited senior debut for Barca at the start of the year, and hit headlines after scoring his first goal for the club in a 2-0 win over Osasuna on March 6.

The 18-year-old is now being tipped to become a star for the Blaugrana's next-generation, but his father claims his career path could have turned out differently had he not intervened when City tried to sign him two years ago.

What's been said?

Mamady Kourouma told SPORT: “With Barca, the negotiations [over his first professional contract] did not advance. We met with Txiki Begiristain [Man City sporting director] and he explained his entire project to us. 

"We liked it because they bet a lot on him. A few weeks later we had the tickets to travel to Manchester and sign the contract. 

"I cancelled it the morning that we had to go there. I wanted Ilaix to be an example and a reference for the next generations of Barca. 

"His friends were gone. If he stayed, it was proof that Barca was betting on the youth players. We managed to reach an agreement where we all came out winning.”

Why did City want Moriba?

Moriba joined Barca's academy ranks in 2010 after a stint at Espanyol, and has since worked his way up to first-team level.

The teenager broke into the club's B team at the age of just 17, earning comparisons with Manchester United star Paul Pogba due to his physicality, technical ability and vision.

Similarities were also drawn between Moriba and City legend Yaya Toure, who won two Premier League titles at Etihad Stadium after joining the club from Barcelona at the height of his career.

City were hopeful that Moriba would follow in Toure's footsteps, but he opted to continue his development at Camp Nou by committing his future to the Blaugrana through to 2022.

What's next for Moriba?

Moriba will be back in contention for a place in Ronald Koeman's squad when Barca host Huesca in La Liga on Monday night. He could also feature when the Spanish giants travel to Real Sociedad five days later.

Further reading

The Ghana Premier League will be put on hold to foster the nation's preparations for their upcoming 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe.

Currently in camp with a 24-man squad, the Black Stars are set to play Bafana Bafana on March 25 before returning home to host the Falcons in Accra three days later.

The Premier League is currently at its halfway stage and was originally second to return for the second round on March 19.

"The start of the second round of the Ghana Premier League has been rescheduled from Friday, March 19, 2021 to Friday, April 2, 2021," the Ghana Football Association has announced on its official website.

"The decision is to give handlers of the Black Stars ample time to prepare for the two remaining Africa Cup of National qualifiers against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe.

"The Black Stars have been fine-tuning in Accra for the two ties with a chunk of them being home-based players.

"The Ghana Premier League has been on break since Sunday. March 6, 2021.

"Stakeholders are also to take note that the outstanding game between Asante Kotoko SC and Bechem United FC originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 24, 2021 will now be played on Wednesday, April 7, 2021.

"Industry players are to take note of the changes."

After 17 rounds of matches, Karela United lead the league table with 31 points, one mark above Great Olympics. Hearts of Oak and arch-rivals Asante Kotoko hold the third and fourth spots, respectively, the Phobians sitting superior in the third position due to a better goal difference.

Ghana are currently joint-leaders in Afcon qualifying Group C, heading into the last two rounds of games.

With three wins and one loss in four games played so far, Ghana opened the qualifying series with a 2-0 home victory over South Africa before picking up a 1-0 away victory over Sao Tome and Principe on matchday two.

On matchday three, Ghana handed Sudan a 2-0 away defeat, but fell in the reverse fixture in Omdurman as Mohamed Abdelrahman scored late to secure a 1-0 home triumph for the north Africans.

Football Kenya Federation CEO Barry Otieno has explained the need to involve the government in taming the match-fixing scourge in the country.

Otieno said the federation can only deal with people under their jurisdiction but are powerless in punishing the people who do not fall under their provisions of power.

“At the moment, there are no regulations and a legal framework that can assist the federation to fight match-fixing," Otieno said according to The Standard Sports.

"If we arrest someone today on suspicion of match manipulation, there are no laws that will allow us to take him to court.

“FKF can only discipline its members on the cases of match-fixing, but not non-members. That’s where the challenge is and we need the government to come up with a regulatory framework to try and prosecute them outside football. We have no powers and resources to arrest and prosecute the suspects.

“We have engaged our betting partners to try and allocate money that will go towards sensitising, detecting, informing and educating different stakeholders on manipulation.

“There’s also a need to broadcast these matches. Our commercial deal with StarTimes still stands but we are pursuing our partnership with Genius Sports to see whether matches can be recorded for the sole purpose to try and identify cases of match manipulation and fair competition.”

On Saturday, the FKF and Premier League clubs held a sensitisation and consultation forum that was aimed at finding ways to fight the menace. An integrity department was consequently formed and it will be headed by the former Nairobi Stima head coach Michael Kamura.

“As you are aware, match-fixing is a global menace, but FKF in partnership with Fifa and Caf have proactively decided to hold this workshop to sensitise the clubs’ chairmen,” added Otieno.

“These workshops are not only meant to inform, educate, prevent and detect manipulation of matches but also to develop a legal policy document which can be presented to parliament to ensure there is a legal framework that can help us mitigate and address this issue by prosecuting those involved in it."

The steps taken by the FKF and the clubs was lauded by Tusker chairman Daniel Aduda, who was among the stakeholders at the sensitisation meeting.

"The training has come at the right time given that this menace has been with us both locally and globally for a long time. But it has to be a continuous conversation because this is a problem that’s not going away today,” the Tusker official said.

“Once we are done with this training, the onus will now be on the clubs’ management also to trickle down the awareness and continue with the sensitisation of players on the consequences that may befall them as individuals and the negative publicity that comes with it.

“The training still in its infancy stages and they are only rolling it out now. So, let’s wait for the implementation part of it and see.”

The Premier League and the lower leagues are ongoing and are about to reach the halfway mark. 

Chelsea can rely on Edouard Mendy at the back but must score more goals admits Ben Chilwell, who says the Blues "need a bit more" in the final third of the pitch.

Thomas Tuchel extended his unbeaten start to life in the Chelsea hot seat to 12 matches after a 0-0 draw away at Leeds United on Sunday, but the final result did little to help his team's chances of Champions League qualification.

Chilwell is concerned that a lack of cutting edge going forward is holding the Blues back, but has nothing but admiration for Mendy who produced another standout performance between the sticks.

What has been said?

Asked to assess the Chelsea goalkeeper's latest display, Chilwell told reporters post-match: "We know that when it comes down to it we can rely on Edou. Those one or two opportunities in a game when he has to concentrate and make a vital save, we know he is going to do that for us."

The England international went on to insist that the Blues will need to combine their defensive solidity with a ruthless streak in front of goal in order to finish the season as strongly as possible.

"Coming into the game people would have predicted goals," Chilwell added. "The way Leeds play is pretty free-flowing and they are a difficult team to play against. They switch positions a lot on the pitch and it was a tough game. It wasn’t the best pitch for both teams to play on but we created chances.

"Leeds had a few chances but I think if you look at the chances we had, they were probably the better. I had a few chances and I had one in the second half when I should have scored.

"We need a bit more from each other in the final third and that is something we are trying to add. Defensively as a team we are solid and we are not conceding but going forward, we are going to want to score more goals to get us the wins."

How many goals have Chelsea scored under Tuchel?

Tuchel has recorded eight wins and four draws in his opening two months in charge, with Chelsea also getting 10 clean sheets on the board during that period.

However, the west London outfit have only scored 11 goals under the German to date, including six shared between midfield duo Mason Mount and Jorginho.

Summer signing Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham have only found the net once each, while veteran frontman Olivier Giroud has two to his name since Tuchel's arrival.

The bigger picture

Chelsea have re-emerged as a  force thanks to the improvements that have been made at the back since Frank Lampard's departure, with Mendy continuing to prove that he deserves the No 1 jersey ahead of club record signing Kepa.

Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta are also performing at a high level, but Chilwell's warning must be heeded if the Blues are to take the next step forward.

Tuchel's side are only three points clear of fifth-place West Ham in the race for the final Champions League spot having played two games more, with Everton and Tottenham also still in the hunt for a fourth-place finish.

Chelsea also still have aspirations of winning Europe's elite competition and the FA Cup, and will need Werner and co to start delivering the goods up front to achieve their main goals come the end of the campaign.

Further reading

Johnston Omurwa did not expect to be named Kenya captain against South Sudan in a friendly at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday.

The Wazito FC defender skippered the team to a 1-0 win over their neighbours, with Elvis Rupia scoring the lone goal in the 75th minute from a Danson Namasaka assist.

The defender has now revealed how he felt after learning of his responsibility.

"To be honest, it was an amazing feeling that I cannot explain," Omurwa told Goal on Sunday.

"The coach [Jacob Ghost Mulee] named the starting line-up before saying I will lead the team. He said he believed in me and all he wanted was a win. I was over the moon and at the same time felt nervous.

"However, I had to do my best not to let down the coach, and getting a win really gave me the morale I needed. It is a confidence booster for me because I have the feeling and some experience of what is needed as well."

In the senior national team set-up, Omurwa is behind the likes of Joash Onyango, Brian Mandela, and Joseph Okumu. The Wazito player conceded the competition for a place in the team is stiff but if an opportunity comes his way, he will not hesitate to take it.

"My position in the team has a lot of competition and all players are experienced," Omurwa continued.

"But if the coach decides to give me a chance to represent my country I will take it fully and give my best. It is about hard work and consistency and in due time I will break into the team."

The Harambee Stars were using the game to prepare for their upcoming Afcon qualifiers against Egypt and Togo.

After facing the Bright Stars, the Harambee Stars will tackle Tanzania twice in more friendlies. The first game will be on Monday at Nyayo Stadium with the second one on Thursday at Kasarani Stadium.

Kenya found themselves in a difficult position in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after a 1-1 draw against Comoros in Nairobi and a 2-1 loss in Moroni in November.

Only local players were summoned for the three upcoming friendlies.