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Dean Henderson has been accused of playing up to the cameras for Manchester United, with Paul Scholes saying the goalkeeper allowed Simon Kjaer's header to slip past him against AC Milan as he was “trying to make it more difficult than it should be”.

The Red Devils appeared on course to establish a useful first-leg lead in their Europa League last-16 showdown with Milan, but Amad Diallo’s classy flick was cancelled out in the closing stages.

A finger of blame has been pointed in Henderson’s direction, as he dived backwards and failed to get a strong hand to an effort that sailed over his head, with Scholes of the opinion that the England international should be focusing more on getting the basics right.

What has been said?

United legend Scholes told BT Sport after seeing Henderson’s mistake cost Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side: “He should save it.

“I think he's trying to make it a little bit more difficult than it should be.

“First and foremost keep the ball out of the net. He should save that, there's no doubt about it, he'll know that.”

What did Solskjaer have to say?

The Red Devils boss refused to dig out his goalkeeper on the back of a 1-1 draw that leaves his side with plenty to do at San Siro, but he did concede that the highly-rated shot-stopper could have done better.

The Norwegian said: “I've seen him [Henderson] save them, but it's the structure that we lose. We dropped too deep and we get blocked off and they get the header on.

“We should have attacked the ball with the men we had there.”

Any other lessons learned against Milan?

A first senior goal from Ivorian teenager Diallo has ramped up excitement levels around the 18-year-old forward.

He connected with a pinpoint pass from Bruno Fernandes to guide a glancing header into the net while having his back to the target, with a lively 45-minute cameo put in following his introduction at the interval.

Elsewhere, Diogo Dalot caught the eye for Milan against his parent club, with the Portuguese defender offering enough to suggest that he could still have a future at Old Trafford.

Scholes said of the versatile 21-year-old: “He does seem a really good lad, speaks well.

“He's done the right thing to get games at a big club. That will do him the world of good.

“He played in an unfamiliar position, on that left side, but even his crossing with his left foot was brilliant. I thought defensively he did everything he had to do.

“Where does he stand now? I think he'll come back at the end of the season.

“Pre-season will be big for him. It's time for him to really perform in those pre-season games. Put a bit of pressure on [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka.

“He's different to Wan-Bissaka. We know what a great defender Wan-Bissaka is. I think he's got more quality going forward. It's just a decision for the manager and what he wants.”

Further reading

Wazito FC head coach Francis Kimanzi insists it is not abnormal to see Gor Mahia struggling in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League.

The reigning champions are eighth on the table with19 points from 13 matches; they have won six games, drawn one, and lost six as well.

Their most recent outing was against Posta Rangers where they lost by a solitary goal despite their opponents playing most of the game with 10 players after the sending off of Michael Apudo.

However, the veteran tactician concedes it is normal to see champions struggling.

"[Gor Mahia] are struggling, it is not abnormal in the game, it is very normal," Kimanzi told Goal. 

"We are just about to see how powerful they are, mentally, to bounce back. But at the same time, they are creating an opportunity for other teams to fight for the same trophy."

The former Harambee Stars coach further insisted Tusker FC look like the team to beat in the ongoing campaign.

"At the moment, Tusker are the best team in the league; they are more fluent and have been winning without struggle," Kimanzi continued.

"Despite them losing a game recently [against Bidco United] they have a very good team balance and are fluent in whatever they want in a game.

"It seems they have discovered something that is working for them and especially in bringing in players who can help the team get results when they are struggling."

The 44-year-old went on to explain why the Brewers have been doing well, and also pointed out where his team Wazito are placed in the league pecking order.

"[Tusker's] defensive, midfield and attacking aspect is really working out well for them; it is a team they have built, not for six months but for some time," he added.

"Last season they were also pushing for the league title together with [Kakamega] Homeboyz up to the end meaning they have some continuation.

"But there are other teams coming up very well and I think Wazito are in that bracket. We are re-building but the question is can we rebuild and be competitive enough and it is what we are currently doing.

"We are pushing ourselves hard to ensure we remain competitive in the league."

The Federation of Uganda Football Association has ordered Mbarara City to play one game behind closed doors for flouting the Covid-19 rules in the country.

The federation, however, warned that severe punishment will be handed out should the Premier League club fail to adhere to the regulations put in place to govern the competition again.

"Mbarara City FC sanctioned for violating articles 10 and 11 of the Fufa Covid-19 football regulations and will play their next match behind closed doors," the FA's statement obtained by Goal read.

"Disciplinary proceedings were opened against the management of Mbarara City FC after allowing fans/spectators into the stadium without written authorisation for Mbarara City Fc vs Vipers SC match on Saturday 6, March 2021 at Kakyeka.

"Most of the fans were seen not wearing face masks which is against the FufaCovid-19 football regulations.

"The Fufa competitions disciplinary panel has sanctioned Mbarara City FC with a one-match ban under closed stadium for the next Premier League game Mbarara City vs Bright Stars FC on Saturday 13th March 2021 at Kakyeka Stadium.

"Should Mbarara City FC fail to heed to the sanction, the CDP shall be constrained to take more stringent disciplinary measures against the club."

Meanwhile, Fufa has cautioned the Premier League side Malaba Youth Development Association for late coming.

MYDA arrived late before their match against Wakiso Giants but the federation declined to mete out punishment after listening to the club's reasons that forced the late arrival.

"MYDA FC have been cautioned by the Fufa competitions disciplinary panel for arriving 30 minutes late for their Uganda Premier League match with Wakiso Giants FC at Kabaka Kyabaggu Stadium on March 2, 2021," it added.

"The CDP considered the defence by MYDA FC and were remorseful in their written response and decided to caution and strongly warns MYDA FC against late arrival at the pitch on match days.

"An automatic fine of Ush500,000 will be paid on the Fufa account in the event that MYDA FC arrived late for another game."

Finally, Kyetume FC have been cautioned for the alteration of shirt numbers involving Robert Sentogo and David Seyi, although they were lucky not to be fined as they were only warned from making such a mistake in future.

"Kyetume FC have been cautioned by Fufa for the alteration of squad number of player [Robert] Sentongo who for the last two matches has been playing with shirt no.9 which is already registered under [Oyeda David] Seyi in the Fufa competitions management system (CMS) for the 2020/2021 season," the Fufa statement continued.

"Kyetume FC breached Article 17.3 of the Uganda Premier League rules which provide that; 'Each player shall register with UPL secretariat a squad number from the sequence prescribed by the Fufa competitions rules (FCR) for each player and it shall be obligatory for the respective player to use only the assigned squad number for the entire season while still with the club'.

"Kyetume FC must maintain the status quo in the competitions management system (CMS) and Seyi will continue to play under squad number 9 as registered until the completion of the 2020/2021 season.

"Kyetume are cautioned and should not repeat the offence. The CDP shall apply article 19 (9) of the FCR which states; ‘A club that fields an ineligible player shall lose the match by forfeiture to the opposing team’."

The Premier League matchday 14 actions will start on Friday with KCCA FCF hosting Police FC at Omondi Stadium in Lugogo.

South African football legend and Jomo Cosmos owner and head coach, Jomo Sono, believes that Mamelodi Sundowns president Patrice Motsepe is the ideal candidate to take African football forward into a brighter future.

Motsepe is running unopposed for the Caf presidential position, following the withdrawal of Jacques Anouma, Augustin Senghor and Ahmed Yahya, who are believed to have made an agreement in this regard with Fifa president Gianni Infantino.

The Sundowns boss is expected to be confirmed as the new Caf president at the 42nd edition of Caf's General Assembly, which takes place in Rabat, Morocco on Friday.

Sono has no doubt that his South African compatriot, who is also a highly successful billionaire businessman, is the best person for the job.

“Africa has a history of squandering money. Africa has always had the problem of money and leadership,” said Sono told the Daily Sun.

“I think he will restructure African football administration better than all former presidents. We just hope by the time his term ends [in 2026]), he would have restructured African football. I pray for him.

“Look at what he’s turned Mamelodi Sundowns into today. It’s difficult to compete with Sundowns in South Africa, and even in Africa. They have a big chance of qualifying for the Champions League final again.

The Ezenkosi owner also emphasised that Motsepe's passion is purely for the game and not for financial gain.

“With him it’s different. His interest is all about football," Sono added.

“I don’t think his interest is about money. He’s the only guy who put in money into amateur football at Safa, where they had a first prize of R1 million [for the winners of the ABC Motsepe League, South Africa's third division].

“You can see that he loves the game. He’s brought teams like Barcelona here in South Africa. He loves the game. I think he took it from his late father because he too he loved the game dearly."

Should Motsepe be named president as expected, he will become the eighth Caf leader since 1958 and will succeed Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar, who on Monday received a two-year ban from the Court of Arbitration for Sport after being found guilty of violating several Fifa ethics codes.

Sharjah FC 5-1 Khorfakkan

Sharjah FC returned to winning ways in style after five matches as they outclassed Khorfakkan 5-1 at the Sharjah Stadium on matchday 20 in the Arabian Gulf League (AGL). 

Riding on a poker by Igor Conrado the hosts registered a thumping victory to climb to the second spot with 40 points. 

They took only six minutes to break the deadlock when Conrado scored from a set-piece. In the 17th minute, he scored his second of the night after latching on to a measured through ball from Caio Lucas. 

The King kept piling on the pressure and Waleed Sirag put the ball into his own net to hand Sharjah a comfortable 3-0 lead. With just two minutes to go from halftime, Conrado completed his hattrick when he scored from 12 yards. 

The second half started on a more even keel and the visitors pulled one back through Ramos Lopes. But Conrado scored his fourth in the 83rd minute to pile further misery on 11th-placed Khor Fakkan. 

Al Jazira 1-0 Hatta

On the other hand, Al Jazira continued with their rich vein of form as they edged out Hatta 1-0 courtesy of a penalty from Ali Mabkhout at the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium. 

In the second half, Hatta threw caution to the wind and conjured some scoring chances but Jazira's keeper Ali Khasief stood strong to keep the scoreline unchanged. With this win, they take another step to the tile as they are now four points ahead of Sharjah with two matches to go. 

Shabab Al Ahli 1-1 Ajman

Meanwhile, Shabab Al Ahli was held to a 1-1 draw by Ajman at the Rashid bin Saeed Stadium. 

Al Ahli could have sealed the three points if Jaloliddin Masharipov had not missed from the spot in the 39th minute. Ajman made them pay heavily for the mistake as they put themselves ahead two minutes later when Bubacarr Trawally found the net. However, the Uzbek footballer made amends for his earlier miss as he scored the equaliser to earn a point for his team. 

Fujairah 1-1 Al Wasl

In the final match of the evening, Fujairah drew 1-1 with Al Wasl at the Fujairah Stadium. 

Both teams started the match with attacking intent and were eager to draw first blood. However, it was Mohamed Firas Ben Larbi of Fujairah who scored the first of the night in the 39th minute. In the second half, Al Wasl threw all their resources in search of the equaliser but had to wait till the dying moments of the match for Fabio Lima to convert a penalty to restore parity in the match. 

Wasl have now drawn four successive games and currently stand on 30 points in 20 matches. While Fujairah continue to be in the relegation zone with just 11 points from an equal number of matches. 

Tanzania giants Yanga SC are closing in on Serbian coach Nikola Kavazovic to replaced Cedric Kaze.

Goal can exclusively reveal the 45-year-old tactician is among the favourites mentioned by the club’s technical committee to replace Kaze, who was fired alongside the entire technical bench last Sunday.

The Burundian coach was shown the exit door after the team drew 1-1 against Polisi Tanzania but the draw came after the team had suffered their first defeat of the season - 2-1 against Coastal Union three days earlier.

According to a source in the team, Kavazovic, who has coached a number of clubs in Africa including Kenya’s AFC Leopards and Botswana’s Township Rollers, has been picked as the coach to take over the vacant role in Jangwani and will arrive in Dar es Salaam soon to start work.

“At least 45 coaches handed in CVs to replace Kaze and I can confirm the technical committee met on Wednesday night to check out the CVs and they have already zeroed in on Kavazovic to come on board,” the source, who did not want to be named, told Goal on Friday.

“The committee was impressed by the CV of the Serbian coach and what also impressed them more is because he has already handled teams in Africa and they feel he will have no problem settling in when he arrives at Yanga.

“I just want to tell you, he is the one leading the race, his name has also been forwarded to the club’s bosses so they can start planning his travel schedule and they want to use the international break to sort out the coaching problem at the club.”

Kavazovic started his coaching career in 1996 with BASK Belgrade. Besides BASK, he also worked as a youth and senior coach at BSK, Zarkovo, Borac, and Resnik.

Ahead of the 2017-18 season, he was appointed as the new manager of Township Rollers in Botswana, and in the first season in Africa, Kavazovic won a ‘double’, both the Botswana Premier League title and Mascom Top 8 Cup.

Besides his local achievements under Kavazovic, Township Rollers became the first-ever club from Botswana to reach the group stage of Caf Champions League and ironically, he achieved the feat against Yanga after they beat them 2-1 on aggregate, winning the home game 2-1 and drew 0-0 away in Tanzania.

Rollers were drawn in Group A with Al-Ahly of (Egypt), Esperance de Tunis of Tunisia, and KCCA FC (Uganda) but Kavazovic resigned after his first game, a 1-0 victory over KCCA.

He then came to Kenya and signed to handle AFC Leopards for the 2018-19 season but he left the FKF Premier League outfit a day before the season started, claiming he was heading back home to take care of a relative who was ‘unwell’ and never returned, only to resurface at South African club Free State Stars weeks later.

The 45-year-old left South Africa at the end of that season and rejoined Rollers in November 2020.

With the dust still settling on Gernot Rohr’s recent 24-player list for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin and Lesotho, observers are already speculating over the German tactician’s line-up for both encounters.

While there’s a level of certainty over the majority of positions in the XI, the form and fitness of some of the stars in the group mean the experienced manager will have tough decisions to make, with one of such tricky choices will be whom to go with to lead the line.

Usually, Victor Osimhen is the natural pick to play as the central striker but the frontman’s struggles in finding any sort of rhythm at Napoli means it’s probably not as straightforward a call as any presume.

The forward came off the bench against Bologna at the weekend to score only his third Serie A strike of the campaign and first since he netted against the same opponents in early November.

This wasn’t the campaign the former Lille marksman imagined after his big-money move to the Azzurri; he’s started just seven league games and played in 11 of a possible 25 matches so far, 44 percent of the club’s fixtures.

An injury sustained in the last international break of 2020 and coronavirus have hampered the 22-year-old in 2020/21, but the young forward will hope Sunday’s strike in the 3-1 success over the side from Emilia-Romagna proves to be the turning point.

Even though some may reckon Osimhen’s rather indifferent form in Italy ought to see him miss out, Nigeria’s bluntness in his absence and the player’s impact on his return in that ill-fated 4-4 draw vs Sierra Leone may force a rethink.

Without the menacing striker in October’s international break, the Super Eagles posed little threat through Paul Onuachu against Algeria, while the fleeting moments of spark when Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho seemed to play together vs Tunisia were too few and far between.

Osimhen returned to face the Leone Stars and thrived as the West African giants ran riot in the opening half-hour, setting up two and scoring his fourth of the qualifying campaign in only three appearances.

That encounter, despite its calamitous culmination, may have given Rohr the blueprint to approach encounters with the Squirrels and Likuena.

Ahmed Musa played close to the Napoli striker on that day in what resembled a 4-4-2 in possession and 4-4-1-1 without the ball. After the uproar that ensued on social media due to the former CSKA Moscow attacker’s strange inclusion, the 67-year-old manager has explained the situation.

“It's important to clarify that Musa is not in the competitive list of 23 players for our game against Benin and Lesotho,” Rohr told BBC Sport Africa. “We've invited Musa as the captain by making him the 24th player, but he is not part of the 23 on the list that will play our two matches.

“What is important now is to focus on the games ahead and not to be distracted by anything else. We hope for all our players to be fit and travel down safely for the matches.”

Among the horde of forwards listed, none suit playing in a withdrawn role more than Iheanacho, whose best position has tended to cause extended debates within the Nigeria fanbase.

While one group claims he’s a natural goal scorer, others believe he’s best utilised as a number 10. The truth, however, lies somewhere in between.

The former Manchester City player is neither an out-and-out centre-forward nor top-class between-the-lines creator, yet he functions best with another striker to occupy defenders.

Iheanacho has been a beneficiary of playing with another central striker at Leicester recently, as opposed to being the main man up top, equally benefiting from the Foxes’ injury problems in attack to score in successive games against Burnley and Brighton & Hove Albion.

For someone who’d netted once in 17 previous games in the competition, the recent upswing in front of goal has been marked.

It should be three on the trot, too, but for a late miss against Arsenal in late February which could have set up a grandstand finish in that 3-1 defeat at the King Power Stadium.

While Musa seemed to struggle with the responsibilities of a withdrawn role against Sierra Leone, Iheanacho fits the bill to a T and that gives Rohr the perfect opportunity to continue with the approach he’s looked to implement in the last few games.

Leaving Osimhen out of the XI could be disastrous and playing the in-form Iheanacho alone as the central striker may have similar consequences.

In a partnership, however, both forwards could do real damage to the opposition and validate the German’s recent modus operandi.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hailed the impact of Mohamed Elneny and the rest of the substitutes following their 3-1 over Olympiacos on Thursday evening.

The Gunners took the lead in the 34th minute when Martin Odegaard’s beauty beat goalkeeper Jose Sa.

In the 58th minute, Morocco international Youssef El Arabi levelled matters for the Greek Super League side, before the English team took the lead with 10 minutes left to play courtesy of Gabriel.

A short corner was taken by Willian, who floated the ball to the back post where Gabriel charged in to glance a terrific header across goal and into the far corner.

Elneny – an 81st minute substitute for Willian - settled the encounter with five minutes left to play against Pedro Martins’ men.

And the Spaniard, whose team are unbeaten in their last four games in all competitions, said the Egypt international, along with fellow replacements Daniel Ceballos, Emile Smith-Rowe, Nicolas Pepe and Alexandre Lacazette, were crucial to his side's success against Pedro Martins’ side.

“I don't know, there is still another game to play in this competition and with this level of opponent, anything can happen,” Arteta told club website.

“So, we have to be very prepared to take the game nil-nil and go and win it at the Emirates. Then we will be through.

“With Mo in particular and with the subs, I'm extremely delighted because I know how much they want to play and they are key in this competition.

“If you want to be successful, you need your subs to make an impact and they've done it tonight again.

“And Mo in particular, because of how he's been training so hard to improve his shooting range with Roundy [Steve Round] and he got his reward tonight. It's very important for the team.”

Arsenal take a two-goal lead and three away goals into the reverse fixture leg billed for the Emirates Stadium.

Olympiacos try Larissa for size in their last league game of the season next, while the Gunners welcome Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby as they return to English division action.

In a bid to win their maiden Indian Super League (ISL) title in their debut season, ATK Mohun Bagan will lock horns against Mumbai City FC in the final on Saturday.

It has been a dream debut for the Mariners who joined India's top tier league this season after merging with three times ISL champions ATK and they are just a step away from making their maiden campaign a memorable one.

While a win in the final will be special for the entire team, it will be extra special for three ATK Mohun Bagan players Pritam Kotal, Jayesh Rane and Prabir Das as it will be their third ISL title, most by any player in the league.

Pritam Kotal and Prabir Das were an integral part of the title-winning squad of ATK in 2016. The Kolkata-based side had won the title under the leadership of Jose Francisco Molina. Both Kotal and Das appeared in 12 matches each in that season.

The Bengali duo then won their second honour last season as ATK bagged their third league title beating Chennaiyin FC in the final. While Kotal appeared in all the 22 games last year, Das played in 21 matches. Kotal had scored one goal in the season and Das had provided five assists.

Jayesh Rane won his first ISL title with Chennaiyin FC in 2015 under the tutelage of legendary Italian footballer Marco Materazzi. He then bagged his second league title last season while playing for ATK. While at Chennaiyin, the Mumbai-based midfielder had played just seven matches, last season at ATK he played a total of 18 games.

2020-21 has been a good season for Kotal performance-wise as he has been a mainstay in the defence and his stats are good too - he made 15 crosses, 71 tackles, 34 interceptions and 149 clearances. He is the only ATK Mohun Bagan player other than custodian Arindam Bhattacharya who has played in every single game this season. The full-back also scored a goal in the team's penultimate league stage tie against Hyderabad FC. His goal in the dying moments of the match helped Bagan to manage at least a point from the clash. 

There are quite a few players like Jeje Lapekhlua, Harmanjot Khabra, Fikru Teferra, Balwant Singh, Dhanapal Ganesh and Apoula Edel Bete who have won the ISL title twice but they arent any player in the history of the league who have won the title thrice and hence the Mariners trio are aiming at scripting history.

Two teams that finished at the top of the league stage standings are set to be involved in the final of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) on Saturday.

Mumbai City and ATK Mohun Bagan are well-deserved finalists in their own different ways. But for a start, both teams have managed to pick up wins regularly and had opened a gap between the top two and the rest of the lot in the points table a few matches into the season. 

The early predictions of domination by two teams over the rest of the league turned out to be true as the Mariners and the Islanders continued to deliver displays that were on a whole another level throughout the campaign. 

And now, with the teams set to spar again in the grand finale, the football aficionados in India will have another chance to witness two tactical minds go at each other and approach football in two different ways. 

Sergio Lobera wanted his team to focus on scoring goals and was not too bothered about keeping clean sheets during his stint with FC Goa for the last three seasons. However, this season, the Spaniard has, more than once, uttered the term 'balance' during his conversations with the media. 

Mumbai City has scored the most number of goals this season 37 goals in 22 matches, Interestingly, no team has kept more clean sheets as well, with the Islanders registering 10 clean sheets so far this season. Their fellow finalists Bagan also have the same tally of clean sheets, which was actually expected from an Antonio Habas side.

Mumbai City prefers building attacks from the back and wants to keep the ball ticking on the ground. Only FC Goa has played more passes than Mumbai this season whereas, for tackles and yellow cards, the Islanders' name is top of the pile and that is an intention of their eagerness to retain possession when they lose the ball.

Hernan Santana has the best passing accuracy in the opposition half among players who have attempted a minimum of 50 passes in the opposition half. Ahmed Jahouh has a tackle success rate of 77.9 per cent, the best for any player who has attempted a minimum of 40 tackles this season - he has also committed the most fouls. 

Antonio Habas, who has won the ISL title twice already in 2014 and 2020, has set his team up to be the toughest roadblock in the league. There is rarely an opening that allows opponents to score past their watertight three-man defence comprised of Pritam Kotal, Tiri and Sandesh Jhingan. Bagan boasts the best defence in the league - having conceded only 17 goals in 22 matches.

Habas has been criticised for his defence-first approach more than once this season but the keyword, according to him, is also balance. And it is their ability to score goals and shut shop at will that helped them keep picking up wins on their road to the final.

Bagan has lost only one of their last nine matches and have won six of those fixtures. Despite being tagged a 'defensive' team, the Mariners have players with the ability to make an impact in the game against the run of play and that shift in approach when needed, makes them dangerous for Lobera's Mumbai City in a match like the final. 

Roy Krishna, who has 14 goals and 7 assists to his name, has been involved in the most open play sequences resulting in a goal this season (17). He is also the player with the second-best difference between expected goals (+9.39) and actual goals scored (14) and the player with the best differential between expected assists (1.14) and actual assists (seven) in this ISL campaign.

It may not be quite 'defence vs attack' in the final, given the Mariners ability to threaten with quick counters. However, it still promises to be an intriguing contest. 

More than eight years after making his professional debut for United Sikkim, Sandesh Jhingan is in a final with a chance to win the first league title in his career. 

The 27-year-old has been a stalwart at the back for all the clubs he has played for in his career but has not been able to lift a trophy so far. 

He played for United Sikkim and Mumbai FC in the I-League before signing for Kerala Blasters in the first season of ISL in 2014. The Yellow Army, under the tutelage of David James, reached the final of the tournament that year but lost to Atletico de Kolkata in the final. 

The Chandigarh-born centre-back started 14 matches in his first season at the Kochi-based club and his impressive start helped him bag the Emerging Player of the Season award. He was in the final again at the end of the third season but lost to Atletico again following a penalty shootout disappointment in front of their home crowd in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. 

Jhingan had gone on loan to Bengaluru from Kerala Blasters in 2017 during the former's I-League campaign at the end of which the Blues lifted the Federation Cup. However, it is every player's dream to play a major role in a title-winning campaign and Jhingan has not been able to realize that dream. 

"Like all footballers, I also regret not being able to win the ISL till now. It’s painful for every athlete not to win the trophy even after reaching the final. I felt the same. That’s why I want to win the league with ATK Mohun Bagan and touch the trophy this time," the former Kerala Blasters defender had said before the season began. 

And now he is close to his objective. Bagan are in the ISL final where Mumbai City await them and on Saturday, the winner of the  2020-21 ISL will be determined. 

Except for the 2019-20 campaign during which he was injured and couldn't play a single game, Jhingan had been a regular and a skipper with the Yellow Army. But repeated club-level failures season after season signalled the exit door for the India international who remained hungry for silverware.

Jhingan's comeback from a serious injury has been remarkable. He has started every single game for the Mariners this season (not counting the play-offs where he missed the first leg) as a centre-back in a three-man defence for Antonio Habas. He has contributed to the defence which is the league's best, having only let in 17 goals in 22 matches. 

Mumbai City's attack pose a difficult challenge in the final but if the defence can keep them at bay, Jhingan could very well win his first league title.

Birmingham City goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was informed she had been cut from the Team GB Olympic shortlist less than two hours before she faced Everton on Thursday.

Hampton, shaken by the news, made three errors in net in a 4-0 defeat that kept Birmingham in ninth place and stuck on 11 points in the Women's Super League. Head coach Carla Ward blasted the FA for how it treated her 20-year-old star, calling the organisation "thoughtless" for the timing of its roster-trimming, which pared down potential Great Britain participants this summer from 50 to 35.

The FA issued an apology late Thursday night.

What has been said?

“Hannah’s made three errors for three of the goals tonight," Ward said. "An hour and half before kick off, the FA decided to give her a call ... the girls are going out to warm up and she’s in tears. We’re wondering whether to even play her.

"The timing was absolutely ridiculous. We have a kid, a [20-year-old] kid, in floods of tears, you can see that it’s clearly affected her and I think the timing of it is thoughtless.

“You’re not going to get Man City, it happening before Champions League night, but it’s okay to deliver news to players from both sides an hour and half before kick off when it’s Birmingham vs. Everton.

“She got the call at half 5, we’re kicking off at 7, we went 45 minutes upstairs with her.

"She’s deeply upset. Our focus should’ve been on the game. Her focus should’ve been on the game. We’ll have to pick her up, naturally. She’s been exceptional this season and I think she’s going to be heartbroken naturally. The timing is unacceptable.”

Everton boss Willie Kirk also criticised the FA's actions, which impacted members of his team, too.

“The communication went out to the players before it went out to the clubs," Kirk said. "I think that’s poor, for a start.

"I think it’s important that, if you’re sharing good news or bad news, the clubs get a heads up so the clubs can try and support that if it’s bad news, and can try and I suppose support it if it’s good news as well.

"Certainly, a player finding out that information two hours before kick off is wrong, in my opinion. I think it’s very, very poor from the people who communicated it.

"It has affected our players. I think the players that were effected have dealt with it very professionally tonight. Both put in really good performances. Two have got disappointing news, and two players have got good news, they never let it affect them.

"But I think it’s poor timing. For me, there is no reason why that could not have been communicated either later tonight or first thing tomorrow.”

FA apology

“We apologise to the players and clubs concerned, and will also do so personally," wrote the FA in a statement. "The timing of the correspondence was an error but we take full responsibility for the upset this has caused."

Final Olympic roster announcement date

Team GB is expected to finalise its squad in May.

Further reading

Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal "have to stop making errors" after their latest Europa League outing, but also insisted that they won't stop playing out from the back.

The Gunners put one foot in the last eight of the continental competition by beating Olympiacos 3-1 at the Karaiskakis Stadium on Thursday night, thanks to goals from Martin Odegaard, Gabriel and Mohamed Elneny.

However, Arsenal only managed to gain their two-goal advantage after conceding a soft equaliser, with Youssef El-Arabi scoring after intercepting a lazy pass from Bernd Leno, and Arteta has warned his players that they cannot afford to keep making basic mistakes.

What's been said?

The Spanish head coach told BT Sport after the final whistle: "We started the game really well, really dominant and creating a lot of chances.

"We gave them a goal trying to play out from the back but then we reacted well to score two more goals. Overall a really positive result but we have to stop making the errors that are costing goals because we cannot sustain that.

"It isn't about concentration it is about when you play the ball. It is not about stopping the way we play because this is us.

"We were really solid, really dominant. We showed a lot of personality to come here and dominate like we did. The next thing is to do that for 90 minutes and give nothing to the opponent.

"This is half time and anything can happen. Full focus and we start 0-0 again in the second leg and try to win the game."

Leno's moment of madness 

There initially appeared to be no danger when Gabriel played the ball back to Leno just outside his own box as Arsenal sought to keep possession early in the second half, but the German shot-stopper picked the wrong option when trying to kickstart another attack.

Leno just about found Dani Ceballos in the middle of the park with a weak pass, but he was being closely marked by two players, the closest of whom was El-Arabi, who was easily able to win the ball back and drive towards the penalty area.

The Arsenal no.1 was then unable to get back into position to stop El-Arabi's subsequent shot, which nestled into the net and left the Gunners defence with their heads in their hands.

When is the second leg?

Arsenal will welcome Olympiacos to Emirates Stadium for the return fixture next Thursday, which will also be played behind closed doors amid the continued absence of supporters amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Arteta's men have a huge north London derby clash to attend to first though, with arch-rivals Tottenham set to arrive at the same venue on Sunday afternoon.

Further reading

Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has said both rivals of this weekend's North London derby have been disappointments this year, which puts means more than just table positioning will be on the line this weekend.

The London sides won easily in Europa League last-16 action on Thursday, but the Premier League has been a tougher setting for them.

Spurs sit in seventh place, while the Gunners are down to 10th. They have been better of late, however, and neither have lost in March.

What has been said?

"It’s not necessary to see the table," Lloris told BT Sport. "It’s a game about pride, even more because both teams are not at the place we expected. But we still have something to play for because there’s still 11 games to go."

Added winger Erik Lamela: "It’s a massive game and we are excited and we will take it like it is a derby. We know how to play these games. We are ready."

Recent derby history

Tottenham have owned the rivalry over the past couple of years, going unbeaten across their past five meetings with Arsenal in all competitions.

That includes a 2-0 triumph over the Gunners in December, when Son Heung-Min and Harry Kane scored.

Further reading

Harry Maguire lamented his horror miss against Milan on Thursday night before calling on Manchester United to "play a lot better" in the second leg at San Siro next week.

United were held to a 1-1 draw, with a late Simon Kjaer header cancelling out Amad Diallo's 50th-minute effort at Old Trafford.

Maguire had a great opportunity to put the hosts in charge before Diallo's opener, but somehow managed to hit the post from less than a yard out, and he took full responsibility for the poor finish post-match.

What's been said?

“I should have scored,” Maguire skipper told BT Sport. “I am not making any excuses for that one. I should have scored. I should have put it in the net.

"That’s why I am a defender and not a forward! But no excuses I have got to score.”

Maguire added on United's overall performance: “It is only halfway and we have to stay positive, but we need to play better.

“It is disappointing to concede in the last minute, especially at a set-play when we didn’t play well, we didn’t play at our best but were comfortable in the game.

“They didn’t create, they had a lot of possession after we scored the first goal but they didn’t create chances and it looked like we were going to see it out 1-0 and to concede the way we did, is really poor.

“We need to play better [in Italy] that what we have done tonight. I felt we did enough to win 1-0 although they probably had the majority of the game but we had the best chances of the game.

“But we need to play better and we know we can play better. It is going to be an exciting tie next Thursday and an important one for us. We have got to go there and play a lot better than we did tonight and we can go through.”

How did Maguire fail to score?

Alex Telles whipped in a corner from the right-hand side in the first half that Bruno Fernandes rose to flick toward the back post, with the ball subsequently looping over onrushing Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and into the path of Maguire.

The towering centre-back appeared to have timed his run to perfection, but he struck the post from just a few feet away from the goal-line before ending up in the net himself, with the ball ultimately bouncing back out of danger.

Diallo came off the bench to initially spare Maguire's blushes with a stunning nodded finish early in the second period, but the England international's miss still ended up proving costly as Kjaer headed in a stoppage-time corner to give the Rossoneri a crucial away goal.

What's next?

Maguire will likely have the chance to atone for his error when the Red Devils welcome West Ham to Old Trafford on Sunday.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men will head to Italy for the reverse fixture against Milan four days later, before their focus shifts to an FA Cup quarter-final showdown against Leicester City on March 21.

Further reading

Bruno Fernandes and Brandon Williams have saluted Amad Diallo on his maiden Manchester United goal in Thursday’s 1-1 Europa League draw with AC Milan.

The 18-year-old winger who replaced injured Anthony Martial put Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side ahead just four minutes after his introduction – heading past goalkeeper Antonio Donnarumma a cross from the Portuguese midfielder.

In the process, he became the youngest non-British player to ever score in major European competition for the Old Trafford giants aged 18 years and 243 days.

Remarkably, his maiden effort came with a first ever shot for the team in just his third appearance for the Old Trafford giants.

Another record that dropped for Diallo saw him become the first player from Cote d’Ivoire to find the net for the Old Trafford giants in the Champions League and Europa League combined.

While it looked like Stefano Pioli’s men would return to San Siro empty-handed, they equalised in the closing stages through Simon Kjaer.

The duo who also featured against the Red and Blacks took to social media to congratulate the former Atalanta teenager on his goalscoring feat.

“Frustrating to concede a last-minute goal but there’s still much to play next week. Congrats Amada Diallo on your first goal,” Fernandes tweeted.

Resounding this is Williams who came in for Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the 74th minute.

“Frustrating to end the game like that! But it’s only half time and all to play for hundred percent. Amad Diallo big congrats bro, just the start.”

The Cote d’Ivoire prospect had gone on Twitter to revel in his maiden goal, while expressing optimism that his team can get the job done in Italy.

“We are Manchester and we will fight for another 90 minutes.”

Manager Solskjaer also shared his view on the Cote d’Ivoire prospect.

“He's creative and he plays with freedom,” he told the club website.

“Great pass from Bruno [Fernandes] by the way, that’s what makes the goal. Amad, he has been on the pitch before, but a good goal. He has loads to learn and he’ll be better having had that [time].”

United welcome David Moyes’ West Ham United in Sunday’s English Premier League clash.

Tottenham were lifted by Harry Kane's brace in their 2-0 Europa League win over Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday, with Hugo Lloris saying the talisman's instincts around the box were representative of a magnetic connection with the ball.

Both of Kane's first-leg goals came after he seized possession from an odd bounce - he swept in an Erik Lamela shot that had clattered the post and later pounced on a botched clearance attempt.

The 27-year-old experienced knee discomfort toward the end of proceedings, but manager Jose Mourinho later dismissed the problem as "not anything serious".

What has Lloris said?

"He is just enjoying his football," Lloris said of Kane to BT Sport. "As we can see he attracts the ball. Lamela made an amazing job [open things up for] the first goal and Harry was there at the right time to score. His second gives some relief to the team before the second leg.

"We had some ups and downs in the season but we come into an important period now and it is good to feel the players are ready to help the team. If we work well as a team we will give our talent more power to make the difference."

What has Mourinho said?

"[Kane] is doing everything," Mourinho told BT Sport. "He is doing the striker job of scoring goals, the teamwork of creating space and linking play and the extra work not many strikers do in defence.

"He helps us a lot. He has an incredible number of clearances from crosses and corners. We couldn't be happier.

"[The knee issue] I don't believe is anything big. Sunday is a match everyone wants to play and little things will not stop him. I don't have the feeling it is not anything serious."

Bigger picture

Tottenham will bring a resurgent attack into this weekend's derby with Arsenal, and their comfortable Europa League victory will maintain confidence while lowering anxieties a notch for the ensuing second leg of the last-16 on March 18.

Mourinho was able to use Gareth Bale and Lucas Moura off the bench against Zagreb, preserving their energy for fixtures ahead.

Further reading

Youssef El-Arabi and Mohamed Elneny scored as Arsenal secured a 3-1 victory over Olympiacos in the first leg round of 16 of the Europa League game on Thursday night.

Morocco international El-Arabi was handed his third appearance in the European competition and utilized the opportunity to add to his tally this season.

The forward’s effort was, however, not enough to help Pedro Martins’ men avoid defeat at Karaiskaki Stadium.

Elneny scored one of the goals that condemned Olympiacos to defeat after he was afforded his seventh appearance in the European tournament this season.

The game started brightly with Arsenal dominating the opening 30 minutes and came close to opening the scoring in the seventh minutes when Gabon international Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s header hit the crossbar.

The moment eventually came for the Gunners to break the deadlock in the 34th minute when Martin Oedegaard fired home a long-range shot from outside the box.

After the restart, the Greek champions made a frantic effort to level proceedings and got a goal back through El-Arabi in the 58th minute.

Gabriel then gave the Emirates Stadium outfit the lead in the 79th minute with a fine strike after he was set up by Willian.

With five minutes left to the end of the game, Elneny, who replaced Willian in the 81st minute, sealed the victory for Mikel Arteta’s men with a well-taken shot from outside the box.

El-Arabi featured for 77 minutes before making way for Egypt’s Ahmed Hassan while his teammate and Guinea international Mady Camara played for the duration of the game.

Aubameyang was on parade for 88 minutes before he was replaced by Alexandre Lacazette in the encounter.

The African stars will hope to continue their impressive performances in the second leg of the game on March 18.

Before the Europa League game, Arsenal will slug it out against Tottenham Hotspur in a Premier League game on Sunday.