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Sofapaka defender Michael Kibwage believes conceding the second goal in the 2-0 loss to Ulinzi Stars in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League match at Kericho Stadium on Friday demoralized the team.

After a goalless first half, Omar Boraafya opened the scoring in favour of the Soldiers in the 49th minute. Oscar Wamalwa doubled the advantage from the penalty spot four minutes later to ensure his team got maximum points.

The Harambee Star conceded Batoto ba Mungu lost concentration after the break and they went on to pay the price.

"We managed to hold them well in the first half and did not concede any goal," Kibwage told Goal on Sunday.

"But after the break, we lost concentration and conceded early and the goal spoiled the plan we had. Then conceding the penalty less than five minutes after conceding the first goal was untimely.

"It killed our morale completely considering the fact that we had to score three goals, which did not happen, to win the game."

Prior to the game, head coach Ken Odhiambo had stated the 2009 champions were targeting back-to-back wins, something that has not happened this season for his charges.

Kibwage has commented on the issue as well, insisting the team is on the right track and will get better.

"We are giving our best to get consecutive wins; actually we had targeted the same on Friday," the former KCB and AFC Leopards defender continued.

"But since it did not work, we have to build another one in our next game. The team is growing every day and we are slowly getting in order. I believe we can only get better."

Batoto ba Mungu are targeting winning the title this season despite their inconsistencies. They are currently placed 10th on the table with 14 points from the 11 games they have played.

The Nairobi-based charges have managed to get four wins, two draws, and five losses. They have also scored 14 goals and conceded 15 in the process and will be hoping to have a better outing when they play KCB in their next game.

SuperSport United coach Kaitano Tembo has predicted "another tough and difficult game" against Orlando Pirates whom they host at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Wednesday.

Fresh from Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Kaizer Chiefs, Matsatsantsa are up against another Soweto giant.

Tembo stressed the need to have all his players available as they seek to maintain or better their second position on the log.

“Another difficult team, difficult game. They are a team that has been doing well and it’s always not going to be easy,” Tembo told SuperSport’s media team as per Front Runner.

“It’s going to be tough. Playing these games, two tough games coming. We need to have everyone available because you could see that the legs were a little bit gone there. But we have to keep on fighting.”

The reverse fixture between SuperSport and Pirates ended in a 2-1 victory for the Buccaneers at Orlando Stadium in November 2020.

But the two sides resume their rivalry on Wednesday as SuperSport are buoyed after avoiding defeat against Amakhosi.

The Tshwane side had to come from behind to salvage a draw against Chiefs, a game in which he made an early substitution by taking out Lucky Mohomi for Kuda Mahachi in the 36th minute.

“It was tactical because I thought Lucky wasn’t giving us much. He lacked energy in terms of pressing, he was always slow especially to gather the second ball,” continued Tembo.

“That’s why we had to bring in Jammie [Webber] a bit little bit more inside and have an out and out winger in Kuda Mahachi. [Giuly] Manziba hasn’t played for close to five months now so giving him a little bit of game time will help in terms of us getting more options attacking-wise. He is still not yet there but I think this is a starting point.

“With [Onismor] Bhasera he did very well except for the first goal they scored. I thought we could have handled that better in terms of communication and decision-making as well as awareness. You are in that area and if you are not sure just take it away from the danger zone and then we regroup.

“That was a disappointing factor in terms of Bhasera’s comeback but with his performance, you can’t fault him.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has issued a rallying cry to his Manchester United squad, calling for his players to prove that they "want it more" than their opponents.

United are due to welcome Newcastle to Old Trafford on Sunday night as they continue to try and chase down arch-rivals Manchester City at the top of the table.

The Red Devils have fallen 10 points behind City after a run of just one win from their last five games and Solskjaer has warned that they cannot afford to take any teams lightly heading into the business end of the season.

What was said?

“Every game in the Premier League is difficult. You’ve got to earn the right. You’ve got to do it by your quality but first of all the attitude," the Norwegian told United's official website.

"Run more than them, want it more than them and we’ve got players who have got the quality, so hopefully we can take the chances.”

European boost

Solskjaer saw his side bounce back from a disappointing 1-1 draw with West Brom by beating Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League round of 32 tie on Thursday night.

The Red Devils ran out 4-0 winners at the Allianz Stadium thanks to a brace from Bruno Fernandes and goals from Daniel James and Marcus Rashford, rediscovering a ruthless streak in the final third which had been lacking in recent matches.

"Thursday night was perfect for us. We gave minutes to the ones that needed minutes, we got good confidence from the performance," Solskjaer said.

"The forwards scored goals – Dan [James], Marcus [Rashford], Bruno [Fernandes] scored two goals. I think we’ve found a way of playing when the spaces are there for us. I think we were good at finding the spaces. When they give you the space in behind, why not take it?”

The bigger picture

United will still be in contention for their first Premier League title since 2012-13 if they beat Newcastle, but their best chance of ending a four-year trophy drought will now likely come in cup competitions.

The Manchester outfit have one foot in the Europa League last 16, and they also have an FA Cup quarter-final clash against Leicester City to look forward to next month.

Solskjaer said of the club's silverware ambitions earlier this month: "Of course a trophy is always what you’re aiming for. You want to win every single competition – FA Cup, Europa League, every game you play, the Premier League.

“And that’s the ultimate challenge and a test for a team: to go all the way.”

Further reading

Posta Rangers captain Joseph Mbugi is confident the team will rise and meet their set targets in the league despite a recent 4-1 loss to leaders Tusker FC.

The two teams met in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League at Kasarani Annex on Thursday. Jackson Macharia, Henry Meja, and Luke Namanda scored for Robert Matano's side while Rangers' goal was struck by Ezekiel Okare.

The experienced skipper is hopeful the Mailmen will rise and get a positive outcome in the forthcoming matches.

"It was not the result we wanted, just a bad day in the office," Mbugi, who is nursing an injury and missed the game, told Goal on Sunday.

"We played the game well especially in the first half but lost some momentum after the break. 

"But again, the team is going under some sort of transition from the technical bench and new players as well. I am confident once the team gels, there will be positive results coming in. We will reach our target.

"We are going to rise, just a matter of time."

The midfielder went on to give his thoughts on new coach Stanley Okumbi, who took over from Sammy Omollo.

"Okumbi is an experienced coach who knows our football well," Mbugi continued.

"I am optimistic he will help us get positive results consistently as we aim at achieving our objectives. It is just a matter of time before we start winning matches."

Recently, the Nairobi-based charges completed the signing of Bernard Ondiek from Gor Mahia to bolster their midfield.

The midfielder became the fourth signing at the club after the arrivals of Evans Makari Maliachi from side Talanta FC, Joshua Otieno Nyatini from Wazito FC, and Ambrose Awio from Biashara Mara United.

Rangers have struggled to win matches in the top-tier this season and it is something they aimed at solving by bringing Okumbi and the other new signings on board.

The Mailmen have collected just one win from the 12 matches they have played in the FKF-Premier League, drawn seven, and lost four. They have also scored eight goals and conceded 15 which puts them at a negative seven goal-difference. 

Gor Mahia have finally left for Zambia to face Napsa Stars in their Caf Confederation Cup playoff fixture on Sunday.

The Kenyan champions have been stranded in the country since Friday after their planned trip was aborted owing to what they termed as ‘logistical problems.’

However, the team has finally hit the skies to Lusaka for the return leg fixture of their qualifier which will be played at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka at 16:00.

Gor Mahia team manager Jolawi Abondo confirmed to Goal they have finally secured air tickets and were already on board to Zambia.

“We have finally secured tickets are boarding now, in few minutes will hit the runaway for Zambia,” Abondo told Goal on Sunday.

However, Goal now understands more trouble is awaiting the team in Zambia after it emerged their efforts to have the game postponed to Monday have already been turned down by Napsa Stars.

A source privy to the situation has told Goal the club had written to the Pensioners, requesting to have the game played on Monday so that they are able to do the mandatory Covid-19 tests as per Caf regulations before playing the fixture.

“Gor Mahia wrote to Napsa Stars as they tried to secure tickets for the trip and they have responded back saying it will not be possible to postpone the game,” the source, who did not want to be named, told Goal on Sunday.

“It means Gor Mahia are not out of the woods yet because they must do Covid-19 tests and also play the game today [Sunday], I am not sure if they can have the tests done and results released in two hours, it might not be possible.”

The source further added that despite Gor Mahia making it to Zambia, they might end up giving a walkover.

“It is possible a walkover is looming because without valid Covid-19 certificates, the game will not start, so most probably the match officials will be forced to hand a walkover to Napsa Stars," the source concluded.

Gor Mahia are facing a tall order having lost the first leg at Nyayo Stadium 1-0 a week ago.

Liverpool have become an "easy touch" for their rivals, according to Graeme Souness, who says "everyone wants to play against" the reigning Premier League champions.

Jurgen Klopp's side suffered their fourth successive defeat at Anfield on Saturday, with Everton the latest side to get the better of a Liverpool team that continues to fall well short of the standards they set during their title-winning 2019-20 campaign.

The Reds dominated possession in the Merseyside derby clash but struggled to create any clear cut chances, with Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson scoring for the Toffees after swift counter-attacks, and Souness was scathing in his assessment of their performance.

What was said?

"As a Liverpool supporter, I am deeply disappointed with my team," the Liverpool legend told Sky Sports .

"It didn't look like they had any energy or any fight or any real aggression about them. The best team got the points today."

Asked whether the Reds were more like their old selves in the second half, Souness responded: "The first 10 minutes, I expected a reaction and at half-time and I think we got that kicking into the Kop which you always expect, an empty Kop.

"But after 10 minutes that faded as well. I think there's no Liverpool player that can come off that pitch tonight and think 'I've had a good game tonight'.

"They're a shadow of a team. When you think what Liverpool have been for three years - a team that no one wants to play against, a team that were always on the front foot, super-aggressive, must have been horrible to play against them.

"And now everyone wants to play against them. They're an easy touch and that hurts me."

Can Liverpool still win the title?

Liverpool looked on course to defend the Premier League trophy after beating Crystal Palace 7-0 at Selhurst Park on December 19 - with that result ensuring that they sat top of the table on Christmas Day.

However, the Reds have only picked up two wins from 11 matches since then, and they now find themselves 16 points behind pace setters Manchester City, who still have a game in hand.

Klopp has already given up on the title, as he told reporters following his team's defeat to Leicester last week: "I don't think we can close the gap this year, to be honest.

"We're not worrying about the title, we're not silly."

Salvation in Europe?

In addition to slipping out of the title race, Liverpool have also suffered early exits in both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, leaving the Champions League as their only remaining route to silverware.

The Reds have saved their best displays for the European stage this term, with a 2-0 win in the first leg of their round of 16 tie against RB Leipzig marking their latest triumph.

Klopp's men will be expected to progress to the last four after the return leg at Anfield, and they would then have a great chance of securing a seventh continental crown - two years on from their last triumph in Madrid.

Further reading 

Etienne Eto'o scored twice as Cameroon saw off Mozambique 4-1 in an African Cup of Nations U20 group tie on Saturday in Nouakchott.

The loss saw Mozambique, who were debuting in the tournament, finish at the bottom of Group A as Cameroon, who had qualified for the quarter-finals already, remained at the top.

Two first-half goals by Eto'o, the son of Cameroonian legend Samuel Eto'o, condemned Mozambique, who were to concede two more goals in the second half.

Eto'o scored with an accurate free-kick in the eighth minute before he converted a penalty just before the half-time break to hand his side a 2-0 lead at the interval.

It was Eto'o's time to turn a provider when he squared the ball for Kevin-Prince Mila who scored the third for the Young Lions shortly after the break.

Mozambique’s Gianluca Lorenzoni struck with five minutes left with a free-kick to deny Cameroon a clean sheet.

After conceding, they re-organised quickly and scored the fourth through Abdoulaye Yahya to end the group games with a huge win.

Meanwhile, Uganda qualified for the knockout stage after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Mauritania in Nouakchott.

Both sides needed a win to assure themselves of a place in the next phase of the competition but it is the Cecafa side that earned a spot after a tight encounter.

The hosts got an opener in the first half when Silly Sanghare scored from a penalty before the Hippos equalised on the hour mark.

Derrick Kaooza scored the winner for the East Africans deep into the second half to seal a place in the knockout stage.

Uganda were unable to utilise chances in the early moments and went behind when Oumar Mbareck was brought down by Aziz Kayondo with eight minutes left to the end of the first half.

Uganda needed 15 minutes to equalise in the second half after a good move on the right wing by Steven Sserwada, whose shot found the bottom-right corner.

The Morley Byekwaso side won a penalty in the 88th minute after a Mauritanian handled the ball as he attempted to clear a Ugandan corner. Kakooza converted successfully to send them into the next round of the junior tournament.

Carlo Ancelotti says Everton's "special" Merseyside derby victory against Liverpool was a "gift" to their fans.

Everton earned their first win at Anfield since 1999 thanks to goals from Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson, moving level on points with Liverpool in the Premier League standings in the process.

The Toffees came into the clash on the back of two successive defeats, and Ancelotti was delighted to see his team get back to winning ways in impressive fashion against the Reds.

What was said?

The Italian boss told BBC Sport after Everton's 2-0 triumph: "We are really happy, really pleased. After a long time Everton are able to win at Anfield, it is a good gift for our supporters.

"The performance was good. We were focused, worked hard and when we had the opportunities we were clinical. We have three points.

"The derby is a special game as we said before but we have to catch three points at home too. It [our form] is not good enough at home."

Toffees full-back Seamus Coleman added to Sky Sports: “It’s an amazing feeling, after coming here all those years and letting ourselves and more importantly letting the blue side of the city down.

“It’s been hard. We can try and brush it off but when you have lived in the city for 10 years it has been difficult to take.

“I am fed up with coming out with the same cliches after losing. I’d thank the manager for the way he set us up and the players put in an unbelievable shift. That was against the champions, so we are delighted.”

What's next?

Everton will now look ahead to a meeting with Southampton at Goodison Park on March 1, which comes three days before they are due to take in a trip to the Hawthorns to face West Brom.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are scheduled to face Sheffield United at Brammall Lane next weekend before turning their attention to a huge encounter with Chelsea at Anfield on March 4.

The bigger picture

Everton now have a realistic chance of finishing above Liverpool for the first time since 2012-13, and Champions League qualification is also still up for grabs for Ancelotti's men.

The Toffees are only three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with a game in hand still to take in, but they will have to prove they can put together a consistent run of results in order to book a seat at Europe's elite table.

Although Liverpool are also still in the hunt for a Champions League berth, they have ultimately fallen well short of expectations after winning the title by such a wide margin last term.

The Premier League trophy looks completely out of sight for Jurgen Klopp's side now, with Manchester City currently sixteen points ahead of them having played a game less.

Further reading

Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Joseph Makhanya feels that Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United employed similar tactics and played the same brand of football, which made it difficult to produce a victor from Saturday’s Premier Soccer League encounter.

The two sides played to a 1-1 draw at FNB Stadium with Chiefs opening the scoreline through Reeve Frosler in the 29th minute, while Matsatsantsa hit back via Bradley Grober’s second-half penalty as the striker scored his 13th league goal of the season.

From then, no side found a breakthrough and Makhanya has explained why he thinks that was the case.

“Obviously the style of play was very similar. They were both playing wide and penetrating from wide. It meant that both team’s style was similar,” Makhanya told iDiski TV.

“SuperSport deployed the same tactics, Kaizer Chiefs deployed the same tactics. The only difference between the two teams were their number tens. Chiefs had [Nkosingiphile] Ngcobo and SuperSport had Sipho Mbule. That difference was in decision-making and creativity.

“From SuperSport’s side it was a bad decision to substitute [Lucky] Mohomi. That is a player who gives you stability, coordination in the midfield and supply. At the end of the day he gives you that element of scoring. He takes long-range shots.”

Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt handed midfielder Willard Katsande a rare start before he was pulled out for Daniel Cardoso.

“One thing Gavin Hunt did was playing Katsande although he hadn’t played for a long while but he did play well in terms of protecting [Njabulo] Blom and Ngcobo," continued Makhanya.

“That meant Ngcobo was going to be closer to strikers and it became easier for him as he had to cover little space. He had to deal with the element of creativity which he did very well.

“He had some shots on target, he nearly scored a goal. It shows you that sometimes you have to know the kind of players you have and how to protect them to get the best out of them. That is what Gavin Hunt did and I liked that.

“On SuperSport’s side after they conceded he [Tembo] changed everything and substituted Mohomi. Maybe he wasn’t giving him what he wanted. It was too early to take him out especially that you don’t have someone to get in and directly replace him.”

Kaizer Chiefs now shift attention to hosting Horoya in a Caf Champions League Group B match on Tuesday while SuperSport host Orlando Pirates on Wednesday in a league encounter.

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has offered an update on the future of Chelsea target Niklas Sule.

Sule has just under 18 months left to run on his current contract, and Bayern have yet to offer him the chance to commit to fresh terms at Allianz Arena.

Chelsea have been tipped to capitalise on the situation by swooping for the 25-year-old's signature in the summer, but Rummenigge is still hopeful that he will extend his stay with the German champions.

What was said?

"We want the good German national team players at FC Bayern. Niklas still has one year of the contract," the Bayern chief told ZDF.

"We will hold talks and see where they'll lead. We will look at the whole thing seriously & calmly by the summer.

"Corona (Covid-19 pandemic) has also caused financial damage to FC Bayern.

"If we find a solution, we are happy to extend the contract, but that will only be possible under certain conditions."

Why have Chelsea been linked with Sule?

Chelsea have not had a settled centre-back partnership since the days of John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, with the likes of Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger all vying for regular minutes at Stamford Bridge in the present.

New Blues boss Thomas Tuchel has been experimenting with three at the back to try and shore up the team defensively, which has worked well so far, but extra reinforcements may be needed when the transfer window reopens.

Sule, who has spent the last four years of his career at Bayern, has the necessary experience and quality to add a new dimension to Chelsea's defence, and it has been reported that he could be available for as a little as £33 million ($46m) later this year.

Sule's record at Bayern

Sule has racked up 125 appearances across all competitions for Bayern since his 2017 move from Hoffenheim, scoring six goals.

The Germany international has picked up 11 major trophies during that period, including three Bundesliga titles and the Champions League, and looks likely to increase his haul of medals come May.

Bayern are currently on course to win the Bundesliga for a ninth successive season, while a successful defence of the European Cup could also be on the cards if they get past Lazio in the last 16.

Further reading

Gor Mahia have blamed the Football Kenya Federation for their aborted trip to Zambia to play their Caf Confederation Cup fixture against Napsa Stars on Sunday.

The Kenyan champions were scheduled to depart on Friday for the return leg fixture but the trip did not materialise as it emerged they had not secured air tickets for the travelling contingent to Lusaka.

A top club official, who did not want to be named, has now told Goal they were duped by the federation that they will get help through the FKF Premier League grants to purchase travel air tickets

But it was not the case as the same federation came back to them on Friday saying they don’t have money.

“We were promised by FKF they will give us part of our grants from the Premier League to purchase tickets for the trip to Zambia and when it reached Friday, the same FKF came back to us saying their accounts have been frozen by Kenya Revenue Authority,” the official told Goal on Sunday.

“They were supposed to give us tickets against our grants and we are informed their accounts were frozen, I have the federation’s communication to our team manager explaining that their accounts have been frozen and in view of the same they cannot help us.

“We did not want money from them, all we needed was tickets to travel and we approached them on Wednesday, and they went ahead to promise that they will to talk to their agency to facilitate the same, we did not want money from them in cash, all we needed was tickets, but when it reached Thursday, they came back to us that their accounts are frozen and they cannot access money.

“We did reservation three weeks ago, and we handed over the same reservation to FKF to have them process the tickets, and then on Thursday, they come back to us that they cannot help us.”

When reached for comment, FKF CEO Barry Otieno admitted Gor Mahia had made a verbal request to be assisted for the Zambia trip but unfortunately they could not help them.

“It is true, Gor Mahia did make a request, [verbal and not formal] to be assisted for the trip but unfortunately there is an agency notice put by KRA on all FKF accounts and it is a request we could not asset them with because of that,” Otieno told Goal on Sunday.

“I responded the same to the people who made the request on behalf of the club, the club team manager, and the treasurer, there was no time Gor Mahia signed an endorsement so they can be assisted for the trip to Zambia.

“That is the position, and however, in the past, when we had our accounts operating and money available, the federation has assisted Gor Mahia, we gave them Sh3m, Sh1m being a loan, which they are yet to repay to honour a Caf fixture, so this allegation they are claiming are all bent to tarnish the good name of the federation.”

Goal now understands Gor Mahia could leave the country on Sunday at 10:00, a few hours before their return leg set for National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka at 16:00.

Simba SC defender Mohamed Hussein has claimed the team’s morale is very high and believes they have what it takes to get a positive result against Al Ahly in a Caf Champions League fixture.

The Tanzanian champions will welcome the African champions for their first meeting in Group A of the competition at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Tuesday.

Ahead of the match, the Msimbazi assistant captain has said they have been motivated to get a win against the Egyptian giants.

“The morale of the players is huge and everyone needs a victory so we will fight to get a good result in front of Al Ahly,” Hussein said as quoted by Sokalabongo.

“Each of us knows the competition is fierce, we need to do well in our national and international matches so the fans can continue to support us, we will not let them down, we know what they expect and we will strive to give them what they want.”

On Friday, Simba formed a rallying call by coining ‘Total War in Dar’ as their slogan ahead of the key game.

“The last time we met here in Dar es Salaam we defeated Al Ahly 1-0 in 2019 and our slogan then was 'Yes, we can',” Manara told reporters on Friday.

“Before the last game [vs FC Platinum] we said 'War in Dar' a war that was fought in 90 minutes, it was a war of blood and sweat and we emerged victors.

“This time around the clarion call is 'Total War in Dar'. Al Ahly are a big team but we are at a point of no return. We must fight them and we must win.”

The Msimbazi giants opened their group campaign with a vital 1-0 away win against AS Vita Club of the Democratic Republic of the Congo while the African champions cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win against Al Merrikh of Sudan.

The Egyptian giants, led by South African coach Pitso Mosimane, were yet to start their group stage fixtures as they were taking part in the Fifa Club World Cup held in Qatar, where they managed to clinch a bronze medal.

For Simba, it was Congolese forward Chris Mugalu who delivered the three points after stepping up to score from the penalty spot for the 1-0 win while Al Ahly benefited from Mohamed Magdy Afsha, Walter Bwalya, and Mahmoud Kahraba's goals to move top of the group on goal difference.

Orlando Pirates’ bid to reach the Caf Confederation Cup group phase faces what on paper looks like an easy task against Jwaneng Galaxy at Orlando Stadium on Sunday.

The Soweto giants go into this second leg play-off match carrying a 3-0 lead from the away leg last week.

Any scoring draw would be enough for the Buccaneers to secure a spot in the group stage, and even a narrow defeat will suffice.

Galaxy would need a heavy win over the Buccaneers to entertain any chances of reaching the group phase for the first time ever.

Despite what looks like a comfortable lead, Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer has emphasised that the contest is far from being over.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

Squads & Team News

Pirates face some injury challenges upfront which has caused some serious concern for Zinnbauer.

Already out are strikers Zakhele Lepasa and Tshegofatso Mabasa, leaving Zinnbauer with Jean-Marc Makusu as the only outright frontman available.

The German has been sweating over the fitness of Frank Mhango and Thembinkosi Lorch who can both be used as makeshift number nines.

In case they do not recover in time, Zinnbauer would be forced to use Deon Hotto, Terrence Dzvukamanja or Azola Tshobeni as strikers.

Also defender Ntsikelelo Nyauza will have to pass a late fitness test for this match.

With Galaxy inactive due to the suspension of football in Botswana, there have been no reported injury concerns from the first leg.

There have also been no updates on unavailable players due to the coronavirus or any other illness.

Match Preview

To some, this tie looks done and dusted for Pirates and a 3-0 win from the first leg appears to put the Buccaneers with one foot in the group stage.

After recording a first-leg victory, Pirates go into this match wanting to banish their reputation of being inconsistent on the domestic front this season.

They retain the match-fitness advantage over their opponents who were last involved in competitive action in early January, prior to last week's encounter.

After the first leg, Jwaneng Galaxy coach Losikalame Keatlholetswe, as well as defender Fortune Thulare, conceded that being inactive affected them against a Pirates side deeply involved in the thick of their domestic business.

Since losing 3-1 to Mamelodi Sundowns on January 5 to drop to the Caf Confederation Cup, Galaxy’s first match was against Pirates last week and they have not played any competitive match since the Botswana Premier League is not currently running.

Their endurance will again be put to the test by a Pirates on Sunday as they face a mammoth task of overturning a 3-0 first-leg deficit.

It is the second-ever meeting between the Soweto giants and Jwaneng Galaxy.

Reading manager Veljko Paunovic believes the outcome of Saturday's Championship meeting with Middlebrough could have been different had Andy Yiadom not missed an opportunity to halve a two-goal deficit after half-time.

It was certainly a disappointing day at the office for Reading who were stunned 2-0 at home in the matchday 31 clash.

After Ashley Fletcher and Marc Bola gave the visitors a two-goal cushion by the 29th minute, Yiadom had a chance to put his side back into the game after exchanging a one-two with substitute Thomas Esteves but the Ghanaian's right-footed effort went wide of the post

"We didn't have a good performance, especially in the first half. We have to acknowledge that this was one of our worst games of the season," Paunovic has said, as reported by his club's official website.

"Some fatigue and a little bit of relaxation after a great result in Bristol are to blame. We didn't turn our engines on from the beginning - and that wasn't a fatigue problem, that was the mentality. The mentality wasn't right.

"We didn't impose our high tempo, we didn't start on the front foot - and that helped them find their momentum.

"At half-time, we went back to our basics, back to our structure. And in the second half the guys gave a good reaction, kept running and gave huge effort - and even though we didn't create great opportunities, we just needed one of them to end in the goal we were looking for and it would have got them off our necks and sent a clear message to them that we were looking to come back.

"So if Yiadom's effort had gone in, I'm sure it would have given us the impetus to look for another and it would have been a different game."

Fifth on the table, Reading still hold a place in the promotion play-off zone despite missing out on three points against the Boro.

Yiadom is beginning to get back into his best after recently returning from a long injury spell.

Saturday's match was just his eighth Championship game of the season.

The 29-year-old and his club will hope to make amends for the defeat with three points when they face Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday. 

We’re all beginning to run out of superlatives to extol Wilfred Ndidi, whose impressiveness in midfield for Leicester City comes as no surprise these days.

Another excellent showing in the Foxes’ win over beleaguered Liverpool was just another reminder of the anchorman’s ability and importance to Brendan Rodgers side. The East Midlands outfit beat the Reds 3-1, but the final score didn’t tell the full story as Jurgen Klopp’s side dominated the hosts at the King Power Stadium for the majority of proceedings.

The eventual expected goals of 2.8-1.8 per Fbref tells a false representation of proceedings for about 74 minutes in which the defending Premier League champions outplayed Rodgers’ troops. However, the Northern Irishman’s tactical switch to a 4-4-2 diamond and an error-strewn Liverpool collapse helped to turn the game around in the last 15 minutes.

Through it all, Ndidi by and large held his own even when his teammates struggled to deal with the visitors’ coherent pressing in the opening half and equally thrived after his manager’s game-changing alteration.

He even played in Harvey Barnes to make it 3-1 for a rare assist, his first of the season and sixth since joining the club in January 2017. The former Genk player was involved in a season-high three shot-creating actions vs the Reds, pretty much an anomaly for the 24-year-old, whose principal strengths are in his team’s defensive third and the middle of the park.

The Nigerian led the way for blocks on both sides, was a sole interception from ranking highest for that metric and won more tackles than every Leicester player.

Only Caglar Soyuncu (14) recovered possession more times than Ndidi (13), while Jonny Evans completed more headed clearances than the West African, who won five aerial defensive duels against the Reds, three higher than debutant Ozan Kabak.

Another imposing showing prompted effusive Rodgers praise for one of England’s best defending midfielders and arguably on the continent.

“All the stats show you what a difference he makes for us,” Rodgers said, as per the Leicester Mercury. “At the highest level, you need players who can recover the ball, especially when you have talented players ahead and he is one of the best in the Premier League at that. He was colossal today.”

Ndidi’s exponential growth since moving to English football has seen him improve several facets of his game to become a more complete player. That development has been aided by playing under Rodgers, who generally favours a possession-based style, despite the drop in their average this term (52.8 percent) from 57.6 last term.

“[Ndidi] is one of the top players in world football. His quality in his football is improving all the time. He is irreplaceable for us. He's fantastic for a young player,” Rodgers said after the Liverpool game. “What is pleasing as a coach, is that he wants to learn. He will improve and get better. I'm so happy he plays in my team.”

After last season’s disappointment saw the Foxes fail to seal Champions League qualification after a collapse in the second half of the campaign, there’s been a keenness to go one step further by ending in the top four this time around.

Their place in Europe’s most prestigious tournament seemed sewn-up after a strong run at the start of the campaign but injuries and an astonishing loss of form led to a slide that eventually ended in a fifth-place finish.

Rodgers’ side are two points worse off this season after 24 games, however, the 14-point chasm they had over fifth-place Manchester United at this stage last term is significantly lower than the advantage over West Ham United in this strange season.

The peculiarity of this campaign is evident by how the Hammers occupy fifth place this time around, four points behind Ndidi and his teammates, while last year’s champions sit outside all the continental spots in sixth.

Leicester travel to an Aston Villa side on Sunday afternoon, looking to diminish the hopes of Dean Smith’s side of playing European football next season. While the West Midlands side have two games in hand, both matches see them play Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, two sides equally jostling for spots on the continent as well.

Mumbai City FC had 25 points after the first 10 matches where they had won eight, drew one and lost just one game but in their last games, they have managed to collect just nine and one in their last five outings.

They had a resounding four points lead at the top of the table after the first phase of the league but now that the ongoing season of the Indian Super League (ISL) has entered its business end, Mumbai City are now five points behind current leaders ATK Mohun Bagan.

On Saturday, Sergio Lobera's side suffered their fourth defeat of the season and third in the last five games as they went down 0-2 against Jamshedpur FC.

Owen Coyle's side played smart football and outsmarted the Islanders and to pick up crucial three points to mathematically remain in the race to finish among the top-four teams in the league. 

Jamshedpur did not have much of the ball but they did create more chances than Mumbai. They had taken 10 shots on goal compared to the Islanders' three and four of them were on target.

Coyle fielded his team in a familiar 4-4-2 formation with Nerijus Valskis starting after a gap of two games alongside Farukh Choudhary's. Jamshedpur midfielder Aitor Monroy and Alex Lima were entrusted with the responsibility of bullying Mumbai's then and there in the midfield area. The two central midfielders executed their coach's plan perfectly. They tracked back timely to support the backline and when needed, went up to support the attackers. In fact, it was from Monroy's assist that David Grande scored the second goal and sealed the fate of the match in their favour.

While Sergio Lobera did agree that their style of play is slowly getting predictable, it is true that most teams have now identified the epicentre of all their attacks, that is Ahmed Jahouh and are keeping strict vigilance on the Moroccan. 

Mumbai only have themselves to blame as they not only struggled to create any openings but also looked devoid of ideas.

With Jahouh not allowed to play his natural game and Hugo Boumous suspended, Mumbai's impotence in attack was visible. Also in the attack, instead of trusting Adam Le Fondre, the Spaniard should have deployed Bartholomew Ogbeche from the start, or at least much earlier in the game, in order to counter Jamshedpur's physically strong backline.

Boris Singh, who made the jump to Jamshedpur after struggling for game time at ATK Mohun Bagan, made an instant impression, scoring the opener after making a nuisance of himself in the six-yard box. 

Credit must be given to the former Chennaiyin FC manager for keeping his team in the hunt for the play-offs considering all the set-backs he had earlier in the season due to injuries and suspensions.

Also, they did good business in the January transfer window by bringing in Farukh Chaudhary and Len Doungel. Chaudhary had an outstanding outing against his former club.

Mumbai still has a chance of topping the league albeit slim and Lobera has to go back to the drawing boards and try and chalk a different sort of plan and style for his team for the remainder of the season.