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Simba SC captain John Bocco has dismissed reports there is bad blood between him and Meddie Kagere.

Bocco has hit out to unnamed individuals who he claims are just coming up with stories which are entirely misleading about his relationship with the strike partner.

During their match against Polisi Tanzania, coach Sven Vandenbroeck chose to start with Kagere as Bocco was benched. The Tanzanian, who has scored seven goals so far, had been the most preferred striker although Kagere had been sidelined with an injury in the recent past.

“I have no problem with [Meddie] Kagere at all. We are very okay,” Bocco said in an Instagram post . “What people have been saying is just about what they feel and that is how they go about trying to get news.

“That is how they end up making up news that does not have either the head or the legs. I have no problem with Kagere and he has no problem with me. We do not have any issue within our team at all.”

When the season began there was speculation Kagere and coach Vandenbroeck were not seeing eye to eye but the club’s spokesperson Haji Manara denied such rumours and insisted the Rwandan, alongside Clatous Chama who had been linked with Yanga SC, were not going to leave the club.

“A lot has been discussed regarding the situation of Kagere and Chama at Simba,” Manara said in an earlier interview .

“The good thing is that the two players have shown a keen interest to continue playing for Simba, they want to stay and we are ready to keep them, we want them to stay beyond the coming two seasons.”

Manara continued: “We want to have a good squad, we want to keep our squad intact and we don’t want to lose our key players, so I want to assure our fans that no player will leave the club unless the club wants the player to leave.”

Chama, Kagere and Bocco have been key players for Wekundu wa Msimbazi as they have dominated the local scene in the last three seasons and are expected to play huge roles in the ongoing campaign both in domestic and continental duties.

From 108th in December 2019, the Indian national team are ranked 104th in the latest release of the FIFA Rankings, on Thursday.

India stayed put at 108th in the world throughout the Coronavirus pandemic period with the exception of dropping by a spot in the September edition of the rankings, only to regain a place in the subsequent month before gaining four spots in November 2020.

Stimac's men were to host Qatar in March 2020 before facing Bangladesh and Afghanistan in the remainder of their 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualification matches from Group E. However, amid the Coronavirus pandemic the fixtures, after initially being postponed to October, now are set to take place in March and June 2021.

Qatar are currently ranked 56th (three spots up), Bangladesh at 186th (two spots down), while Afghanistan (150) remain unmoved. 

India are set to host Qatar in March and Afghanistan in June. They will also have to play Bangladesh away from home in June next year. 

Globally, Belgium lead the rankings for the third year in a row, and are followed by France, Brazil, England, Portugal and Spain - in that order. Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico and Italy consistute the top 10 spots.

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck is satisfied with the 2-0 win his team managed to get in the Tanzania Mainland League game against Ruvu Shooting on Wednesday.

The champions were not involved last weekend as they were featuring in the Caf Champions League, and they came into the league match having won the last one 7-0 against Coastal Union. 

It was Zambian midfielder Clatous Chama who sealed the points for Simba, as he notched a double after coming on as a second-half substitute. 

The Belgian tactician concedes it was not an easy outing considering the defensive discipline of the administrative side.

"In general we possessed the ball and dominated the proceedings and at the end, we managed to win a tough game," Vandenbroeck told reporters after the game.

"If you look at Polisi, they have not conceded many goals but we have managed to score two and create many scoring opportunities as well. I am satisfied with the general performance of every player involved."

Meanwhile Ruvu Shooting captain Pato Ngonyani has explained what might have contributed to their loss. He has further conceded the quality of Wekundu wa Msimbazi is good and that they lost to the best team.

"The main problem was concentration lapses, we lost concentration and were punished," the skipper told reporters.

"But we all know Simba is a team with undoubted quality and we respect them. We have lost against the best team. It is a fact that cannot be changed, they are a good team."

After shaking off an injury sustained in Nigeria during their Champions League match against Plateau United, Kenya defender Joash Onyango was drafted back into the Simba squad alongside midfielder Francis Kahata, who has been warming the bench for the better part of this campaign.

With striker John Bocco dropping into the bench, Ivorian defender Pascal Wawa was given the armband to lead the side while Rwandan star Meddie Kagere also picked a rare start after recovering from injury.

Simba knew very well a win will keep them in touch with rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) at the top of the 18-team league table and they started the match on a high note with Kagere forcing the Polisi keeper with a nice save from a well-taken header.

However, they were forced to wait until the 64th minute when midfielder of the year Chama came on after replacing Yassin Mzamiru, and with his first touch of the ball, he side-stepped the Polisi defenders to slice the ball home for the opening goal.

Chama was at it again with 90 minutes on the clock when he sealed the points for Simba with a sublime finish from outside the box.

Barcelona presidential candidate Jordi Farre has claimed that Lionel Messi wants to stay at the club and that, should he win the elections, the Argentine will sign a new contract.

The 33-year-old's current deal at Camp Nou ends in 2021, with Messi having exclusively revealed to Goal that Barca had previously blocked a move away from the club.

Messi, who has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester City, will be able to discuss a free-transfer switch to a foreign club when the January transfer window opens although Farre is convinced that he wants to stay.

He told Onda Cero: "Messi wants to stay at Barca. That’s what I know. His family wants to stay at Barcelona and we’re going to work for it.

"I would go as far to say that if we win the elections, Messi will renew his deal. His renewal would be incurred automatically on January 25 if I win the elections the day previous."

Farre also gave his thoughts on the possible signing of Neymar and suggested that he would seek to bring back the Paris Saint-Germain striker, who departed the club in 2017, should he be elected.

While the Catalans have been crippled by financial pressures that have seen them slash their wage bill by close to 50 per cent, Farre believes that a deal can be worked out for the Brazilian.

"Neymar’s signing will be cheap because the investment will be greater than the outlay," he added.

The subject of Neymar’s future has grown increasingly important in Barcelona after he stated that he has a burning desire to play alongside Messi once again, having previously done so during his time at Camp Nou.

The comments subsequently sparked rumours that Messi may move to PSG in the summer, with Brazil international Neymar revealing on Wednesday that he was happy in Paris.

Farre, meanwhile, is one of the outside candidates to win the presidential elections at Barca.

There are five men up for the role, including Joan Laporta, who has held the position between 2003 and 2010.

The other candidates are Victor Font, another one of the front runners, as well as Lluis Fernandez and Agusti Benedito.

Harambee Stars winger Ayub Timbe has hinted at returning to football soon since his departure from Beijing Renhe.

Timbe remains without a club since his Beijing Renhe exit in mid-October. Although the winger did not have a club, he was prominently used in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Comoros in November.

His performance when Harambee Stars lost the away game saw him put under severe criticism especially after squandering a very open chance that would have earned them a draw in Moroni.

“Can’t wait to get back at it [football action]. I know you are all waiting,” Timbe posted on his Facebook page.

The winger joined Beijing Renhe in February 2017 and managed to score eight goals in his first season to help the team win promotion to the Chinese Super League.

In the following season, he was loaned back to the second tier to play for Heilongjiang Lava Spring, though he scored seven goals in 14 games in the top-flight for Beijing Renhe, and on January 31, 2020 - transfer deadline day in England – he joined English Championship side Reading on loan until the end of the season.

However, his stay at the Berkshire-based club did not last more than six months after the club decided against pursuing a further deal.

Between 2014 and 2016, the winger was loaned by Genk to Lierse and he went ahead to make 42 appearances and scored eight goals for the Belgian side.

The performance saw Lierse make his move permanent and the player stayed with them for one year between 2016 and 2017.

From Belgium, the Harambee Star joined Renhe where he enjoyed a good outing in 2017 as he scored 17 goals in 48 matches.

In 2018, he was loaned for the second time in his career to Heilongjiang Lava Spring, a Division One side in China. He played six games and scored two goals for the lower tier side.

When Kenya will embark on the Afcon qualifiers in March 2020, many would be eager to see whether coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee will draft the winger in his team especially after the criticism that followed the performance against Comoros.

Hyderabad FC have a tough task ahead of them as they gear up to take on ATK Mohun Bagan in an Indian Super League (ISL) tie at the Fatorda stadium in Goa, on Friday evening.

They picked a 1-1 draw against Jamshedpur FC in their last game which also saw head coach Manolo Marquez get sent off for allegedly stepping on the field of play. ATK Mohun Bagan on the other hand are looking to bounce back from a 2-1 loss to, incidentally, Jamshedpur. 

Hyderabad assistant coach Thangboi Singto feels that the nine-day break has helped in his side recover and refresh themselves.

"The recovery has been good but the season is very long. We (still) have a lot of injuries like a lot of other teams. Most importantly, we had to work not only on the physical side (fitness) but to keep the players mentally sharp as well and the team is ready for tomorrow," he said.

Hyderabad have conceded just once in three games but have scored only twice so far. ATK Mohun Bagan, meanwhile, have conceded just two goals in four games with both of them coming in the loss to Jamshedpur. 

'It's true that we have been doing well defensively. But we have to score more goals - that is the target. "ATK [Mohun Bagan] is going to be difficult because they got top foriegn and Indian players but we have to focus on ourselves. ATK [Mohun Bagan] is always going to be tough for all the teams because they have the depth and strength in every department but what's most important for us is to look at what we can do better."

Singto feels that the Kolkata-based team does have a few weaknesses which his side can exploit. 

"I think, by now, it's more clear about teams' strengths and weaknesses. There are not much weaknesses in ATK [Mohun Bagan] but we have plans where their weaknesses can be exposed. We want our players to give their 100 hundred percent. When you give your best, the result follows," Singto stated.

The former Shillong Lajong coach heaped praise on the Indian players' potential at Hyderabad who have been doing well despite the absence of foreigners such as Luis Sastre, Joel Chianese and Fran Sandaza who are all injured. Striker Aridane Santana is also expected to miss the next fixture. 

"Some of our youngsters have really done well and we have some talented youngsters who are still waiting to make their mark. Of course, we will miss players like Aridane [against ATK Mohun Bagan] but as footballers you wait for your chance and show what you got when you're given a go. Whoever plays tomorrow, will give their best," he concluded. 

It was almost inevitable former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Andriamirado 'Dax' Andrianarimanana would leave his mark on the game between Amakhosi and Black Leopards at FNB Stadium on Wednesday night.

The league match ended 2-2, Chiefs fighting back in the second half after having gone into the break 0-2 down.

Andrianarimanana is, of course, the reason Chiefs are currently in the middle of a Fifa transfer ban, the Soweto club having been found guilty of failing to compensate the player's former club in Madagascar, Fosa Juniors.

While Amakhosi were hit with a signing ban for two transfer windows, Andrianarimanana, or Dax as he is commonly known, was given a four-month suspension and a fine in the region of R650 000. In the interim, he signed for Black Leopards.

So it was always going to be interesting to see how he would do on his return to his former club, as it was his arrival at Naturena which has left the Soweto club in their current predicament.

Dax did not start on Wednesday night for Leopards, but came off the substitutes bench in the second half and unwittingly played a part in both of Chiefs' goals.

In the first case, some sloppy play from him in midfield led indirectly to Nkosingiphile Ngcobo scoring Amakhosi's first goal.

The second one was a rather comical affair as the Madagascan, inside his own box, allowed a loose ball to go through his legs. His team-mate Ethan Sampson then kicked the ball against Dax, which resulted in it being deflected towards the Leopards goal, where Lidoda Duvha keeper King Ndlovu did well to touch it onto the bar, only for Khama Billiat to pounce from close range with the equaliser.

In hindsight Leopards coach Dylan Kerr admitted bringing on Dax wasn't the best move.

"Dax, playing against Kaizer Chiefs, he's put them in this hell with no transfers," the Englishman told SuperSport TV after the match.

"I don't know him personally...But I thought he's playing against his old team; keep the ball, be buzzing, be busy.

"He's given the ball away for the first goal, given possession away. We should have dealt with it better because it's come from just inside our half and into the 18-yard box, we should have defended better.

"Its football, you make these decisions. I thought Dax would go on and do something, but it's football you know - you make these decisions as coaches, sometimes they work."

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has explained why Mohamed Salah played the duration of the club’s Champions League clash against Midtjylland on Wednesday night.

The German has spoken out in his opposition to fixture congestion this season but elected to field the Egypt international for the duration of the trip to Midtjylland.

He has, however, defended his decision to not substitute one of his star players despite the match, that ended in a 1-1 draw, counting for little, with the Reds having already qualified for the last 16.

“You can make changes but you need a few key positions,” Klopp told the media. “It could have been one of the other three regular forwards to play up front for 90 minutes as well.

“In the last line, that was the reason why Fabinho played 45 minutes there. In midfield, usually it would probably have been Naby Keita but he hasn’t played that often so couldn't fulfil the role and needs minutes now again.

“That was the decision for Mo and how the game developed and how the game looked, Mo looked fine so that's why we didn't take him off.

“Even though players don't play that much, it is difficult to get through 90 minutes after a pretty long time when you don't play 90 minutes.

“I was in contact with Mo and he didn't have any issues, which is why he stayed on the pitch.”

Salah has been one of the most intensely worked of Liverpool’s players this season and has not featured in only two of the club’s 20 matches.

He missed the 3-0 win over Leicester City in the Premier League while he sat out a 7-2 Carabao Cup win over Lincoln.

Salah, meanwhile, netted in the midweek game to become Liverpool’s most prolific Champions League scorer of all time.

“It's a great feeling to be the top scorer for the club, it's something I'm proud of,” he told BT Sport after achieving the landmark.

"I need to keep going with that, score more goals, make the gap bigger between me and the others!"

Liverpool’s next challenge is a trip to struggling Fulham on Sunday before they face Tottenham and Crystal Palace prior to Christmas.

Klopp’s men presently lie second in the Premier League table, trailing Spurs only on goal difference.

Orlando Pirates captain Thulani 'Tyson' Hlatshwayo will be happy to share the trophy lifting duties with veteran defender Happy Jele, should the Buccaneers triumph against Bloemfontein Celtic in the MTN8 final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday evening.

The match is set for a 6 pm kick-off in Durban.

Hlatshwayo is in his first season with Bucs but has been skippering the side because club captain Happy Jele is no longer a regular starter in the centre of the Sea Robbers defence.

Overall, Pirates have conceded six goals in nine league and cup matches this season.

Jele, 33, has been with the club for a decade, but has only started two of six league matches (where he wore the armband) in the MTN8 this season. He has played a total of just six minutes.

For the most part, Ntsikelelo Nyauza has been partnered alongside Hlatshwayo in the heart of the Bucs defence.

So it's unlikely Jele will start against Celtic on Saturday. But should Pirates beat Phunya Sele Sele, Hlatshwayo says he'll be happy to have Jele up on the podium receiving the silverware.

"Everyone knows that Happy is the club captain. He’s the one who leads us. For me personally, I would allow him [to lift the trophy] and I will be okay with it for him and me to lift the trophy," the Bafana captain was quoted saying by the Sowetan.

Hlatshwayo revealed he will take inspiration for Saturday's cup final by drawing on his memories at Wits, who beat Mamelodi Sundowns 3-0 in the 2016 MTN8 final.

He also mentioned how special it would be for him to win silverware with the club he supported as a boy, before he made his way to Ajax Cape Town and then Wits before joining Bucs this year.

“Obviously, joining the team I grew up supporting as a youngster from Soweto is a success," he said. "I came to Pirates to succeed. When I was young I wanted to play for this team and win cups. I feel I have the opportunity to take the first step by winning the MTN8."

Kenya legend Musa Otieno believes the best-prepared team will win the 2020/21 Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League season.

The former defender, however, could not specify who stands a better chance of getting crowned. 

"The league has had its challenges, but it has returned with sponsors which makes it more lucrative," the towering tactician told NTV.

"I believe the side that has had good preparations will end up winning the league. Currently, I cannot specify who will win owing to the massive signings made."  

Prior to the start of the current campaign, football was halted in March owing to Covid-19. Despite the on-going pandemic, the league is going on under strict measures to curb the spread of the virus.

The 46-year-old has welcomed the return of football and went a step further to wish his former teams a good run in the league.

"The good thing is that football is being played once again which is a very satisfying thing," Otieno continued.

"I want to wish every team the best. All teams should have better preparations for the game because the national team's strength depends on them. The stronger the league, the stronger the national team.

"My favourite teams in the league are definitely AFC Leopards and Tusker FC and I wish them the best as well."  

Meanwhile, the Federation has suspended Mathare United and Zoo FC from taking part in the FKF Premier League.

However, the two ‘rebel’ clubs have been given 48 hours to salvage their stay in the top-flight if they move to sign the broadcast deal between FKF and StarTimes.

A meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) members held at the federation’s offices situated at Goal Project, has also given Ulinzi Stars until Monday, December 14, 2020, at 5 pm, to return papers showing they have endorsed the deal, or else they will be expelled alongside the two clubs.

"We have suspended Mathare United and Zoo FC because they have refused to sign the StarTimes deal and for now they will not be part of the fixtures," FKF President Nick Mwendwa told Goal after the meeting.

"However, the teams have the next 48 hours to decide whether they will sign the deal or not, if they don’t sign in the next two days, then we will have no option but to expel them from the league."

Mwendwa continued: "The same applies to Ulinzi Stars, they have until Monday at 5 pm to confirm their commitment. Ulinzi are only committed by word and said they will sign the letter but they have not returned it back, so we don’t know their stand."

The defensive organisation has been hailed as one of the many strengths of ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Antonio Habas' teams. And it had been the case in this season of the Indian Super League (ISL) as well, with ATKMB conceding no goals until their previous encounter against Jamshedpur FC.

A clinical Nerijus Valskis managed to unlock them not once but twice, both from set-pieces, and that has raised a few doubts before the game against Hyderabad FC on Friday evening. However, the Spanish coach is confident his players would respond well to the situation and rectify the errors. 

"We can do fantastic work around set-pieces. Last season, we just conceded one goal from set-pieces in all matches. Now in one match, we have conceded two. I hope we improve. The opponents had good players for this situation. I have full confidence in my players and I hope this kind of situation will not be repeated. 

"We have a good squad. Maybe we have some injury problems. We don't have (Michael) Soosairaj, Jobby (Justin) who are injured. I have good confidence in my team. We are thinking about players who are here and not about Soosai. We have to respect the players. We have a good squad and we need to use the right players at the right moment," stated the tactician. 

Games are coming thick and fast for ATK Mohun Bagan and Habas did not hide his displeasure over the busy schedule which is not allowing players enough recovery time. 

"We don't have any solution for that. It is not good for the team to play every three-four days. The humidity, the travel time for one hour 30 minutes, everything influences the final score."

Roy Krishna has been their main source of goals so far, scoring four of their five goals. Edu Garcia and Brad Inman are yet to get off the mark while David Williams has not featured much. But the coach is not concerned about the situation as he feels that with time, things will change. 

"All players have to collaborate together. The idea now is to score goals by more players by collaborating better. Only Krishna and Manvir (Singh) have scored so far. But we are not concerned about the situation."

Habas informed that David Williams and Javi Hernandez both could feature in the match against the Nizams. 

The Nizams remain undefeated in this edition of ISL  whereas his team is coming at the back of a loss. Yet the two-time ISL winner is confident that his team can turn the tables around and also commented on the style of Hyderabad FC. 

"Football is different every day. Statistics are not always definitive. I don't think Hyderabad plays long balls systematically. They try to play more with the ball," signed off Habas. 

SC Villa head coach Edward Kaziba is impressed with the way his new players performed in the 3-0 win over Mbarara City in the Ugandan Premier League (UPL). 

Isaac Ogwang, who was named the man of the match, scored a brace while Derrick Ndahiro added the other to give Jogoos their first win of the current campaign. 

"[On Wednesday] we played our first home game and it is good that we have won it, it was generally a good start [considering the fact that] we fielded in new players and they performed so well," Kaziba said after the game.

Meddie Kibirige, Goffin Oyirwoth and Ogwang were the new faces in the Jogoos line-up. 

"It is good that we collected maximum points but the most important thing is that our new players are picking up. It is a very good gesture, it gives us hope that we have a good future," Kaziba added.

"It is a good gesture and it is where we have to build on; we want to win more games so we want to work hard because there are things we need to rectify which we are working on and we are going to be able to collect points."

On Wednesday, Ndahiro scored in the 10th minute from the penalty spot before Ogwang added the second for SC Villa 10 minutes later. In the 37th minute, Ogwang added the third for his side and his second of the game to ensure Jogoos moved to third.

Goffin Oyiriwoth played a key role as he delivered a cross that Ogwang just had to direct with a header into the net. The man of the match could have earned himself a hat-trick but he failed to find the back of the net with a second penalty in the 70th minute. The centre referee awarded the penalty as he judged Pistin Barenge to have handled the ball in his area.

Mbarara City upped their game in the second half but their resolute opponents dealt with each and every attack that relentlessly came their way.

Bashir Mutanda, a former Jogoo, saw his two chances in the dying minutes of the encounter yield nothing. In the first instance, his promising shot was blocked before he hit the woodwork with the second attempt from a free-kick.

Gor Mahia were set to earn KSh4 million for honouring a friendly against Al-Hilal of Sudan, Goal can now reveal.

The Sudanese giants were also to pay the allowances, accommodation and travel logistics for the friendly tie that was scheduled to take place next Wednesday.

But Football Kenya Federation (FKF) failed to approve the Sudan trip citing the need for Gor Mahia to honour domestic ties at the expense of the Al-Hilal meeting.

Both sides had planned to battle ahead of their respective Caf Champions League matches and the Kenyan side was, additionally, set to earn well.

“We agreed to face Al-Hilal given the money we were supposed to earn for honouring the game,” a source close to the club told Goal on Thursday.

“The KSh4 million would have eased the financial burden we are facing but now that seems to be a lost opportunity given FKF’s failure to grant the club the green light to travel.

“Everyone knows that we are under a tight financial position and we have had to resort to pleas to fans to bail us out. The Al-Hilal game came at the right time we needed it especially on matters of finance and physical preparations.”

Gor Mahia are set to play Tusker in the first game of the FKF Premier League and had planned to travel and face Al-Hilal on the same day.

“Reference is made to your letter dated December 8, 2020, with regard to a friendly match between Gor Mahia FC and Al-Hilal Sports Club, scheduled to take place on December 16, 2020, in Sudan,” FKF’s letter signed by the Chief Executive Officer Barry Otieno on Wednesday, read.

“In this regard, and as you are aware, we wish to inform you that the FKF Premier League is ongoing and your club has a match against Tusker scheduled for Wednesday, December 16, 2020.

“Consequently, we regret to inform you that it will not be possible for you to travel to Sudan from December 14, 2020, to December 17, 2020.”

Apart from Gor Mahia, Zoo FC, Mathare United and Ulinzi Stars are yet to play a single league game due to the stand-off brought about by the StarTimes sponsorship deal.

In fact, Zoo and Mathare have been suspended from the top-tier while Ulinzi Stars were warned over their non-compliance.

Paris Saint-Germain Feminine striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto has insisted she's moved beyond her surprise snub for France's 2019 World Cup squad to focus on the present as she approaches 100 club goals after only just turning 22.

Last summer, France head coach Corinne Diacre surprisingly left Katoto off her 23-player squad, despite the fact that the then-20-year-old was the French league’s top scorer with 22 goals.

Diacre's decision was not vindicated, as the hosts crashed out of the World Cup to eventual winners United States at the quarter-final stage. 

Katoto, who finished 23rd in the Goal 50 2020, did not let the snub hinder her, however, and she continued excelling for PSG to the point where she has now reached 99 goals for her club. 

As she approaches the 100-goal milestone, Katoto has said her mentality has been key to overcoming a difficult setback.

"My situation with Les Bleus was not a big problem," Katoto told Goal. "I always remained focused on my work. I listen a lot to my coaches. They are the first to help me for my development."

On her World Cup snub, she added: "It's the past. Today I am looking ahead."

Katoto is now a regular in Diacre's squad and has admitted that the current team will have failed should they not win a major trophy in the coming years.

"Yes. It would be a failure," Katoto said. "The French team is one of the greatest nations, among girls, mens or in our youth teams. We always have been part of the favourites, in every competition. We have to win something with the coming generation."

Katoto began her career as a defender but her transformation into one of the world's top forwards was helped by studying videos of two of the best goalscorers of all time on the men's side. 

"I started as a defender but immediately I was attracted by the goal. That's why I played higher up the pitch," Katoto said. "I worked to know when to make my runs, when to shoot, and how.

"I watched the best strikers on TV or on internet videos. I like R9 [Ronaldo] a lot for example, as I like Cristiano Ronaldo."

As she nears a milestone many strikers will never reach, let alone at the age of 22, Katoto expressed her happiness to be able to do so with her childhood club. 

"It’s an incredible thing. Scoring 100 goals for your club is wonderful," Katoto said. "I can't dream of anything better than reaching this legendary step with Paris Saint-Germain."

Asisat Oshoala has scored her first goal in the Uefa Women's Champions League this year, ending her 295 minutes drought in the competition for Barcelona.

The Nigeria international had netted just twice in the European competition since joining Barcelona in February 2019, with her first being the history-making consolation goal in a 4-1 final loss to Lyon.

She last found the back of the net in a 5-0 victory over Minsk in the Round of 16 for the Catalans but could not score in the quarter-final duel with Atletico Madrid, nor the semi-final meeting with Wolfsburg.

The four-time African Women's Footballer of the Year netted the third goal of the match as Barcelona opened their 2020-21 European campaign in the 67th minute at De Herdgang Stadium.

Lluis Cortes' team bounced back from a botched final pursuit last season as they began their title quest on a high, with Mariona Caldentey opening the scoring after just four minutes of action 

On the brink of half time, the Netherlands champions conceded the second of the match no thanks to an own-goal from Van de Berg.

After the break, Marta Torrejon, who set up Caldentey for Barcelona's opener, provided the assist for Oshoala to get the chance to get back to scoring ways in the 67th minute.

15 minutes from time, Dutch star Lieke Martens could only add to PSV's misery, scoring the fourth goal of the match for the visitors' thanks to a brilliant assist from Caroline Graham Hansen.

PSV, however, bagged a late consolation against the Spanish giants when Joelle Smiths netted for the Dutch side a minute from time.

With her latest goal, Oshoala, who was taken off in the 67th minute, and has now scored three goals in nine Champions League outings for Barcelona.

The 26-year-old will seek to add to her tally when Barcelona welcome PSV for the second leg in Nou Camp on December 16.

Posta Rangers captain Joseph Mbugi has stated his team is close to regaining league momentum after putting in an improved performance in their latest outing against Kakamega Homeboyz. 

It was a massive improvement after a 3-0 loss to KCB FC in their first round of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League game. The experienced midfielder believes his charges will soon get to their best and consistently grind out positive results.

"The game against KCB was the first one for us after about eight months, it was not easy," Mbugi told Goal on Thursday.

"Yes, we gave our best in the game but could not do much, we ended up losing the game. However, we bounced back and managed to get a draw away to Kakamega Homeboyz.

"It was a motivating result considering the quality of the team. We all know Homeboyz are currently one of the top teams we have in the league, and getting a draw away means we are getting where we want to be."

Wazito FC are next for the Mailmen; the former opened their account with a 4-0 loss to Kariobangi Sharks before bouncing back with a 3-1 win over promoted Vihiga United.

"This will be a very tough game but we are prepared to ensure we stand a chance of getting the result we want," Mbugi added.

"Of course it will not be an easy game because every team wants victory. However, with what I am seeing with my colleagues, I am optimistic we can go all the way and get three points."

The Rangers' skipper noted this is a game everyone has to be involved in for the team to get back to winning ways.

"It is a collective responsibility because if a certain department does not work well, it means there will be a burden in the team.

"For good balance, every player has to work for the team and achieve the objective together."  

Wazito have never beaten Posta Rangers in their past four league games. They have suffered two losses and as many draws. The mailmen have scored six goals and conceded two.

Christy Ucheibe got sent off in Wednesday's Uefa Women's Champions League first leg, Round of 32 encounter as 10-woman SL Benfica suffered a 5-0 loss at home to Chelsea.

The Nigerian midfielder was first cautioned in the 31st minute for a foul on Fran Kirby before receiving a second yellow card for a bookable offence against Erin Cuthbert in the 74th minute.

Having squeezed past POAK and Anderlecht to the Round of 32, the Portuguese champions hosted the English giants at the Benfica Stadium with the ambition of boosting their next round chances.

The hosts made a false start in the encounter when Fran Kirby opened the scoring for the visitors after just two minutes. 

In the 29th minute, Guro Reiten set up Millie Bright to double the lead for Chelsea before Reiten bagged her brace of assists, teeing up Kirby four minutes later to extend their lead to three.

A minute from the half time break, Reiten made it a third assist, providing Pernille Harder with a pass to net the fourth.

Nine minutes after the restart, Reiten secured her quadruple of assists in laying up Bethany England for the fifth to hand the visitors a massive first-leg lead going into the reverse fixture in London. 

Besides Ucheibe, Cape Verde's Jolina Amani was an unused substitute for Benfica against Chelsea as the absence of the former Nigeria youngster will be a huge blow for the Portuguese giants. 

Despite the heavy defeat at home, Luis Andrade's team is expected to face Chelsea in the second leg of the Round of 32 at Kingsmeadow stadium on December 16.

The final result did not depict the real story of the match as Mumbai City FC edged out Chennaiyin FC 2-1 in an Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 clash at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim on Wednesday. It was a lucky escape for the Islanders as poor refereeing decisions played a huge role in their fourth consecutive win of the season.

Chennaiyin FC came with a proper game plan, pressing with intensity upfront and stifling Mumbai City's efforts to pass out from the back. Sergio Lobera's side, which loves to be on the ball and orchestrate quick transitions, were left without time and space to do so with regularity. 

Germanpreet Singh and Deepak Tangri, deputising in midfield, showed good energy as Chennaiyin put a lid on the Mumbai midfield. Credit also must go to the front four of Jakub Sylvestr, Rafael Crivellaro, Lallianzuala Chhangte and Fatkhullo Fatkhuloev for pressing with purpose and forcing plenty of mistakes from the likes of Mourtada Fall. 

They fashioned quite a few chances in the first half, only for poor decisions and wayward finishing to let them down. Chennaiyin FC were dealt with a major blow in the first-half when Enes Sipovic was sidelined due to an injury. This, however, had no effect on the flow of the game as Chennaiyin continued to enjoy the upper hand. 

Chennaiyin FC were finally rewarded for their efforts in the 40th minute as Chhangte made a brilliant solo run down the right flank to beat the Mumbai City FC defenders and lay it on a platter for Sylvestr. 

But a lapse in concentration towards the end of a first-half they dominated gave Mumbai City a foothold in the game. Vishal Kaith made an almighty mess of an innocuous corner, unnecessarily flying out to claim it only to miss and allow Hernan Santana to head into an empty net. 

Credit must also go to Mumbai City here for staying in the game despite being not at their best. They did have occasional chances like when Hugo Boumous sent Adam le Fondre clear in the first half whose eventual shot was saved by Kaith. But it was nowhere near the standards we have come to expect from Lobera's teams. 

Chennaiyin should have been more clinical in front of the goal from the kind of start they got. They came to rue those chances in the second half. It did not help that several major refereeing decisions went against them, including a few penalty shouts. 

However, they would concede another goal from a set-piece situation when they failed to deal with a ball into the box. Boumous won the second ball and Le Fondre was on hand to turn it in. Chennaiyin have been guilty of poor set-piece defending in the early stages of the competition and this was just another instance. 

This does augur well for Lobera who has seen his team find ways to score goals despite the flow of the game going against them. They have shown that they are not just about beautiful football but can also grind out results. 

While Mumbai City deserve a lot of credit for the way they hung in despite being second best and extracted a result, Chennaiyin should not be too disheartened. Csaba Laszlo's game plan was perfect and his team executed it well, only for individual errors and several refereeing decisions to scupper the plans. 

While one can highlight the officiating, the fact remains that it is beyond your control. Chennaiyin should focus on what they can do and that is putting away your chances when you are on top. The team has the quality to do so and Laszlo will hope a bit of luck also goes his way in the upcoming matches.