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Azam FC head coach George Lwandamina has revealed how his contract with Prison Leopards allowed him to negotiate a new deal.

Azam appointed the Zambian as head coach following the sacking of Aristica Cioaba over a run of poor results. Lwandamina had signed a one-year deal with Prison Leopards to serve as the technical director.

The former Zesco United coach had only served for three weeks before he was appointed by the Tanzanian side.

“It’s hard for both parties but I signed a soft contract which had a clause for such,” Lwandamina told Zambian Soccer Magazine. “I have a lot of respect for them [Prisons] but you see it’s important to take on new challenges.

The Tanzanian Premier League winner with Young Africans (Yanga SC) also talked about his new job and the prospects of a successful time with them.

“Coach’s job is always challenging, I wouldn’t say this time around it will be different, it will stay the same,” he added.

“I can’t say much about the team but I follow Tanzanian football, so in short that can give me an insight into what is happening here in Tanzania.

"They started very well until lately, they haven’t done that well. I am sure for obvious reasons we are going to pick up from there. We will be able to sit and analyse and come up with a strategy that will see us compete favourably.”

After he was appointed, Lwandamina, who left Zesco United after failing to retain the league title and missed on the Caf slots, explained how he is ready for the huge task at Azam.

“That is a mammoth task [title challenge], and a good challenge for any given coach,” Lwandamina said after he was appointed.

“In this job, we do not go to just participate but we compete.

“They have an objective, I have mine too and a name to protect. So we will put our hands together and move forward.

“As I say, football has five factors. If you want to perform and become champions you need the player, the coach, the executive, the sponsors, and the supporters as the 12th player.”

The former league champions will play Gwambina FC on Monday.

Cameroon's Ajara Nchout is pleased with her Norwegian Toppserien top-scorer award and league title win following Valerenga's 4-0 victory over Arna-Bjornar in Sunday's final match of the season.

Sherida Spitse, Ingibjorg Sigurdardottir, Celin Ildhusoy and Catherine Bott all scored for Jack Majgaard's team to win the league diadem for the first time in nine years in the top flight.

Despite not finding the back of the net on the day, 27-year-old forward had another impactful display as her fine assist created the third goal of the match.

Before the contest, the Cameroonian held a one-goal lead over Rosenborg's Marit Clausen and Lyn's Camilla Linberg on nine and she eventually snatched the coveted prize with 10 goals.

And the 2019 Africa Women's Player of the Year runners-up took to social media to express her joy after winning a maiden career title and top-scorer prize with one goal fewer than last term's feat.

"Norway champions and best scorer. Thanks for your prayers, Thanks for your support. The best still To came," she wrote on her official Instagram page.

The Cameroon international joined Valerenga on a two-year deal from Sandvikens in December 2018 and helped the Oslo-based club to two domestic runners-up medals in the 2019 season. 

At Sandvikens, she scored 18 times in the 2018 season, including 15 league goals, before netting 15 goals in her first season in the colours of Valerenga to bag two silver medals.

Besides her 10 league goals this campaign, Nchout has scored thrice in the Champions League to reach 13 in all competitions and could add more in the coming games against Brondby and Lillestrom.

With her contract running out this month, Goal understands big money offers are pouring in from top clubs in Europe, including Spain's Atletico Madrid, as well as from Chinese clubs.

While her future remains undecided, Nchout will hope to sum up her memorable season with a double when Valerenga face holders Lillestrom in the Norwegian Women's Cup final next Sunday.

Before the Cup final, she will hope to continue her impressive form in their Champions League campaign as her side battle Danish giants Brondby on Wednesday.

Paul Scholes has compared Liverpool's front line to Manchester United's strike force under Sir Alex Ferguson, while backing the Reds to retain their Premier League crown.

Liverpool have emerged as one of the strongest teams in Europe since Jurgen Klopp's arrival as head coach in 2015.

The German manager delivered the club's sixth Champions League crown in 2019 and followed up that triumph by leading the Reds to their first league title in 30 years last season.

The Merseyside outfit are on course for more silverware after a strong start to the 2020-21 campaign, with a 4-0 home win over Wolves on Sunday ensuring that they sit second in the top-flight standings behind Tottenham on goal difference heading into the Christmas period.

Mohamed Salah notched his ninth goal of the season while Sadio Mane forced a late own goal from Nelson Semedo and Roberto Firmino served as the focal point of Liverpool's attack.

That trio's contribution in the final third has been crucial to the Reds' recent success, and Klopp was able to add even more firepower to his ranks by signing Diogo Jota from Wolves for £41 million ($54m) in the summer transfer window.

Jota has hit the ground running in the early stages of his Anfield career, scoring nine goals in his first 16 appearances, with Scholes now seeing similarities between Liverpool's forward line and the one he sought to provide for during his time at Old Trafford.

"I go back to my playing days at Man Utd - we always had four centre forwards," the United legend told Amazon Prime when discussing the Reds' strength in depth. "If two of them weren't doing it for an hour there were always two on the bench to come on and make the difference. That's what they built here.

"OK they're playing in a different way, I know that, with the three, but having Jota in the wings it has to sharpen you up. Whether Jota's playing and Firmino's on the bench or whoever's on the bench it does liven you up.

"You're having a little look across all the time just keeping you on your toes. Is he going to bring me off? You have to perform to make sure he doesn't."

Scholes went on to admit that Liverpool are well placed to win the Premier League trophy again this term, as he added: "It took a long time for Liverpool to achieve what they did last year.

"Great credit to them, they were fantastic, they deserved it.

"It was a shame for them that the fans weren't involved. I'm sure there would have been week-long celebrations, parades, there would have been all sorts. It's a shame, but the fans are coming back now. I won't say I hope they win it again for their fans, but I think they're well on their way to doing that anyway."

SC Villa coach Edward Kaziba has claimed he feels sorry for his player Benson Muhindo, who was sent off during their Ugandan Premier League (UPL) match against BUL FC on Saturday.

The Jogoos started off the 2020-21 campaign with a 2-2 draw against their bogey side in a match played at Kyabazinga Stadium, Bugembe-Jinja City.

However, the sending off of Muhindo for alleged unsporting behaviour is what caught the eye of coach Kaziba, who insists the red card was not deserved because the incident did not look intentional.

“It is unfortunate for Benson [Muhindo] the team for being sent for an incident which did not look intentional but I know it will not affect the player psychologically,” Kaziba said as quoted by the club’s official website. “[Muhindo] will come back stronger.”

During the match, Kaziba handed debuts to new signings Meddie Kibirige, Goffin Oyirwoth, and Isaac Ogwang and they took a deserved lead in the third minute when Emmanuel Alex Wasswa found the back of the net after side-stepping past BUL defenders to stab the ball home.

But with a host of missed chances, the Joogos were punished after Richard Wandyaka levelled matters for BUL in the 55th minute and then Musa Esenu gave them the lead shortly after.

Villa then suffered a blow when Muhindo was sent off and they had to fight for a point with ten men.

Thereafter, it was midfield dynamo Nicholas Kabonge who swung a good delivery into the box and it was met by substitute and debutant Ronald Ssekiganda, who managed to level the game at 2-2 in the 78th minute.

Three minutes were added on but it was not enough for either side to register a winning goal. This is the first season for the Jogoos since reverting to a community-owned club in the recent past.

In a recent interview, Kaziba said his target is to see Villa play entertaining football and score beautiful goals.

“The club’s target this season is to entertain and win with style,” Kaziba said as quoted by the club’s official website.

“We finished third last season, an improvement from the previous season, and as a progressive club, we must aim higher this season, we are Sports Club Villa.”

The Jogoos will next host Mbarara City on Wednesday, December 9.

Kylian Mbappe's father has given an update on the Paris Saint-Germain star's future after seeing him reach 100 goals for the club at the weekend.

Mbappe has established himself as one of the best players in Europe since completing a move to PSG from Monaco in the summer of 2017.

The 21-year-old has helped the French champions win eight major trophies and reach their first Champions League final, scoring 100 goals in 137 appearances across all competitions.

The France international brought up his century when he rounded off a 3-1 win for PSG at Montpellier by tapping in a Layvin Kurzawa cross in stoppage time.

Mbappe continues to attract plenty of admirers with his electrifying form at Parc des Princes, not least 13-time European Cup winners Real Madrid, who have been tipped to launch a world-record bid for the forward in 2021.

The World Cup winner's current deal is due to expire the following year, however, PSG sporting director Leonardo has confirmed that the club have already opened talks with the talismanic forward over a possible extension.

"We talk, we talk," Leonardo told Canal Plus. "We want to talk, I think he too wants to discuss. It's normal. The time comes to have a clearer idea about his future.

"We are talking quietly, things are progressing well, we have taken steps forward compared to 10-15 days ago. We will continue."

Mbappe's father has now also offered a positive update on the contract negotiations, insisting his son is very much open to committing to fresh terms in Paris.

Quizzed on the possibility of transfer rumours becoming a distraction for the PSG striker, Mbappe Sr told Telefoot: "It cannot disturb him because he plays in a great team, and is surrounded by great players. It allows him to get closer to his dreams and his ambitions."

Mbappe will be back in contention for a place in Thomas Tuchel's line-up when PSG play host to Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The Ligue 1 giants will book their place in the round of 16 if they pick up a victory, having moved up to second in Group H with an impressive 3-1 win at Manchester United on matchday five.

Arsenal’s alarming slump at the start of the 2020-21 campaign can be put down to bad luck, claims Rob Holding, with the Gunners needing a slice of fortune to kick-start their season.

Mikel Arteta’s side have found themselves short in that department as they reflect on their worst opening to a campaign in 39 years.

Some of their struggles have been of their own making, with so-called star men failing to sparkle as intended, and that is leaving the Gunners short in the final third of the field, with a lack of firepower meaning that any defensive leaks are proving costly.

Holding believes one fortunate goal, an effort that “trickles into the net”, will be enough to get Arsenal back up and running again.

They are, however, still waiting on Lady Luck to start smiling in their direction, with a 2-0 derby defeat to north London neighbours Tottenham seeing Arteta’s men hit a new low.

Holding told the Gunners’ official website of an unfortunate wobble: “We're going through a bit of a phase where luck isn't really on our side.
 
“We maybe just need one to deflect off someone and trickle into the net to give the forwards the confidence again to score some goals. It's frustrating watching from the back when we're pushing up and trying to get as many chances as we can and we just need a bit of luck.
 
“We had so many chances second half and we just couldn't put the ball in the net. It's been a problem for a few games now.”

Arsenal have scored just two goals in their last seven Premier League outings, with that lack of end product contributing significantly to a 15th-place standing.

It is clear that something needs to be done in order to turn the tide, with the Gunners in danger of seeing their domestic season written off before the end of the calendar year.

Holding believes Arteta’s side can rediscover a spark, with there positives that can be taken from a reversal at Spurs despite the disappointing end result.

He added: “We stayed together and kept pushing right to the final whistle. We got men in the box and we just need to stick together and not let anyone pull us apart.

“We need to keep going and, hopefully, things will change for us.”

Arsenal will be back in Europa League action on Thursday away at Dundalk, with progress to the last 32 already secured there, while their next Premier League outing will see them play host to Burnley.

Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha has described his teammate Eberechi Eze as "a quality and tricky player" after the Nigerian descent helped him score a brace in their 5-1 win over West Bromwich Albion.

Zaha returned to the Eagles' starting XI on Sunday, after recovering from coronavirus which kept him out of action for two weeks, and his return came as a boost for the visitors at the Hawthorns.

The Ivory Coast star fired Crystal Palace ahead in the second half after Conor Gallagher cancelled out Darnell Furlong's own goal for Crystal Palace in the first 45 minutes.

After a while, Eze did a brilliant job to split the West Brom defence but the ball stopped at Zaha’s feet and he slotted home his second goal in the 68th minute.

Speaking after the match, Zaha expressed excitement with the connection he has formed with Eze, who has provided two assists and a goal to his name since his summer-signing from QPR.

"[Eze] is a quality player, he literally glides through people,” he told the club website.

“It’s nice [having] someone on your wavelength and that’s a tricky player as well because I know half of the stuff he’s going to do so I just position myself to get the ball. It’s been a joy."

Zaha was also full of praise for Christian Benteke, who scored two second-half goals in the fixture to seal all three points for the Eagles.

He added: "Chris is as good as he always is really but I feel like everyone’s making noise because he managed to score. So I’m happy for him. He’s worked hard, managed to get his opportunity and he took it today.”

In Zaha’s absence, Crystal Palace failed to win a Premier League game - losing 1-0 to Burnley and 2-0 to Newcastle United.

Sunday's result came as a relief for the 28-year-old as the Eagles bagged an emphatic away victory which moved them up to 11th on the league table with 16 points from 11 games.

"I’m very happy, man. I’m always happy when the team’s winning and obviously I can add some goals as well. A good day in all," Zaha said.

"Obviously it wasn’t nice staying at home away from the team, especially those two games I feel I could have helped. But I’m buzzing to be back and the team’s winning - that’s all I care about!"

In the space of five days, FC Porto fans were treated to two entirely different viewing experiences.

On Tuesday, the record Portuguese champions battened down the hatches, grit their teeth and just about kept Manchester City at bay in Champions League action. The resultant goalless outcome would not have pleased the purists, but it was enough to see Sergio Conceicao’s side through to the competition’s Round of 16.

It was a game, and strategy, to illustrate the rampant inequality that has come to characterize European club football. In their own right, two-time champions Porto are very much the aristocracy, or, at least, they would if the vast financial resources of the likes of Manchester City had not rendered the very idea of an aristocracy obsolete.

However, their pedigree (both at home – where they have won more titles than any other side apart from Benfica – and on the continent) counted for little when faced with the pecuniary might of Pep Guardiola’s slick machine.

Saturday evening, however, presented a different proposition altogether. Tondela, a point off the Primeira Liga relegation zone and with no designs on world domination, rocked up to Estadio do Dragao in domestic competition, and goaded the hosts into a seven-goal thriller.

If there was a common thread running through those two highly disparate performances, it was the output of left-back Zaidu Sanusi, whose brilliance transferred seamlessly from Europe assignment to Portuguese.

The 23-year-old is belatedly becoming one of the revelations of 2020, but is doing with an urgency to suggests he is eager to make up for lost time.

After an impressive 2019/20 season at Santa Clara, for whom he created eight big chances and averaged 0.7 key passes per game over 21 starts, Sanusi was tapped as the prime understudy for the in-demand Alex Telles by Porto this past summer.

While his tally of one goal and two assists over that duration seemed modest, the champions were willing to bet on the young Nigerian's relentless stamina, as well as a whip of a cross that typically sent balls arcing into the corridor between defensive line and goalkeeper. Prime real estate, in other words, for the calibre of centre-forward that Santa Clara did not necessarily have.

Telles would ultimately complete a move to Manchester United for a fee in the region of €15 million, but rather than enter the market for a replacement, Porto elected to keep faith with Sanusi. It is a decision that has been rewarded, on the evidence of some of his recent showings. 

By no means is the Nigeria international (he made his debut in the October international window) the complete package. At least, not yet. Look closely enough, and the holes in his game are apparent: he can lack variety and poise at times, and is often guilty of defensive blackouts on occasion. Questions remain over his passing and overall ball retention.

However, to focus on what he cannot do is to miss the point of what he is: a proper wrecking ball of a full-back, with oodles of energy and, as a bonus, the physical dimensions to be a threat in the air on set-pieces. As part of his brilliant performance on Saturday, Sanusi opened the scoring inside four minutes against Tondela, bounding up the pitch on a counter-attack that originated inside the Porto half, and materializing inside the box to coolly slot home Otavio's pass.

It is also apparent work is being done on refining his defensive instincts, as was clear from his brilliant clearance off-the-line against Manchester City.

The presence of mind and the anticipation to drop back and cover the possibility of a shot sneaking past goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin was simply not present a few months ago. Overall, his work keeping Raheem Sterling relatively quiet was exemplary, and probably would have garnered more attention had his profile been higher.

It holds out some hope his bad habits are far from irreparable. In truth, Sanusi may never become the consummate footballer: a lot of his technical shortcomings seem hard-coded, sadly. However, football's present age is very much one that prizes dynamism and physicality from full-back; these, he has in abundance.

Chinua Achebe's flawed hero in the somewhat underrated 'Arrow of God' – Ezeulu – famously preferred “a sharp boy who broke utensils in his haste than a slow and careful snail.”

Modern football is flawed, and within it Sanusi's sharp urgency more than makes up for everything else.

Lionel Messi remains the best player in the world and deserves a big-money contract to reflect that, according to Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta, who has also backed under-fire head coach Ronald Koeman.

The Argentina international was tipped to join Premier League side Manchester City, managed by former Barca boss Pep Guardiola, after handing in a transfer request following a tumultuous 2019-20 campaign.

He opted to remain in Spain, where he has spent his entire career to date, but is out of contract in June and has since been linked with French champions Paris Saint-Germain and Italian giants Inter.

Barcelona's interim president Carlos Tusquets last week made headlines by suggesting the club should have cashed in on Messi due to the economic fallout caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

However Laporta, who is in the running to succeed Josep Maria Bartomeu as Barca's next president in January's elections, has taken a different stance and believes Messi is worth every penny he is paid.

"You could argue many reasons for him staying. I prefer to think about what Leo generates, which is a lot – certainly more than his salary may cost," Laporta told  Sport . "I'm not just talking about the sporting level, which is already well known. 

"I consider him the best footballer in history. Leo is so much more than just that. In my opinion all players, when they win many titles and generate so much for the club, deserve to be valued accordingly. 

"At least that's how I'll try to make it happen. Leo is, I repeat, the best player in the world and possibly in the history of football. What you have to keep in mind is that he loves Barca and has shown that repeatedly.

"He is a club man and is comfortable at Barcelona and in the city. That is another factor that leads us to think the best thing for us is for the Messi-Barcelona relationship to continue."

However, reiterating comments he previously made, Laporta acknowledged it will take more than money to persuade six-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi to sign a contract extension at Camp Nou.

"You have to be imaginative," he said. "Knowing Messi is not guided by money, and I assure you that is the case, we must make a proposal that can convince him Barca has a team capable of winning the Champions League.

"That is essential. It is what will be more valuable to Leo when deciding his future at the end of the season. I am convinced of that.

"Leo and I have a relationship of mutual affection. He knows that whenever I have made him a proposal, it has been fulfilled. Leo knows it and has told me personally he valued that very much. He should finish his career at Barca."

Messi has scored four goals in 10 La Liga appearances this season and seven in 13 overall, with Koeman leaving the forward out of the squad and his starting line-up on multiple occasions this term.

Barca thrashed Dynamo Kiev 4-0 and Ferencvaros 3-0 in their last two games without Messi involved, though Laporta's fellow presidential candidate Victor Font insisted the 33-year-old's ability cannot be questioned.

"It makes me suffer that there are some Barcelona fans who doubt Messi," he told El Iniestazo . "We have to appeal to justice and think about everything Messi has given us. If we stop and look back, we will never see him again.

"You have to wonder how Messi is to not be at the club he loves the most. Some lose confidence in him but he does not deserve that. If I am named president then Messi will renew at the end of the season."

The future of head coach Koeman has been another hot topic of debate at Camp Nou following Barca's worst start to a Liga campaign in 33 years in terms of points accrued after 10 matches.

Koeman is already under increasing pressure, just four months after being named as Quique Setien's successor, but Laporta feels the legendary former player should be given time to get things right.

"He deserves a margin of confidence, not only because of his wisdom at football level, but also because he is a great of Barca," Laporta said. "As part of the Dream Team, Ronald gave us good memories and his famous goal gave us our first Champions League. He knows what he's doing and you have to give him time.

"He and I can see that the team is improving, but nothing has been achieved yet. I appreciate the courage when it comes to betting on younger players, and I see that the players are once again motivated.

"He has had to deal with many delicate aspects since arriving. He is in the process of getting the team that he wants."

Manchester United summer signing Facundo Pellistri is still building towards his first-team debut, according to reserves head coach Neil Wood, who says "he is progressing nicely".

After following Pellistri's rise to prominence at Uruguayan club Penarol closely for a number of years, United made their move for the winger on deadline day.

The 18-year-old completed a £9 million ($12m) move to Old Trafford on October 5 but although the teenager was initially announced as a senior signing, he has spent his first three months in Manchester working with the U23s.

Pellistri has featured in four Premier League 2 games to date, with his latest outing coming in a 3-1 home win over Southampton on Friday.

The former Penarol star opened his scoring account for the Red Devils with a well taken late strike against the Saints, and will hope to force his way into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first team as the season progresses.

Wood admits the Uruguayan is still adjusting to his new surroundings at the moment, but he is certain that the talented attacker has the right mentality to succeed.

"He's still settling in," the United coach told Manchester Evening News. "He's been training with us this week and it has probably helped him being out on the pitch because he's got a better relationship with the players on the pitch and he understands their game more because he's training more with them.

"That can only help him. I thought he showed an improvement again [against Southampton] with his performance and he probably could have had another goal after he hit the crossbar. He said it bobbled up, next time he scores it.

"He is progressing nicely but I don't want to put too much pressure on him. He is working hard, trying to take in as much information as he can."

Red Devils reserve goalkeeper Paul Woolston also heaped praise upon Pellistri when asked why he neglected to join in the celebrations following the Uruguayan's first goal for the club.

"I was contemplating it, but thought it was a bit far too run!" said the 22-year-old. "He's deserved it. He has worked really hard. You can see when he gets the ball he is really positive which is brilliant to see.

"It is totally different for him than what he was used to, but he is doing really well. The goal today, he deserved it.

"You can see from his first game he has settled in a lot more. You can tell around us he feels good and it just shows in training when he comes down in games like that. He is working really hard and doing really well."

Bengaluru FC picked up their first win of the Indian Super League (ISL) season against Chennaiyin FC last time out, courtesy a Sunil Chhetri penalty. They were not entirely convincing going forward, however, their defence did the job. 

Now, they take on an unbeaten NorthEast United side who are making a name for themselves with disciplined defensive performances. And Carles Cuadrat knows that a daunting task lies ahead of his team if they are to claim another three points on Tuesday. 

"We have been working on the tactics. It will be a tactical game. It will be interesting how they are going to approach the match and how we respond to that and get the three points. NorthEast are very compact in defence. They have been waiting for opportunities to attack. It will be our work to break them down," stated the coach. 

He informed that there are no injuries to his side and there are not selection headaches for him.

The former ISL champions have roped in Cleiton Silva and Kristian Opseth to bolster their attack but the two foreign signings are yet to find their feet in the new surroundings. But Cuadrat is hopeful that his team will find the scoring boots once again as they have been working on this aspect in training. 

"When you are not good enough to score from open play, you work in training and have a plan (to change that). You also work from setpieces. But obviously, I don't tell to score only from setpieces. The previous game was pretty close. It is only about the last pass. We are working on it. Sometimes it doesn't happen. Maybe because of the physical state of the players or a bit about confidence. But we are being consistent," reasoned the Spaniard. 

Bengaluru FC had the most number of clean sheets last season and their backline has continued to be resolute. 

"In three games we have two clean sheets. We are showing consistency in defence. We had a short bad situation against Goa. Apart from that, it has been fine. All the teams have a match plan. Since I have taken over as coach we have lost once against Chennaiyin FC and have never lost against Goa. We are good tactically. But we have to improve in certain aspects. The second goal is also important. If you don't get a comfortable (goal) difference, you can get into trouble in ISL. The team is showing consistency," signed off Cuadrat. 

Simba SC midfielder Bernard Morrison is confident the team will go far in the Caf Champions League this campaign.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi secured their place in the next phase after managing a 1-0 aggregate win against Plateau United of Nigeria on Saturday.

Simba won the first leg played in Abuja courtesy of a Clatous Chama goal and battled to a 0-0 draw against the same opponent in the return leg staged at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Saturday.

With the result, Simba have now booked a date with FC Platinum of Zimbabwe in the next round. Platinum made it to the next round on a 4-1 aggregate win after eliminating Costa De Sol of Mozambique.

The Zimbabwean champions won the first leg played in Maputo 2-1 before claiming a 2-0 win in the return leg played in Harare on Saturday.

Morrison, who joined Simba from rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC), has now said the team’s main target is to make sure they go as far as they can in the competition.

“I have seen our fans are happy to see the team progress to the next stage and it is the same case with the squad, we are very happy we have moved to the first round,” Morrison said as quoted by Sokalabongo.

“Our main target now is to make sure we improve and keep fighting so as we can go as far as we can in the competition, we must increase our efforts because this is a knockout competition and not a league, where you fight for points.”

The Ghanaian continued: “Our main target now is to reach far, I know it is possible, I don’t know how far is far, but we are determined to reach as far as we can, and for now we want every player to play their part, make sure we are in the right frame and ready to represent the team.”

Last season, Simba failed to make it to the group stage after they were eliminated by UD Songo of Mozambique.

The first leg of the Simba vs Platinum will be played on December 22 or 23 in Zimbabwe with the return leg planned for Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on January 5 or 6, 2021.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Cedric Kaze has explained how his side managed to beat a stubborn Ruvu Shooting 2-1 in a Mainland Premier League match on Sunday.

The Jangwani giants were forced to use every means in the book to beat the administrative side, who had threatened to snatch a draw from the match played at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Yanga took the lead in the 30th minute through Michael Sarpong and after a string of missed chances, Shooting equalised in the 60th minute through David Richard but an own goal by Cassian Ponera six minutes later enabled Yanga to take home maximum points.

Coach Kaze has now admitted Ruvu Shooting gave them a difficult game and explained how they turned it around to remain unbeaten in the 18-team league table.

“One thing I like about my players is that they play according to instructions,” the Burundian tactician told reporters after the match.

“It was not an easy game because they really pushed us, they threatened from all angles, they are a good team and the composure of my players, and listening to me when I shout from the touchline, helped us to carry the day.

“The positive thing from the game is we picked maximum points, at some point it looked like we might miss on three points because Ruvu never gave up, I now know what kind of a team they are, a team which never gives up and I want to thank my players to containing them and managing to come out with a win.”

Kaze, who is yet to lose a match since joining the Jangwani giants to replace fired Serbian Zlatko Krmpotic, further thanked the club fans for pushing the team to get a positive result.

“Our fans have also been giving us the support we want, without them we cannot achieve what we have achieved so far, and I want to encourage them not to stop, they should continue attending our matches and supporting us, we need them to achieve our targets for the season.”

After 14 games, Yanga are enjoying an eight-point gap on top of the table since they are on 34 points, while Azam FC are second with 26. The ‘Ice-cream Makers’ will face Gwambina FC on Monday hoping to get maximum points and close the gap.

Champions Simba SC are third on the log with 23 points after 11 games and they were not involved this weekend owing to their participation in the Caf Champions League, where they eliminated Plateau United of Nigeria on a 1-0 aggregate win.

Yanga will next face Mwadui FC as they continue to push for the league title they last won four seasons ago.

Newly-signed Baroka forward Leonardo Afonso had an eventful first taste of top-flight action in the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

After being signed last week, the South African born Afonso was in the squad for Bakgaga's clash against Chippa United at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The home side won 2-1, despite Chippa having been the better team for the first hour or so of the game.

It was on the hour mark that former Sundowns youth team player Afonso came on for his PSL debut, replacing Tshediso Patjie.

Yet Afonso was himself taken off 30 minutes later and replaced by defender Matome Kgoetyane.

However, according to Baroka coach Matsemela Thoka, the change was by no means an indication that the newly-signed player was out of his depth.

"Afonso this was his first game," Thoka told SuperSport. "I like his intentions. Because we need to attack more. But after we got the second goal [the winner was scored by fellow substitute Richard Mbulu in the 76th minute] we sacrificed him, because the energy was out.

"It's his first game and we want to protect the boy, very good boy, intelligent player. But we needed something to balance the team and we saw [Chippa player, Nyiko] Mobbie was trying to attack us on the right side, so I put on a defensive player so I could balance that side."

Chippa had led at the interval through Sandile Mthethwa's 41st-minute strike. But the Limpopo team got stronger as the match went on an equalised through Evidence Makgopa in the 66th minute before Mbulu secured maximum points 10 minutes later.

The victory took Baroka to third on the table, just three points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.

"Massive win for the boys," Thoka said. "I'm very happy for the boys, the character shows, the fighting spirit, that's what I want from them. I told them second half, I said 'boys it's not over, we still have 45 minutes to go'. We scored and we scored again, finally we got it."

The Limpopo team’s next league match is on December 16, away at Bloemfontein Celtic.

Karl Toko Ekambi got a double as Olympique Lyon silenced Metz 3-1 in Sunday’s Ligue 1 encounter.

The Cameroon international got a second-half brace as the Kids left Stade Saint-Symphorien with all points at stake.

Unbeaten in their last nine games across all competitions, Rudi Garcia’s men locked horns with the Maroons, who were aiming to banish the memories of their home defeat to Brest their last time out.

The visitors lived to pre-match hype launching an unrelenting attack after the blast of the referee’s whistle.

Even at that, it was the hosts who were presented with a golden chance to take the lead after Senegal’s Opa Nguette was brought down in the box by on-loan Juventus defender Mattia De Sciglio.

Nevertheless, goalkeeper Anthony Lopes turned in a moment of inspiration to save the ensuing penalty taken by Farid Boulaya.

Seventeen minutes into the game Memphis Depay handed Lyon a well-deserved lead after hitting a one-time shot from Toko Ekambi past goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja.

Despite efforts from Frederic Antonetti’s team to produce a comeback, the first-half ended 1-0 in favour of the Groupama Stadium giants.

Things looked bright for the visitors as Toko Ekambi doubled Lyon’s lead just two minutes into the second-half – blasting an assist from Houssem Aouar into the net 

The 28-year-old found the net for the second time on the hour mark with a cool finish after he was released by Depay.

In the 75th minute, Boulaya reduced the deficit for the home team after firing in an assist from Nguette from close range.

Sadly, their ambition of a comeback was dented in the 87th minute after Ghana international John Boye was sent off by referee Karim Abed for elbowing Brazilian defender Marcelo.

On the stroke of 90 minutes, Lyon were also reduced to 10 men as substitute Rayan Cherki was given his marching orders for serious foul play.

After the final whistle, it was the Kids who reigned supreme as they moved to third on the French top-flight log after accruing 26 points from 13 games played so far in the 2020-21 campaign, while the Maroons occupy the 13th position with 16 points from the same number of games.

Gor Mahia will face CR Belouizdad of Algeria in the second preliminary round of the Caf Champions League.

The Kenyan champions qualified for the next phase of the competition after they managed to secure a 4-3 aggregate win against APR of Rwanda in a two-legged affair.

The Rwandan champions came into the return leg with a 2-1 advantage from their first leg meeting in Kigali, but could not sustain the pressure as Gor Mahia scored two quick goals in added time to win 3-1 and advance.

On the other hand, CR Belouizdad of Algeria reached the next round after a 4-0 aggregate win against Al Nasr of Libya. The Algerian champions won the first leg away in Tripoli 2-0 and returned home to complete the job with another 2-0 win and will now face K’Ogalo.

According to the Confederation of African Football (Caf), the first leg will be played on December 22 or 23 in Algeria, with the return leg planned for January 5 or 6, 2021 in Nairobi.

The last time Gor Mahia played against an Algerian opponent was in 2019 when they were drawn to face USM Alger in the same competition.

USM Alger came to Nairobi and beat K’Ogalo 4-1 and returned home in Algiers to win the return leg 2-0 and advance to the next round with a 6-1 aggregate scoreline.

The two teams also met in the Confederation Cup in the 2018 season with the first leg staged in Kenya ending in a 0-0 draw before USM Alger won the return leg 2-1 at home to advance 2-1 on aggregate.

In 2019, Gor Mahia was also drawn to face Algerian side Hussein Dey in the Confederation Cup, and they won the first leg staged in Nairobi 2-0 but lost away 1-0 to claim a 2-1 aggregate win.

Meanwhile, Tanzania champions Simba SC will take on FC Platinum of Zimbabwe in the second round of the competition.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi qualified for the next phase after securing a 1-0 aggregate win against Nigerian outfit Plateau United.

Simba won the first leg played in Abuja 1-0 courtesy of a Clatous Chama goal and claimed a 0-0 draw in the return leg played at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.

On the other hand, Platinum made it to the next round on a 4-1 aggregate win after eliminating Costa De Sol of Mozambique. The Zimbabwean champions won the first leg played in Maputo 2-1 before claiming a 2-0 win in the return leg played in Harare on Saturday.

The first leg of the Simba vs Platinum will be played on December 22 or 23 in Zimbabwe with the return leg planned for Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on January 5 or 6, 2021.

Uganda will have no representative in the second round of the competition after champions Vipers SC were eliminated by Al-Hilal of Sudan 2-0 on aggregate.

Franck Kessie was on target as AC Milan defeated Sampdoria 2-1 in Sunday’s Italian Serie A clash.

The 23-year-old Ivorian converted from the spot to hand Stefano Pioli’s men a first-half lead before substitute Samuel Castillejo got the winning strike with 13 minutes left to play.

Although Albin Ekdal pulled one back for the determined hosts in the 82nd minute, it could not halt the Red and Blacks from picking up their third successive victory.

Looking for their first win since October, Sampdoria started the encounter strongly and enjoyed the first chance in the eighth minute after a header from Lorenzo Tonelli forced an acrobatic save from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

After that early scare, the visitors almost found the net four minutes later with Alex Ferrari getting in a last-ditch block to repel a shot from Ante Rebic. They had another chance in the 18th minute with Brahi Diaz setting up Rebic but his strike was saved by goalkeeper Emil Audero.

In the 44th minute, the Rossoneri were handed a penalty kick after a handball decision against Jakub Jankto, with Kessie converting the ensuing kick.

Nine minutes after the hour mark, Claudio Ranieri’s side missed a chance to level matters after Morten Thorsby’s header went over the crossbar. Nevertheless, they were two goals down in the 76th minute through Castillejo.

The 25-year-old Spanish winger finished well finished well following a low cross from Rebic just seconds after coming off the bench for Alexis Saelemaekers.

Three minutes later, the hosts pulled one back Ekdal. The Swede had another chance in the closing stages to equalise but Pioli’s side hanged on to leave Stadio Luigi Ferraris with all points at stake.

Kessie who has now scored three Serie A goals so far this term was in action from start to finish while Algeria’s Ismael Bennacer was not listed for the encounter.

For the hosts, Gambia international Omar Colley was brought in as a replacement for Bartosz Bereszynski after 20 minutes. Whereas, on loan Monaco forward Keita Blade was expected not to feature as he is still nursing a muscle injury.

With this result, AC Milan maintain their lead in the Serie A log haing accrued 26 points from 10 outings, while Sampdoria occupy the 12th spot with 11 points from the same number of games.