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Vipers SC have been eliminated from the Caf Champions League after falling by a solitary goal away to Al-Hilal Omdurman.

The only game came in the second half courtesy of Hani Al Dhahi.

The Ugandan Premier League (UPL) came into the match desperate for a win after falling by a solitary goal at home a week ago. A 2-0 win would have pushed the Venoms to the second preliminary round of the competition.

It explains why they came into the match under pressure and took some time to settle. The visitors would have conceded as early as the 10th minute, but Bashir Asiku was in a good position to ensure the ball was out of the danger zone for a fruitless corner.

In the 27th minute, Aziz Kayondo managed to get past his marker, brought in a good cross in search of Dan Sserunkuma but the goalkeeper was alert and he reacted fast enough to stop the danger.

Three minutes later, Jamil Kalisa had a good chance of scoring when the goalkeeper was out of position, but the defender recovered to clear the ball for a corner.

The Venoms felt they could have had a penalty in the 35th minute when Sserunkuma was fouled in the danger zone but the referee was not interested. 

After the break, the Venoms, once again, had a chance in the 49th minute when Ibrahim Orit and David Bagoole played well to set Cesar Manzoki in the danger zone. However, Al Hilal custodian Abdalla Aboeshren denied him.

The Venoms committed in numbers and were caught napping in the 63rd minute, and Hani Al Dhahi capitalized on it to give his team a vital goal that sealed their place in the next phase. 

It could have been worse for the visitors in the 70th minute when they conceded a free-kick in the danger zone, but Fabien Mutombora bailed them out to ensure they did not concede another goal.

Ibrahim Orit could have at least scored when he was slipped in, but he shot straight at the goalkeeper.

The Venoms qualified for the competition after the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) annulled the 2019/20 season and declared them champions.

Sunday's two league games saw Baroka FC shoot up to third on the standings with a 2-1 victory over Chippa United at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, while Stellenbosch edged TS Galaxy with a late goal in a 1-0 win at the Mbombela Stadium.

Chippa were the stronger side in the first half, and probably in the first hour; enjoying more of the ball and more of the goal scoring chances.

The Chilli Boys were however indebted to their goalkeeper Mlungisi Mazibuko for making a fantastic save to keep out a first minute header from Kgodiso Monama.

Other than that though, the home side were flat in attack and Chippa deservedly took the lead through defender Sandile Mthethwa, who stole in at the back post to neatly steer Nyiko Mobbie's 41st minute cross into the roof of the net.

After the break, Baroka continued to battle to find much fluency or penetration against the Chilli Boys.

Yet, from a corner kick, they were to restore parity in the 65th minute as Evidence Makgopa powered in a header from an out-swinger by Nhlanhla Mgaga.

The goal restored confidence in the hosts and they went ahead 10 minutes later when Richard Mbulu headed home emphatically, from a Mgaga free kick.

Chippa’s hopes of a comeback suffered a setback when Mduduzi Sibeko was sent off in the 80th minute after collecting a second yellow card.

Meanwhile at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, Stellenbosch FC left it late to beat PSL newcomers TS Galaxy.

Stellenbosch had the better of the first half of play but were unable to turn their superiority into goals.

Their best efforts saw Lelethu Skelm bringing out a good save by Wensten van der Linde in the 11th minute, as well as a spectacular long range volley from Ashley Du Preez which struck the woodwork.

Galaxy were also to be denied by the post in the first half as Strydom Wambi's 32nd minute shot from the edge of the box was tipped onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Lee Langeveldt.

Although Galaxy coach Dan Malesela made three changes at the break, it was Stellenbosch who got on top after the restart, although the likes of Dean van Rooyen, Phathutshedzo Nange and Du Preez were unable to profit from opportunities.

While the match remained tight, Stellenbosch were enjoying slightly the better of the chances and they had the breakthrough in the 83rd minute when Stanley Dimgba scored a brilliant goal, his first for the Cape club. The loss was a first of the season for the Mpumalanga team.

Odisha's winless run continued as they went down 0-2 against Mumbai City in their fourth match of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 on Sunday.

The Juggernauts were completely outclassed by the Islanders in the game and Odisha manager Stuart Baxter acknowledged the lack of quality on the ball.

"(There was) Certainly a mismatch in experience," said Baxter after the match. "Does that really mean it becomes a mismatch technically or tactically, no it shouldn't. I thought in the first 15 or 20 minutes, it was the same equation but a better result. After the penalty, then the mismatch became apparent.

"We played in 48 hours (after the previous game)  and some of the boys were tired so maybe but what I saw in the first 50 minutes wasn't very good. At first, we went 3-5-2, pressed high, took our chances. We had three of our chances and we needed to score one of them to put some pressure on Mumbai. Because when they 2-0 up, they played without pressure. They are a technically good team and the made it look like it was a bit of mismatch."

Baxter revealed that the only pep talk he gave his players at half time was about improving their quality on the field .

"We went 2-0 down and we were very flat. The chances we had, we didn't take. We needed everybody to make that improvement in terms of their quality. I put Marcelinho on, he was carrying a shoulder injury, but I put him on at half time because I thought he would get into some pockets, some spaces. We needed an all round improvement. When you are down against a side like Mumbai City, you make sure you improve your game and manage their game as well. That makes it difficult."

The former South Africa national team coach said that his team's lack of quality separated the two teams. 

"For 50 minutes there was a total lack of quality. The players played in less than 48 hours and it is very difficult to recoup properly. When we go a goal down, the confidence drains. Our lack of quality on the ball was a definite player in the game tonight."

Goalkeeper Kamaljit Singh had to leave the pitch in the first half itself after a clash with Mourtada Fall. Baxter confirmed that the custodian had suffered a concussion and did not look comfortable in the dressing room. 

"Kamaljit (Singh) had a very bad concussion. He answered a couple of questions the doctor asked him but he was clearly affected by the impact. He didn't know where he was and it was a very bad concussion. In the dressing room, he looked dazed but we will take care of him and all the protocols for concussion will be followed.

The British coach is disappointed with Odisha's winless start but he believes his players can turn things around very soon.

"It will keep playing on my mind until we have our next training session and in our next training session will be one wherein we can get rid of this frustration I hope. But first up we need to give rest to players and then work on our tactical, technical game plan and then we need to make sure we come to the party. We can't keep giving others penalties and then think we can come back. We have to make sure we can turn that around and I believe the players can."

Tusker were held to a 0-0 draw by Bandari in the second match of the Football Kenya Federation Premier League on Sunday at Utalii Ground.

It is the first point of the season for Tusker after going down 2-1 against AFC Leopards in the opener. On the other hand, Bandari picked their fourth point after the opening 1-0 victory against Bandari in Mombasa.

After Bandari looked strong enough and denied Tusker a way into the box, midfielder Hashim Sempala attempted a long-range shot but his ferocious hit was stopped by Justin Ndikumana in Bandari’s goal in the 20th minute.

The game, which looked largely balanced, ended without a goal in the first half and even the few chances in the other half did not yield anything meaningful.

As the second half started, Emery Mvuyekure did well to deny David King’atua who was in a prime position to break the deadlock and give the Dockers an opener.

The game grew slightly into a physical one and the referee had to pull a yellow card for Sempala who dangerously challenged Dennis Chetambe in the 56th minute.

Coach Robert Matano made a change in the 61st minute as he substituted Chris Ochieng and introduced former AFC Leopards forward Brian Marita.

Harambee Stars forward Boniface Muchiri attempted a long shot but Ndikumana was again equal to the challenge as he stopped the fierce shot in the 67th minute.

The teams were given a two-minute water break to cool down after playing for more than an hour under a hot Nairobi sun. In the 75th minute, Matano made another change by introducing John Macharia in place of Kevin Okoth.

The three minutes added were not enough to help any team get a goal as the sides shared a point from the stalemate.

At Bukhungu Stadium, Kakamega Homeboyz fought back to ensure the tie ended1-1 against Posta Rangers.

Posta Rangers took an early lead when William Odero scored in the fourth minute but Allan Wanga opened his goal account for the new season with an equaliser in the 84th minute.

The point is the first one for the Mailmen after receiving a heavy 3-0 defeat to KCB in the league’s opener. Nicholas Muyoti’s side registered a fourth point after opening the 2020-21 campaign with a 1-0 win against debutants Vihiga United on November 28.

Derby coach Wayne Rooney has condemned the behaviour of Millwall fans as "disgraceful and mindless" after they jeered players for showing support to the Black Lives Matter movement before kick-off on Saturday.

The Millwall and Derby players knelt before the start of the game in a gesture of support for the campaign against police brutality towards black people.

Millwall criticised the supporters' behaviour and pledged to prevent a repeat of the incident in subsequent home matches.

Interim Derby manager Rooney expressed his "surprise" in an interview after the game, but has followed up with a stronger message denouncing of those responsible. 

"Yesterday I witnessed the disgraceful and mindless behaviour by a large section of the Millwall supporters in the stadium," Rooney wrote in a social media post. "Prior to the match, we were aware of the possibility of a planned disruptive response during the taking of the knee in support of the BLM campaign, but nothing prepared us for what we heard.

"I was proud of my players and staff for not letting the fans deter them from continuing to present a positive and important message that taking the knee immediately before a game sends. The professionalism of the players on both sides throughout the game was a credit to our profession after such an incident. 

"On behalf of Derby County, I want it to be clear to everyone associated with the club that we represent all sectors of our community, regardless of colour, gender or sexuality. 

"Fans being allowed back into the stadiums is vital for the wellbeing of everybody involved in our sport, from fans to players to chairmen and owners. It is therefore really important that the vast makority of us show respect and support of each other and do not tolerate or accept the actions of the mindless few."

Millwall manager Gary Rowett told reporters that his players fear taking the knee is in danger of becoming an empty gesture and urged clubs to do more off the field to fight discrimination.

“The players have released a statement together and said they don’t support it [taking the knee] as a political message but support anti-discrimination," he said. “Moving forward, like a lot of clubs, they would prefer not to take the knee and actually enact change.

“They want to be proactive rather than it being a gesture, which a lot of clubs are now saying is perhaps empty. That’s not my consideration, but they now feel that gesture is in danger of being empty.”

Ousmane Dembele has emerged as a doubt for Barcelona's clash with Juventus after suffering a hamstring injury.

Dembele came on as a substitute during Barca's surprise 2-1 loss to Cadiz on Saturday, which left Ronald Koeman's side 12 points adrift of current Liga leaders Atletico Madrid.

The French winger was introduced after the break with the Blaugrana already 1-0 down to an Alvaro Gimenez effort, and had a positive impact initially as the visitors pushed for an equaliser.

Koeman's men got the leveller their pressure deserved when Jordi Alba's cross was turned into his own net by Pedro Alcala, but calamitous defending allowed the hosts to regain the advantage moments later.

Alvaro Negredo successfully chased down a short backpass to Marc-Andre ter Stegen before tapping into an empty net, and Cadiz held on for a famous victory to move up to fifth in the table.

Dembele completed the match without any problems, but Barca have now revealed that he picked up a knock which could see him miss the Champions League group stage showdown against Juve at Camp Nou on Tuesday.

"Tests on Sunday morning, December 6, have shown that first-team player Ousmane Dembele has a hamstring elongation," a statement on the club's official website read. "He will therefore not be considered for selection and the evolution of the injury will determine his availability.

"Against Cadiz, the French winger, coming off the bench, participated in his 12th game of the year and had, to that point, scored four goals."

Persistent fitness issues have prevented Dembele from fulfilling his potential in a Barca shirt since his £117 million ($157m) move from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2017.

The 23-year-old missed the second half of the 2019-20 campaign after undergoing surgery on a more serious hamstring injury, but he has appeared in 12 matches for the Spanish giants since returning to action at the start of the new season.

Although Barca are safely through to the Champions League knockout stages already, they will be aiming to secure top spot in Group G when they play host to Juve later this week.

Mumbai City beat Odisha 2-0 to record a third straight win in the 2020-21 Indian Super League on Sunday at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim. 

First half goals from Bartholomew Ogbeche and Rowllin Borges were enought for the Islanders to control the game and secure a win. 

The first 15 minutes of the game failed to produce clear-cut chances but Mumbai City were quick to announce their dominance. The midfield consisting of Rowllin Borges and Ahmed Jahouh dictated proceedings and nearly played their opponents out of the park. 

Diego Mauricio did go close with a free-kick from the edge of the box but aside from that, there was little joy in front of goal for the striker. 

Mumbai City kept knocking on the door and were finally rewarded at the half-hour mark. Vignesh Dakshinamurthy's attempted cross from the left flank struck the arm of Shubham Sarangi and the referee pointed to the spot. 

Bartholomew Ogbeche stepped up and coolly delivered the deadlock-breaker to put Mumbai City ahead in the 30th minute. 

There was controversy a few minutes later when Mourtada Fall climbed the highest inside the box to get to a cross before the opposition's goalkeeper Kamaljeet Singh. Fall's header found the net in and the keeper fell to the ground following the clash. The referee, however, awarded a free-kick to Odisha, deeming the incident to be a foul by Fall. 

Anton Ferdinand says he feared the reaction he would have received had he spoken out during his racism case against John Terry and feels he was "failed" by the authorities.

Then-Chelsea captain Terry was accused of racist abuse toward Ferdinand during a Premier League match against QPR in October 2011.

Terry denied the accusations and was acquitted in the resulting criminal court case, but a subsequent investigation by the Football Association judged the former England star to be guilty, suspended him for four matches and fined him £200,000.

Ferdinand has explained why he refused to comment on the situation publicly while the court case was going on, but regrets leaving it all up to others to decide.

"I didn't feel like I was the right representation of our community in terms in speaking out and I don't think that I could have at the time anyway," he said in an interview with Sky Sports. "I was scared to speak out and I see that now. I was scared of the whirlwind of what happened, the abuse on social media, I couldn't get away from it, it was always there.

"I felt like I just couldn't speak, not just because it would harm the court case, which was being drummed into me a lot at the time. I did something that I wish I hadn't done, which was I left it in the hands of the authorities and they failed me."

The former QPR and West Ham centre-back first discussed the incident in public in a recent BBC documentary, Anton Ferdinand: Football, Racism and Me.

The 35-year-old, who retired from the game in July 2019, now hopes to use his experience to help others.  

"I feel like I needed to understand my journey and how I felt so I could mentor others," he said. "Because you mentor from experience, that's the best way to do it.

"So I needed to understand how it had made me feel and how I dealt with it. I never thought it was going to be therapeutic but it ended up being one, it brought up a lot of emotions and things that hurt me."

David Beckham has lauded Kylian Mbappe after his 100-goal feat for Paris Saint-Germain, admitting that playing with the French striker would have been a "dream" for him.

Mbappe became only the fifth player in PSG's history to reach a century of goals when he completed the scoring during a 3-1 victory away at Montpellier in Ligue 1 on Saturday.

The 21-year-old now has 100 goals in 137 games across all competitions to his name for reigning Ligue 1 champions since his big-money move to Parc des Princes from Monaco in 2017.

He had endured a three-match goal drought prior to the trip to Stade de la Mosson, but Thomas Tuchel is hopeful his star frontman will embark on another scoring run after entering PSG's history books.

Inter Miami owner Beckham says Mbappe would have been the ideal team-mate for him when he was at the peak of his powers, with the World Cup winner considered to be a master of getting in behind defences.

The former PSG winger told Telefoot of his admiration for the France international: "I would have loved to be still a player now, because playing with a forward like Kylian would have been a dream to me.

"You put the ball anywhere in front of him and he gets it."

Beckham added on Mbappe's unique qualities on and off the pitch: "What struck me the most, was to see how he was humble, he had his head on his shoulders.

"What made me love him even more, because I already appreciate him a lot; is his personality.

"[He is a] humble, talented and a special person. To see someone so young with so much talent reach a bar that high, it's very special, for him, for the club, for his family and also for the supporters."

The former Monaco talisman will be back in contention for a place in Tuchel's starting XI when PSG welcome Istanbul Basaksehir to Parc des Princes on Tuesday night.

The Parisian outfit will qualify for the Champions League knockout stages if they beat Okan Buruk's side, who narrowly lost a thrilling encounter against RB Leipzig on matchday five.

PSG will turn their attention back to Ligue 1 after their latest European outing, with a home fixture against Lyon scheduled to take place on December 13.

Tuchel has seen his side return to the top of the Ligue 1 standings in the early stages of the 2020-21 campaign, with nine wins, one draw and three defeats recorded through their opening 13 fixtures.

PSG are sitting four points clear of Lille at the summit, with Lyon currently a point further back in fifth with a game in hand.

Gor Mahia stand-in coach Sammy Omollo believes over-excitement was the reason why APR suffered two late goals in the 3-1 loss to their hosts in the second leg of the Caf Champions League played at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday.

Jacques Tuyisenge lost a chance to put his team in front after nine minutes as his penalty was saved by Gad Mathews. Samuel Onyango then put K'Ogalo in front after 17 minutes from close range. In the 81st minute, Keddy Nsanzimfura equalized to give the Army hope of making it to the next round.

However, Sydney Ochieng' struck in the second minute of added time before Nicholas Kipkirui sealed the win with a few minutes to go and ensure the Kenyan champions advanced with a 4-3 aggregate.

"The problem with APR is that they over-celebrated when they equalized against us," Omollo told Goal on Sunday.

"They got overexcited and gave us a chance to get our goals. If they could have concentrated maybe they could have managed to get the result they needed to make it to the next round."

The tactician has also hailed his team for their performance and zeal that ensured they eliminated the Rwandan champions.

"Gor Mahia played well considering the fact that they have not been involved in competitive matches of late," Omollo added.

"Since March, most of the players here have not been involved in any game and I am really happy with the way they played.

"I was encouraged with the response after conceding late in the game. If it were any other team, maybe they could have given up, but K'Ogalo fought to the end and we were rewarded."

The tactician has also pointed out the impact made by the substitutes. 

"They knew what we wanted and they played a very big role in helping the team advance. Sydney, Kipkirui scored very important goals for us and they came in as substitutes.

"In general, I am happy with the overall performance, now we can prepare for the next round with a target of making it to the group stages of the competition."

Gor Mahia have never made it to the group stage of the Caf Champions League.

Jordan Henderson was proud to see Liverpool youngsters Caoimhin Kelleher, Curtis Jones and Neco Williams impress in their Champions League win against Ajax on Tuesday.

The Reds secured first place in Group D with the 1-0 victory at Anfield, with 19-year-old Jones netting the decisive goal with an assist from Williams.

Goalkeeper Kelleher made his Champions League debut when he replaced the injured Alisson in the starting XI.

For Henderson, seeing the team's younger stars shine on the big stage was the highlight of the evening. 

"Any victory is always welcome, but even more so when it comes against a top European side and helps secure qualification to the last 16 of the Champions League," he wrote in Liverpool's matchday programme ahead of Sunday's Premier League match against Wolves.

"The best thing about it, though, was it was made possible by the performances of some of our younger players, all of whom deserve all the credit in the world for how they played. 

"Curtis Jones got the headlines and rightly so. He is a 19-year-old boy – and I use that word deliberately because in football terms he is still a kid – playing for his boyhood team with all of the pressures that come with that situation, but he doesn’t let it show.  

"He went out there, played his football, got the decisive goal and generally looked like he had been part of the team for years when the reality is he’s still a young lad with only a handful of appearances to his name.

"In goal we had Caoimhin Kelleher, a little bit older than Curtis but probably a little bit less experienced in terms of first-team exposure. Not only that, he was filling in for Alisson, who has been such an incredible presence for us over the last few seasons. 

"Imagine that: you’re making your European debut for Liverpool in a massive game in front of a global audience and you have to replace one of the best in the world in your position.

"Keeping a clean sheet in any circumstances is always an achievement, but in this particular situation it is an even bigger one and all of the accolades Caoimhin received afterwards were richly deserved." 

Henderson continued: "We are so fortunate to have a brilliant set of ’keepers, all of whom are entirely focused on delivering what’s best for the team.

"I can’t praise Adrian enough for how he conducts himself and the contribution he makes. He is a true leader in our dressing room and I’m sure Caoimhin would be the first to acknowledge that having a person and professional of Adrian’s quality supporting and guiding him made the evening more manageable for him. 

"The same goes for Neco Williams. Like Caoimhin, he had to stand in for a top-class player with Trent being unavailable through injury.

"I know the gaffer had a chat with Neco after the Brighton game and the outcome of that was that he went onto the pitch in a massive game and performed to the kind of level that we all know he is capable of."

Arthur Masuaku has described West Ham United's 3-1 defeat against Manchester United in Saturday's Premier League fixture as a ‘deceptive result’ after they surrendered their lead in the second half.

The hosts took the early lead at the London Stadium after Tomas Soucek separated both teams within the 38th minute but Manchester United turned the encounter around with quick-fire goals after the restart.

Paul Pogba scored the equaliser for the visitors in the 65th minute and Mason Greenwood put them in front three minutes later. Second-half substitute Marcus Rashford completed the comeback for United with his 78th-minute goal - to set a new comeback record in Premier League history.

Saturday's result ended West Ham's three-match winning streak in the English top-flight and they fell to their second home defeat since their 2-0 loss to Newcastle United on the opening day.

DR Congo's Masuaku was in action for the entire duration and he assessed the Hammers after the setback which brought them down to seventh in the league table with 17 points from 11 matches.

The 27-year-old defender stated that they had a good start against the Red Devils but they did not do more to secure all three points in London.

“Deceptive result after a strong start from the team... We needed to do more today. Happy to see the fans back though, on to the next one," he tweeted.

Ivory Coast striker Sebastien Haller was also in action for 90 minutes for West Ham while Algeria's Said Benrahma came on in the 75th minute as he continues to wait for his first Premier League start since his loan signing from Brentford.

Masuaku has been a regular fixture in David Moyes' selection in this campaign, starting 10 of their 11 league matches so far in this campaign.

He will be focused on helping West Ham return to winning ways when they visit Leeds United for their next Premier League fixture on Friday.

Millwall have issued a statement after seeing their supporters boo players for taking a knee in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Fans were granted access to The Den for the first time in almost nine months on Saturday for the Championship clash against Derby County, with stadiums in some areas across the country now cleared to open their doors to the public again with a reduced capacity amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Millwall lost the match 1-0 to slip down to 14th in the league standings, but the contest was overshadowed by the actions of the home crowd prior to kick-off.

Footballers have been showing their support for the global anti-racism campaign by dropping to one knee before matches since June, and both sets of players continued that trend at The Den this weekend, only to be met with a chorus of jeers from the stands.

Rams forward Colin Kazim-Richards stood and gave a raised-fist power salute while his colleagues took the knee, and Lions supporters reacted by booing loudly until the referee blew his whistle to signal the start of the game.

Millwall have expressed their disappointment in the fans responsible while promising to do everything they can to prevent a repeat of the incident in the future.

"Millwall Football Club was dismayed and saddened by events which marred Saturday’s game against Derby County at The Den," an official statement on the club's website read.

"The club has worked tirelessly in recent months to prepare for the return of supporters and what should have been a positive and exciting occasion was completely overshadowed, much to the immense disappointment and upset of those who have contributed to those efforts.

"The impact of such incidents is felt not just by the players and management, but by those who work throughout the club and in its academy and community trust, where so many staff and volunteers continue passionate endeavours to enhance Millwall’s reputation day after day, year after year. The club will not allow their fine work to be in vain.

"The players are continuing to use the biggest platform they have to support the drive for change, not just in football but in society generally.

"There is much work to be done and at Millwall everyone is committed to doing all that is possible, both individually and collectively, to be a force for good and to ensure that the club remains at the forefront of football’s anti-discrimination efforts.

"Over the coming days, club, academy and community trust staff will meet with Kick It Out and representatives from other appropriate bodies in an attempt to use Saturday’s events as a catalyst for more rapid solutions which have an impact both in the short and long-term. Further comment will be made once those meetings and discussions are concluded."

Juan Mata hopes if Lionel Messi comes to Manchester it's to United and not City, but he is not paying too much attention to the transfer rumours surrounding the six-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Messi is heavily linked with a move away from Barcelona as he approaches the final months of his current contract.

The 33-year-old tried to manufacture a way out of Camp Nou in the summer transfer window only to find his exit blocked by Blaugrana and La Liga officials.

The Argentine eventually announced he would be staying put for another season during an exclusive interview with Goal, but also admitted he no longer feels that Barca can compete for top trophies at the very highest level.

Messi has been proven right at the start of the 2020-21 La Liga campaign, which has been Barca's worst for 30 years, with Champions League group stage progress for Ronald Koeman's side doing little more than papering over the cracks.

Manchester City, Inter and Paris Saint-Germain have been tipped to try and lure the superstar away from Catalonia next year, with current Camp Nou interim president Carles Tusquets insisting the club would be better off financially without Messi.

City has been mooted as the most likely next destination for Messi because of Pep Guardiola's presence at Etihad Stadium, but Mata would much prefer to see a man regarded as one of the best players in history make his way to Old Trafford.

“Well I hope not – I hope not for the betterment of my club," the Manchester United midfielder said of rumours linking the Argentina international with City while speaking in his role as an ambassador for Laureus. “I don’t know what will happen, but I hope he doesn’t go there. If he comes to Manchester I hope it’s to my club and not the other.

“There were rumours, for example, that Cristiano Ronaldo might come back to Manchester in the future. One of the things that I realised in professional football is that you should focus on what you can control and forget about what you cannot.”

Messi played the full 90 minutes of Barca's shock 2-1 defeat away at Cadiz on Saturday, which leaves them 12 points behind current Liga leaders Atletico Madrid.

Mata, meanwhile, came on as a second-half substitute during United's 3-1 win at West Ham this weekend and provided an assist for Marcus Rashford to round off the scoring.

Jamshedpur FC have a stiff test on their hands when they come up against league leaders ATK Mohun Bagan on Monday.

The Men of Steel are yet to win a game so far and after two consecutive draws on the trot, they will be desperate for a positive result against Antonio Habas' side. ATK Mohun Bagan have a very strong look about them, with several high-profile stars in their squad in Roy Krishna, Tiri, Edu Garcia, Javier Hernandez and more. 

Coyle is not daunted by the task of playing against a star-studded squad and claimed that his side will not be overawed by the challenge. He feels, his side are capable of stopping ATK Mohun Bagan's strong forward line, led by the impressive Krishna. 

"The same as everybody else, with good defending (stopping Krishna and co). ATK Mohun Bagan and Mumbai [City] are teams with huge budgets and all credit to them to have got very good players at their clubs, but so have we," Coyle said. 

"We got very good players. We are very respectful of everybody we play but we don't fear anybody. We know that they will concentrate on their game plan and we will play the way we want to play. We have certainly shown that we can cause teams problems and that's what we're going to do against ATK Mohun Bagan."

The former Chennaiyin FC manager felt that they need to start converting their draws into wins, having drawn two of their first three games. Against Odisha FC, they took a 2-0 lead before conceding two goals late on. Last time out against Hyderabad, Jamshedpur had to rally in the second half to score an equaliser. 

"The week has shown that every game is tight. [ATK] Mohun Bagan have started well in terms of achieving some good results but they have been very close games. So we're looking forward to the game. What we want to do is turn our draws into wins because obviously that moves you up the table. 

"I think when you look at our games, we could have easily had five, six, seven points. Against Odisha, we were two-nothing up. There are certainly points there that we dropped (2-2 draw). In the Hyderabad game, we were very strong in the second half. We scored a goal but it was disallowed and we kept going because of the spirit of the team."

Coyle explained that consistency is what is lacking in his team. 

"I think it's the consistency to put the whole performance together. There are certain areas we need to work on. We have to make sure that we are solidified and not give those chances that lead to goals against us. [The] first half against Odisha [was] outstanding, [as was the] second half against Hyderabad, but we have to put it together for the whole match."

Against Hyderabad, Jamshedpur were on the receiving end of several poor decisions and should have had a penalty, apart from having a goal incorrectly ruled out. 

"It's not about blaming the referees. I think it's about stating the facts of what happened. Ultimately, there is accountability and responsibility for performing well and in the end you'd want everyone to bring that consistently.

"If you have a group of boys that are working their socks off everyday and then decisions are changing the course of the match, it kills the spirit we have.

"All said and done, there's always going to be bad decisions. You always hope that you'll even yourselves out but knowing from my experience that's never the case. So we've been severely hampered by that, but we're not using that as an excuse. That's what happened but we still have to make sure that we see those teams through."

Coyle does have injury issues ahead of Monday's match. Joyner Lourenco, Narendar Gahlot and Davide Grande are out injured while central midfielder Alex Lima and winger Nick Fitzgerald are doubtful.

Gor Mahia forward Nicholas Kipkirui is still overwhelmed after scoring the goal that took the Kenyan champions to the next phase of the Caf Champions League.

K'Ogalo won the game 3-1 at Nyayo Stadium to advance with a 4-3 aggregate win.

On Saturday, Samuel Onyango scored for the home team in the first half before substitute Keddy Nsanzimfura equalized for the visitors in the 81st minute. It seemed APR were cruising to the next stage but Sydney Ochieng' and Kipkirui struck late to win the tie for the Kenyan champions.

"I still don't believe I played a crucial role to help my team qualify to the next stage; I am overwhelmed," the excited Kipkirui told Goal on Sunday.

"It was a huge goal, not only for me but my team as well. So far, this is the most important goal I have ever scored and it came in a good time. When the ball found the back of the net, the feeling was just unexplainable because before then, we were under pressure to score.

"I just saw the ball coming, I decided to attack it and by the time the defenders and the goalkeeper realized, the ball was in the net."

The 24-year-old has also revealed the influence the stand-in coach Sammy Omollo had on him.

"Before he put me on the pitch, he called and motivated me, and by the time I entered, I was psyched up," Kipkirui added.

"I am so happy that now we can focus on the second round of the preliminaries hoping to go all the way to the group stage."

The former Zoo FC striker went on to reveal what he aims to achieve in the 2020/21 campaign with the Kenyan champions both domestically and in continental matches, as well as the national team.

"This is my season; I want to help Gor Mahia successfully defend the league title, I want us to perform better in the Caf Champions League, and I also want to battle for the Golden Boot," he continued.

"My other objective is to try and break into the first team of the Harambee Stars; but to achieve all those targets, I need to work harder and consistently deliver for my team Gor Mahia."

Manchester United star Paul Pogba has admitted it took him a "long time" to recover physically from coronavirus and that he "couldn't run" during the first game of the season.

Pogba was diagnosed with Covid-19 on August 27, which forced him to pull out of France's squad for the first international break of the 2020-21 campaign.

The Frenchman spent 10 days in quarantine before returning to full training with United, and was subsequently named in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's starting XI for their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on September 19.

The 27-year-old struggled as the Red Devils fell to a 3-1 defeat, which marked the beginning of an alarming loss of form for a player who had been integral during the team's run to a third-place top-flight finish post-lockdown.

Pogba has been in and out of Solskjaer's line up since giving away the penalty which gave Arsenal a 1-0 win at Old Trafford on November 1, with competition for places in midfield at an all-time high following Donny van de Beek's arrival in Manchester from Ajax in the summer transfer window.

Van de Beek, Fernandes and Fred have enjoyed prominent roles in the team ahead of the World Cup winner in recent weeks, but Pogba returned to United's starting XI for their trip to West Ham on Saturday evening.

Pogba, who scored a stunning second-half equaliser to set Solskjaer's side on their way to a 3-1 victory at the London Stadium, has now revealed that it took him far longer than originally expected to regain full fitness after testing positive for coronavirus, which ultimately affected his ability to perform.

“It’s strange, it’s hard to explain because you wouldn’t understand. Even in training, I would say to the fitness coach that I feel strange. It’s not me," the France international told United's official website. "I get tired very fast and I’m out of breath really fast. The first game of the season, I couldn’t run. I was trying.

"I spoke with the manager, 'I will start the game and let’s see,' but I was very out of breath and it took me a long time to get me back to my fitness and to get back physically good.”

Asked how it felt to get 90 minutes under his belt against the Hammers, Pogba responded: “So good. Obviously, it feels good to play. The lads have been playing really well as well.

"I wasn’t ready physically I would say. I felt weakness physically. You know, just to play the 90 minutes and carrying on with the games. It’s such a difference. I’m finding my rhythm as well.

"I feel so much better today, I felt I could go again, control the game, getting the ball. That’s what I like, myself. That’s what I think is good for the team. I’m a team player.

"As long as the team wins, that’s the most important, you know. I find myself good and we want to win. That’s why I came here and that’s why I want to be successful.”

The Red Devils playmaker added on his first Premier League goal of the season: “The kick from Dean [Henderson] was a bit… we didn’t know if it was out or in but we just went for it. I just went for it, I saw Bruno [Fernandes] had the ball and I was free. I hit it in the first half, it didn’t go well, but the second time it went in and I’m really happy with this.

"I feel confident, I feel myself, like more in my legs and physically I feel much better. It’s good, you know, just to get back in the team, and to score this goal to help the team get back in the game, it’s very important for the team. I’m very happy for that.”