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Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer believes that his side lacked some luck to break down Cape Town City following a myriad of scoring opportunities that went abegging in the 2-2 draw at Danie Craven Stadium on Saturday.

It was another come-from-behind result for Pirates for the third straight match as they also recorded the fourth draw in six Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches.

Cape Town City took the lead twice through Mduduzi Mdantsane and defender Abbubaker Mobara but Pirates hit back via a brace from Vincent Pule.

“I think the first half was most of the time good in the shape, we lead in the most of minutes in the game,” Zinnbauer told SuperSport TV.

“But it’s football, you have a lot of chances in the first half, you can win this game in the first half. And the second half was I think totally clear, totally clear.

“I think City had one, two, three counter-attacks but I can’t think of more. But we have also a lot of chances but you need then the luck but we have this day no luck.”

Pirates were twice denied by the woodwork in their bid to claim the lead.

With Zakhele Lepasa guilty for blowing most of their scoring opportunities, Zinnbauer responded by pulling him off for Tshegofatso Mabasa, who was a big threat for City as he twice came very close to thrusting the Soweto giant ahead.

Also Frank Mhango’s introduction fired up Pirates’ attack, but still, the finishing touch was their biggest let down.

“I think you see two post shots, a lot of chances. I think together maybe twelve or 50 I don’t know what we have for option to scoring,” said Zinnbauer.

“If you don’t score then you cannot win a game. We had the tactical hundred percent in the game and shape we needed for the game. Also, it was not easy against City, we know this like a good game, good team with ball possession, with defending structures.

"But we found always a solution and it was a very good structure but in the final goal was not and today but we are on the right direction. This was a top performance today and we don’t have the full three points.”

Pirates will now switch attention to the MTN8 final where they meet Bloemfontein Celtic at Moses Mabhida next Saturday.

Winning it would be their first piece of silverware since they lifted the 2014 Nedbank Cup.

Thomas Tuchel says he is hopeful Kylian Mbappe can go on a scoring streak after finally reaching 100 goals for Paris Saint-Germain.

Mbappe had been waiting to seal his place in PSG's hall of fame since netting his 98th and 99th goals for the club during their 3-2 defeat to Monaco on November 20.

The World Cup winner drew blanks in Champions League wins over RB Leipzig and Manchester United, and also failed to bring up his century during a 2-2 draw with Bordeaux, but finally reached his long-awaited milestone during the clash with Montpellier on Saturday.

Mbappe found the net in stoppage time to round off a 3-1 win for Tuchel's side at Stade de la Mosson, becoming the fifth player to score 100 goals in PSG history in the process.

The 21-year-old is now level with Dominique Rocheteau in the club's all-time scoring list, with only Pauleta (109), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (156) and Edinson Cavani (200) sitting above him, but he has reached the landmark in far fewer games than all four men - 137.

Mbappe had faced criticism in some quarters after a three-game scoreless streak, but Tuchel has been pleased with his overall performances and would like to see him kick on when PSG play host to Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League on Tuesday.

"His life is not too difficult, is it? He had a good game in Manchester. In other matches, he had scored and I was less satisfied with him," the German head coach said of his star centre-forward after the win at Montpellier.

"If he continues to work I am very calm. Today I can only say 'congratulations'. All forwards need goals and I hope we will continue on Tuesday."

Tuchel also reserved praise for Rafinha, who has made a bright start to his PSG career following a permanent move to Parc des Princes from Barcelona in the summer transfer window.

"I like the guy. I have known Rafinha for many years," he said. "I watched him and his brother (Thiago Alcantara) at Barcelona. He's an extraordinary guy, with a lot of intelligence, super humble, pleasant, always attentive. It shows its quality. 

"He had a good match in Manchester. He's having an amazing new game and I'm very happy for him."

The PSG boss added on his side's improved form in recent weeks and the importance of maintaining those high standards against Istanbul: "We had two very high-level matches, we played with everyone, with good energy, a lot of quality. The energy on the bench was very positive too. 

"If we are able to stay in the game, to suffer together, to sacrifice ourselves, to remain disciplined and strong physically, we are a very strong team. 

"It was necessary to confirm today. Starting tomorrow, we will analyse this match. In sport, you have to keep going and that's the challenge."

Former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva has tipped Mohamed Elneny to play a key role in Mikel Arteta's team because of his consistent performances.

Since he returned from a season-long loan at Besiktas in the summer, the former Basel player has produced fine performances for Arsenal in five Premier League appearances this season.

The 28-year-old Egyptian is in contention to feature in the middle of the park when the Gunners visit Tottenham Hotspur for Sunday's North London derby with Thomas Partey still a doubt due to a thigh injury.

Silva, who was part of the Invincibles, believes Arsenal need a stable presence in the midfield and Elneny fits the role.

"Before they signed Thomas Partey, I’d spoken many times about Arsenal’s need to bring in another central midfielder, and they’re unlucky their new signing has been out with an injury recently," Silva told Ladbrokes. "But Granit Xhaka has been the regular player in that position in the last couple of years.

"But Partey played alongside Mohamed Elneny in Arsenal’s game against Manchester United a few weeks ago and I thought they worked really well as a partnership, despite the fact that they’re not the kind of players who get that much credit for the jobs they do – Elneny especially.

"But I think he can be a key player for Arsenal this year. He’s not an inconsistent player, he always performs well and in that role you need someone who is going to consistently do a job for the team.

"It’s an area of the pitch where you need stability, and I think that Elneny could be the player who fits that role alongside Xhaka or Partey.

"Every good team is very strong at the back, that back three or back four, and then equally as strong in the middle of the pitch. After that, you worry about the forward players.

"Arsenal have the forward players who are capable of performing well and scoring goals, but they need to strengthen the middle part of the field."

The former Brazil international also made a case for Lucas Torreira, who has been sent out on loan to Atletico Madrid after struggling to find a regular playing spot in Arteta's squad.

He added: "I think Lucas Torreira had a good start to his career at Arsenal. He played some really good games, but then last season he played some not-so-good games and was dropped to the bench as a result.

"In the end he moved to Atletico Madrid on loan but I still believe he has a chance at Arsenal. At some point players will believe they don’t have a chance at a team – especially when a new manager comes in – but Torreira definitely has quality. He’s a great player.”

Inter Milan wing-back Achraf Hakimi has dedicated his two goals in his team's 3-1 win over Bologna to Morocco defender Mohamed Abarhoun, who died on Wednesday.

Abarhoun passed away in an Istanbul hospital during the week after a long battle with stomach cancer which forced him into retirement earlier this year.

The 31-year-old last played for Rizespor until February when he was diagnosed with cancer while in a Turkish Super Lig game.

Tributes came in from across the world for the Morocco international, who played for the North African nation at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the 2014 African Nations Championship in South Africa.

After finding the back of the net in each half of the Nerazzurri's comfortable home victory over Bologna on Saturday, Hakimi paid his respects to the Tetouan-born defender by displaying a shirt which had ‘Abarhoun’ written on it.

The 22-year-old later took to social media to dedicate his first-ever brace in Serie A to his compatriot.

“Happy for the win and for the two goals. It's for you Mohamed Abarhoun,” Hakimi tweeted.

Since he joined Inter on a five-year deal from Real Madrid in the summer, Hakimi has made 14 appearances across all competitions with a contribution of three goals and four assists so far.

Next up for Hakimi and Conte's men is a must-win Uefa Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday to boost their chances of advancing to the knockout stage.

The Italian giants sit at the bottom of Group B with five points after five games – three points behind leaders Borussia Monchengladbach, two points behind Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Madrid, who sit in the second and third spots, respectively.

Caf has called off Sunday's Confederation Cup match pitting Namungo FC and Al-Rabita that was to be played at Chamazi Complex.

The decision by the African football governing body has been made after South Sudan failed to facilitate matters around the officials who were expected to oversee the game.

Caf, has, however, failed to reveal whether the game will be given another new date after the Sunday cancellation.

“The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has called off the Confederation Cup match between Al-Rabita and Namungo FC that was to be played on December 6,” a statement by the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) obtained by Goal read.

“Caf has made the decision after South Sudan Football Federation (SSFA) failed to facilitate the technicalities involving the match officials.

“The match had been planned to be played in Juba, South Sudan but SSFA requested the game to be hosted in Dar es Salaam. The request had been accepted by Caf.”

The Tanzanian side, who recently appointed Hemed Morocco as head coach in place of Thierry Hitimana, after a string of poor results, enjoy a 3-0 advantage from the first leg.

South Sudan does not have a stadium that meets Fifa and Caf standards and that is the reason, coupled with travel restrictions emanating from the coronavirus pandemic, that necessitated the SSFA’s request to have the game be played in Tanzania.

The national team, the Bright Stars, also had to engage Uganda in Nairobi for the African Cup of Nations qualifier in November.

Earlier, Namungo’s information officer Kindamba Namlia revealed the kind of preparations they had before the Sunday game but they now have to wait for long before Caf gives the way forward.

“After the past match, the coach complained about lack of efficiency when it comes to netting goals and so far, he has worked a lot on that area in order to score more goals than we did in the previous tie,” Namlia said.

“We consider them [Al-Rabita] as our opponent we need to defeat to sail through to the other side of the competition.

“They are winners of Federation Cup in their country as such, they are not as simple as many people see them.”

Namungo are participating in the Caf competition for the first time.

Chelsea goal hero Kurt Zouma has expressed delight at his impact from set-pieces, saying he knows he "can be a threat" in the opposition penalty area.

Zouma notched his fourth goal of the season during Chelsea's 3-1 win over Leeds United on Saturday night.

Patrick Bamford gave the visitors a surprise lead when he rounded Edouard Mendy before tapping into an empty net with just four minutes on the clock. Chelsea hit back just before the half-hour mark when Olivier Giroud turned home a Reece James cross at the near post, ensuring that the two sides went in level at the break.

The hosts pushed hardest for the winning goal in the second period, and were rewarded for their efforts when Zouma headed past Illan Meslier after rising highest to meet a Mason Mount corner in the 61st minute.

Substitute Christian Pulisic rounded off the scoring in stoppage time after being teed up by Timo Werner, leaving the Blues now sitting top of the table after 11 fixtures, albeit having played a game more than Tottenham and Liverpool.

Zouma's contribution in the final third has been greater than expected in the early stages of the season, and the Frenchman says his improved output is down to the hard work he's been putting in on the training pitch.

"I’m trying to help the team as much as I can. I know I can be a threat from set-pieces. I work hard in training and I have got the technical staff to help me with that," the 26-year-old told Chelsea's official website. "We know this season we can score many goals, from open play but also set-pieces. It’s working at the minute but we have to keep going like that."

Zouma added on the Blues' latest victory: "Everyone is happy. We knew it was going to be difficult. Leeds are a great team and they scored very early in the game, but we kept the belief and kept playing our game. 

"We deserved more in the first half, we had more chances, but it finished 3-1 and, by the way, I’m happy to score another goal!

Asked how it felt to see supporters make their long-awaited return amid the coronavirus pandemic, Zouma responded: "It was nice to hear some noise from the crowd and see them back at Stamford Bridge. They gave us a lot of support. Hopefully the stadium will be full as soon as possible so we can keep celebrating together."

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang needs support from Arsenal players to rediscover his goalscoring form, according to club legend Gilberto Silva.

The Arsenal ace has only scored two goals in 10 Premier League games this season, with his last strike dating back to November 1 when he scored the match-winner in their 1-0 victory over Manchester United.

Last Sunday, Aubameyang fired blanks in the Gunners' 2-1 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers which moved them down to 14th on the Premier League table with 13 points from 10 games.

The Gabon star received fewer passes from his teammates (8) against Wolves than goalkeeper Bernd Leno (9) despite playing as a central striker.

Ahead of the North London derby at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, Silva thinks the 2015 Africa Footballer of the Year needs good service from his teammates to make chances easier for him in front of goal.

"There’s no doubt for me that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a fantastic player," the 44-year-old told Ladbrokes. "He has been so great for Arsenal since he joined the club.

"In the last few games he hasn’t performed in the way everyone has expected in comparison to last season. But it’s time for everyone to stick together and support the guy.

"Make his life easier. Pass him the ball. He has to be more involved in the game. Look for him, get it to him on the floor, where he can face players one-on-one.

"Give him a good ball to work with. If you watch the last game against Wolves, there were a lot of crosses coming in for him, and it was tough for him against the Wolves defence, where everyone was very well positioned.

"But if his teammates can make his life easier, then I have no doubt he can make as big an impact as he did last season.”

The 2020-21 Champions League group stage draw saw Barcelona and Juventus placed in Group G - meaning a long-awaited reunion between former rivals Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is on the cards.

Barca emerged victorious on October 28 after defeating Juve 2-0 in Turin and Messi got himself on the scoresheet, but the occasion was void of Ronaldo's presence.

However, fear not - because there is still another chance that they will come head-to-head again.

So when will they meet in the Champions League this season? Goal takes a look.

When will Messi and Ronaldo play against each other in the Champions League?

Messi and Ronaldo were due to face off twice in the group stage - once at Camp Nou, and once at Allianz Arena.

Ronaldo's positive Covid-19 test, however, meant that he missed the first leg at the Allianz on October 28.

He will have another chance to meet with Messi in the return game at Camp Nou on December 8.

The fun doesn't necessarily stop there either.

Barcelona and Juventus have topped Group G and will progress into the knockout stage, so it is possible that they will meet again in the later phases of the competition.

Barcelona vs Juventus 20-21 Champions League dates

Have Messi and Ronaldo faced off in the Champions League?

Messi and Ronaldo have played against each other five times in the Champions League, twice while Ronaldo was playing for Manchester United and three more times when he was a Real Madrid player.

The last time the two met in the Champions League, however, was in the 2010-11 season.

Barcelona knocked Real Madrid out in the semi-finals - with Messi scoring twice in the first leg at the Bernabeu - and were later crowned champions, defeating Manchester United at Wembley in the final.

Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi - who is the GOAT? It is the biggest conundrum in football since the 'Diego Maradona or Pele?' debate.

The question of who is better between the Portuguese phenomenon and the empyrean Argentine has dominated the minds of football fans everywhere for the past decade and will persist into the future.

Club and national loyalties can cloud judgement on the matter, while personalities also play a part in how good a player is perceived to be, and most people know who they'd pick.

So who really is the greatest of all time? Never mind who you prefer, Goal has taken a look at how the pair actually shape up head-to-head so you can be fully armed with facts in the eternal argument. 

On this page

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Club goals

Ronaldo has scored more club goals than Messi, but only just and it should be noted that the Juventus star benefits from having played two more seasons than his Argentine nemesis thus far.

Each of them has remarkably netted over 630 club goals in their career so far, with the five seasons between 2009-10 and 2014-15 proving particularly golden as they pushed each other to greater heights.

While Ronaldo currently has more goals overall, Messi has the edge in the scoring department, with a higher season average (40 to 35), having hit a high of 73 goals in 2011-12.

Ronaldo's highest season return was 61, which he achieved in 2014-15 and he surpassed the 50-goal mark every season for six years between 2010-11 and 2015-16.

Interestingly, while Ronaldo's seasonal totals have declined somewhat in recent years - he failed to break the 30-goal mark in 2018-19 during his first season at Juventus - Messi's have remained consistent.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Club assists

When it comes to assists, Messi is much superior to Ronaldo and that contrast has become increasingly stark as their respective roles evolve.

The fact that Messi creates so many goals as well as scoring them is a major consideration when deciding which player is the GOAT and, while Ronaldo chips in with his fair share, the difference in this particular realm is clear.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Champions League stats

*As of Champions League games played on Dec. 2, 2020

Ronaldo is the all-time leading goalscorer in the Champions League, having shone in the competition with Manchester United and Real Madrid in particular.

However, Messi isn't far behind and actually has a fractionally better goal-per-game ratio, so there is a good chance that he could overtake the Juventus man if he continues to sparkle in the competition .

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: World Cup stats

When it comes to World Cups, Ronaldo and Messi are considered underperformers and probably with good reason.

Portugal star Ronaldo has scored more goals at the tournament and in fewer appearances, but Messi can claim to have gone furthest, having reached the final with Argentina in 2014. The Barca attacker won the Golden Ball during that tournament, despite missing out on the ultimate glory at the hands of Germany.

The furthest Ronaldo reached with Portugal was the Selecao's run to the semi-final in 2006, when they were beaten by France before losing the third-place play-off against Germany.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: International stats

Ronaldo and Messi have similar records at international level, though Ronaldo boasts greater numbers, partly because his senior Portugal career kicked off two years before Messi's with Argentina.

Ronaldo is closing in on Ali Daei's record of 109 international goals and could conceivably become the top international goalscorer of all time before he hangs up his boots.

Messi is a long way behind Ronaldo in that respect, though he is by some distance Argentina's top goalscorer of all time, surpassing Gabriel Batistuta some years ago.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Titles

*National Cups refers to the main national cup competition in a country only, e.g. the FA Cup, Copa del Rey etc.

Messi and Ronaldo have very similar trophy hauls, but Messi edges things when it comes to league titles, having won La Liga 10 times with Barcelona. Ronaldo has seven league titles, but unlike Messi, he can claim to have won the league in three different countries (England, Spain and Italy) - something that increases his claim to the GOAT crown in the eyes of some.

Ronaldo has an edge over Messi in the Champions League, his love affair with the competition earning him the moniker 'Mr Champions League'. The former Manchester United star has also enjoyed notable success on the international stage, winning the European Championship and the UEFA Nations League.

Messi, on the other hand, has endured considerable heartache with Argentina, with four unsuccessful Copa America campaigns, three of which saw them lose in the final. While neither has won the World Cup, Messi has an Olympic gold medal.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Individual awards

The individual battle between Ronaldo and Messi has been the defining feature of modern football for the past decade and more.

Messi went ahead of Ronaldo in the Ballon d'Or stakes when he won his sixth in 2019 and it looks likely that he will stay ahead, with the 2020 award cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, meaning the next chance Ronaldo has of winning is 2021, by which point he will be nearly 37.

Ronaldo does boast more of FIFA's new 'The Best' awards and has been crowned UEFA Player of the Year on more occasions, but Messi has won more league Player of the Year accolades. Of course, it must be said that Ronaldo has won the Player of the Year award in England, Spain and Italy.

Messi has got his hands on the European Golden Shoe a record six times, which is two more than Ronaldo, and is marginally ahead of his rival overall, but the fact that both have been on the FIFPro World XI 13 times is an illustration of how closely fought the battle has been.

Jose Mourinho has warned that Tottenham must be "patient and calm" in the Premier League title race ahead of this weekend's North London Derby.

Tottenham can return to the top of the table if they pick up a home win against arch-rivals Arsenal on Sunday.

Mourinho's men are a point behind leaders Chelsea having played a game less, and they currently boast the best defensive record in the division with only nine goals conceded in their opening ten fixtures.

Spurs haven't suffered a top-flight defeat since their opening weekend loss to Everton, with a run of six wins and three draws raising the levels of optimism among supporters.

Mourinho is being tipped to bring the club's long wait for silverware to an end after overseeing such an impressive start to the 2020-21 campaign, but the Portuguese is not getting carried away by his team's position in the early standings.

"If the talk outside is positive talk, we have to be patient and calm and not excited," the 57-year-old tactician told Sky Sports. "If the talk is negative and critical, we cannot be affected by that either.

"We have to be cool, we have to keep a balance and give everything we have, always, and at the end of the season we will see what happens."

Arsenal are eight points adrift of Spurs at the moment, but Mourinho says Mikel Arteta's men have proved they can compete with the very best teams over the past 11 months.

"To me, they are a very good team that had a big improvement last season," he said of the challenge the Gunners will pose his side.

"This season if you look at Manchester United versus Arsenal or if you look at Liverpool versus Arsenal - even though they lost - you realise they can beat anyone. They are quite versatile, they can play in different ways.

"Personally I think they will go back to what they were a few months ago, playing with a back five and being much more defensive because that was the way they beat Manchester City and Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final and final. They are going to be a difficult opponent."

Zanmbian Super League champions Nkana FC have sent head coach Manfred Chabinga on indefinite leave.

The club has not provided reasons why the tactician has been temporarily relieved of his duties but the development came just after a 0-0 draw at home against Bantu FC in the Caf Champions League on at home.

Bantu frustrated the Zambian champions, who looked disjointed on all fronts in an important game. Given that Nkana had pulled off a 1-0 away win on November 29, which assured them of a place in the first round of the continental tournament, but the Sunday performance was far from being impressive.

“Nkana Football Club coach Manfred Chabinga has been sent on an indefinite leave with immediate effect,” a statement by the club obtained by Goal read.

“Nkana FC will give more details on the matter to the public in due course.”

The Red Devils have had poor shows on the pitch in all competitions that they have featured in, in the last one month.

On October 31, Nkana were defeated by Forest Rangers 2-0 in a league encounter before they drew 0-0 against Lumwana Radiants on November 4.

The Lumwana Radiants stalemate was followed by a 1-0 win over Kabwe Warriors three days later before they were humbled 5-0 by Green Buffaloes on November 18.

They last engaged in a Super League game on November 22 where they were held to a 1-1 draw by Zanaco.

The defeat to Green Buffaloes irked Nkana’s fans and one of them invaded the pitch and engaged in a physical confrontation with Chabinga. The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) condemned the issue and promised to apply possible sanctions over the incidence.

“The Football Association of Zambia has noted with concern the events surrounding the FAZ/MTN week five fixture between Green Buffaloes and Nkana at Nkoloma Stadium,” FAZ said.

“An unidentified soccer fan breached all security protocols to attack Nkana coach Chabinga triggering a fightback from the Nkana bench.

“We fought so hard to get fans back into the stadia and will not allow hooliganism to ruin our desire to have spectators at stadia.”

Nkana fans are known to have a lot of influence on the decisions of management, especially on matters regarding poor results.

Before the current season began, the Red Devils saw two Kenyan players, Musa Mohamed and Duncan Otieno, leave as their contracts were not renewed.

The duo joined Lusaka Dynamos after winning the title in a tightly contested season.

AFC Leopards’ interim coach Anthony Kimani says he is ready to steer the team to great success following the sudden exit of Tomas Trucha.

The former Harambee Stars player was in charge of Ingwe for the better part of last season before the club moved to hire the Czech Republic national on a two-year deal ahead of the 2020-21 Kenyan domestic season.

However, after only overseeing one match, which Ingwe won 2-1 against Tusker, Trucha alleged his life was in danger and asked the club to terminate his contract, a move the club obliged.

A day later, Trucha was unveiled as the new coach of Penang FC in Malaysia, with his exit leaving AFC Leopards with no option but to turn to Kimani to handle the side again.

Ahead of his first match in charge against promoted side Bidco United at Kasarani Stadium on Sunday, Kimani has now stated he is now ready to take up the job and further noted his main aim is to make sure the team reclaims their rightful place in Kenyan and African football.

“It’s always an honour to be granted the task of being on the wheel,” Kimani said as quoted by the club’s official website. “Our destination as a club is still the same, we want to try and reclaim our rightful place in Kenyan and African football.

“The mood is great and the boys are ready to put the past behind us and put their best foot forward, the goal is to forge forward, no room for living in the past.”

On the team’s win against Tusker in the season opener, Kimani said: “It was great to win our first match [against Tusker] after so many seasons. We are hoping to build on that good performance and hopefully get a positive result in our second match of the season.

“We do not have any injury concerns at the moment. We have everyone available for selection just like last weekend.”

On Bidco United, Kimani explained: “They are a very good and organised side and we will have to work very hard in order to get a positive result.”

Against Tusker, AFC Leopards scored through captain Robinson Kamura and striker Elvis Rupia.

Patrice Evra hailed Paul Pogba for his stunning strike against West Ham, admitting that comparisons between his ex-Manchester United team-mate and Donny van de Beek make him "laugh".

United picked up a club-record extending ninth consecutive away win by beating West Ham 3-1 at the London Stadium on Saturday, thanks to second-half goals from Pogba, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford.

However, the Red Devils were very fortunate to head in at half-time only 1-0 down, with Jared Bowen and Sebastian Haller both guilty of missing clear chances either side of Tomas Soucek's opener in the 38th minute.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side were being outfought and outrun in every department, but the Norwegian head coach recognised that changes needed to be made and brought on Rashford and Bruno Fernandes to start the second half, with Van de Beek and Edinson Cavani forced to make way.

The visitors emerged with fresh impetus in the second period, and with Fernandes driving the team forward from the middle of the park, the inevitable equaliser came just after the hour mark.

Fernandes raced onto a Dean Henderson clearance before teeing up Pogba 35 yards from goal, and the Frenchman unleashed an unstoppable curling effort which beat Lukasz Fabiański in the West Ham net all ends up.

Greenwood completed a stunning turnaround moments later with a trademark finish, before Rashford rounded off the scoring 12 minutes from time after being played through by Juan Mata.

Evra singled out Pogba for praise post-match, and also suggested that there is a gulf in class between his compatriot and Van de Beek, who joined United from Ajax for £35 million ($47m) in the summer transfer window.

"What a great goal from Paul. When people compare him to Van de Beek, it just makes me laugh. Look at that goal," the former Red Devils full-back told Sky Sports.

Evra went on to credit Solskjaer for his in-game management, but also conceded that there is still plenty of work to do for a United side who have developed a worrying habit of giving the opposition a headstart in matches.

"We should give credit to Ole," he added. "When we lose, people attack Ole, but what a great change. Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford running behind the defence, they make the difference, also Mata and Paul came alive.

"Cavani wasn’t having a good game. Van de Beek wasn’t having a good game, he made quick changes and we won.

"I don’t want this team to react, I want them to act, but after that awful first half, [getting] four consecutive wins it’s all positive for United - but when you always have to come back you know something is wrong."

Japan's Kensuke Nagai believes the experience of playing the 2020 AFC Champions League in 2022 FIFA World Cup venue Education City Stadium will enable him to pass on valuable local intelligence to his predominantly Europe-based Samurai Blue team-mates.

Nagai has made 10 international appearances. Importantly, three of them have come in the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup where Hajime Moriyasu’s side are comfortably placed as leaders of Group F having secured the maximum of 12 points from four games. The 31-year-old has also been on the scoresheet once during the three matches.

Japan, who are Asia’s top-ranked side, had reached the Round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and were leading the world’s top-ranked side Belgium 2-0 with a little over 20 minutes remaining. But they could not capitalise on the advantage as they conceded three goals to crash out in what was widely acknowledged as one of the best matches of the tournament.

With home continent Asia set to host the 2022 edition of the World Cup, the ‘Samurai Blue’ will be hoping to go deep into the tournament riding on the performances of the glittering array of the young generation of Europe-based attacking talent at their disposal.

Liverpool FC’s Takumi Minamino has already scored five goals in four 2022 World Cup qualifiers. His supporting cast of Real Madrid loanee, ‘wunderkind’ Takefusa Kubo, Porto’s Shoya Nakajima and Partizan Belgrade’s Takuma Asano and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Daichi Kamada have been too hot to handle for weaker group opponents.

From the friendlies that have been played since the resumption of football after the outbreak of COVID, there are enough indications Moriyasu’s side could well be a formidable force for tougher defensive sides of Asia as well as the ones they will face in Qatar in 2022 should Japan secure its berth in its seventh consecutive FIFA World Cup since France 1998.

Addressing media ahead of his club’s East Zone Quarterfinal against Beijing Guoan on Sunday, Nagai emphasised that playing a 2022 FIFA World Cup venue during the ongoing 2020 AFC Champions League has endowed him with a rich repository of experiences to be carried forward to 2022 and potentially shared with his gifted team-mates.

"The matches that I have played in the 2022 World Cup stadium [Education City Stadium] have given me unique experience. I hope I can continue to play well in the World Cup qualifiers and get selected in the national team in 2022. If so, I will definitely pass on my insights to my team-mates," said Nagai, who played in the first three of his team’s four group matches, all in the same stadium, and scoring in one.

It must be noted that many members of Japan’s current golden generation, including Minamino, Nakajima, Asano and defensive players Wataru Endo and Naomichi Ueda, first broke into the continental spotlight by winning the 2016 AFC U-23 Championships in Qatar.

However, that tournament was hosted when the three fully complete 2022 FIFA World Cup venues, now hosting the 2020 AFC Champions League, were still under construction.

Education City Stadium, called the ‘Diamond in the Desert’ due to its design, was formally inaugurated by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) in June 2020 through a virtual ceremony dedicated to the country’s healthcare professionals and frontline workers.

The 40,000-capacity venue, which will host matches through to the quarterfinal of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, had hosted its first match - a Qatar Stars League (QSL) game - on 3 September.

The stadium was then used, along with the other two fully complete 2022 venues Khalifa International Stadium and Al Janoub Stadium, during the 2020 AFCChampions League with Qatar hosting both West Zone and East Zone legs held in centralised formats instead of the traditional home-and-away one.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been in the news lately after its decision to approach the Supreme Court (SC) of India to seek an extension of term for the current Executive Committee. 

The committee’s term is set to end on 21st December 2020 but the lack of a Constitution that purportedly does not conform to the National Sports Code has meant that the Indian FA are unable to hold elections to form the next Executive Committee. 

In such a case, there was a possibility that the court would appoint an ad-hoc committee to take charge of the Indian FA till the elections are held. One of the reasons AIFF approached the court was to ensure they do not receive a ban from FIFA which does not take kindly to such judicial interference. 

Goal has learnt that the AIFF has kept the FIFA, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in the loop over the developments. By making sure the governing bodies of football and Olympic sports in India are aware of the legal wrangle, AIFF are trying to ensure they do not run foul of any sort of retribution.

The issue kicked off in October 2017 when the Delhi High Court (HC) annulled the last AIFF elections which were held in December 2016 when Praful Patel was elected as the President. The Delhi HC stated that the elections were held without following the then newly-implemented National Sports Code and appointed former Chief Election Commissioner SY Qureshi as an independent administrator to look after the AIFF’s affairs until fresh elections were held.  

The AIFF went on to approach the Supreme Court against the decision, arguing that India was in danger of being de-recognised by FIFA which only allows an elected body to run an affiliated FA. 

The Supreme Court duly stayed the High Court’s ruling in November 2017 but appointed two ombudsmen (Qureshi and former India goalkeeper Bhaskar Ganguly) to formulate a new AIFF constitution within eight weeks and then conduct elections. The court allowed the current Executive Committee members to discharge their duties till then. 

However, the new constitution hasn't been filed in court yet, even after three years. 

It is also believed that the state associations have also written to AIFF, seeking clarity on the elections. It must be noted that AIFF had already sent them a letter, informing them of its decision to approach the court. 

As far as Indian football is concerned, the next few years are very important. India is set to host the 2022 U17 Women’s World Cup (after the 2020 event was cancelled) and the 2022 AFC Women’s Asia Cup. India has also bid for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup hosting rights.