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Hamari Traore has urged Rennes to stay focused when they take on Krasnodar in Wednesday’s Champions League game.

Julien Stephan’s men are bottom of Group E with one point from four games after three consecutive defeats to Sevilla and Chelsea and a draw against Krasnodar in the first leg.

Traore has revealed how the Red and Blacks can get their campaign in the European competition back on track and explained his side are well encouraged to play against the Russian Premier League club.

“We have a great team, which works well on a daily basis and which helps each other,” Traore told the club website.

“We don't need to motivate ourselves for this kind of match, we all want to play, to take points and to be able to play the European Cup in February, that's our wish.

“We have to play a big game. We have to turn the little details in our favour. You have to stay focussed, not get confused, have fun on the pitch and. With that, we can achieve a good result.

“The club has the chance to play in the Champions League. It's an honour. We were keen to play big matches.

“I don't think we disappointed our supporters against Krasnodar and against Chelsea. We can be proud of what we have achieved.

“We did not have the results we hoped for, but these are matches that we must rely on. It's up to us to show that we want more. We want to get a result in Krasnodar.”

Rennes are winless in their last five games across all competitions and the unimpressive performances have seen them drop to the seventh spot on the Ligue 1 table.

The Mali international is, however, still optimistic the Red and Blacks can put the run of poor results behind them soon. 

“A season is very long. Sometimes we go through difficult times. It's up to us to find the necessary resources to continue to work and keep the objectives in mind,” he continued.

“We are starting to get our heads out of the water a bit. We want to show the face we had against Chelsea and build on the second half in Strasbourg. By relying on that, we will be able to get out of [the current difficulty] faster.”

Traore has made 14 appearances across all competitions this season, including four in the Champions League.

The right-back will hope to feature against Krasnodar and help Rennes secure an important victory in the encounter.

Diogo Jota is "the best signing of the season so far", according to ex-Liverpool star Michael Owen, who says the £41 million ($55m) forward looks like "the real deal".

Jota has made a flying start to his Anfield career after being snapped up from Wolves on a five-year deal in September.

The 23-year-old has hit nine goals in his first 15 outings for the Reds, adding even greater firepower to Jurgen Klopp's ranks alongside Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

His latest strike helped Liverpool earn a 1-1 draw at Brighton at the weekend, and he retained his place in the starting line-up for a home fixture against Ajax in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Although Curtis Jones ended up being the match-winner instead of Jota, the Portuguese was as lively as ever during the 1-0 victory as his darting runs in behind caused constant problems for the Dutch outfit.

Owen has been pleasantly surprised by the former Wolves talisman's explosive style of play since his arrival on Merseyside, and thinks he has been the standout buy of the summer transfer window in the early stages of the new season.

"No one could’ve predicted that he would hit the ground running like he has," the one-time England international, who began his professional career at Anfield, told BT Sport. "You’d have to say he’s the best signing of the season so far in the Premier League.

"He’s surprised me with his pace, I must admit. I think he’s far quicker than I gave him credit for. Against Atalanta he was electric.

"He just shows composure, a lot of people panic, they just get a shot off as soon as they get any form of space.

"I just think he’s scored headers, right foot, left foot, he’s scored everything so far and he’s looked the real deal in terms of linking play.

"Nobody could have envisaged the quality that he’s shown so far."

Owen's sentiments were echoed by another former Liverpool frontman in Peter Crouch, who added on Jota taking his game to another level under Klopp: "You couldn’t have envisaged it because of his goal record at Wolves.

"Klopp’s obviously seen something in him, putting him more central or along the three of the strikers that they have.

"He looks like a poacher. He’s getting goals in the six-yard box, he’s got headers, he’s got all types of goals. He’s a top, top signing."

PWD Bamenda head coach David Pagou is optimistic his side can avenge their recent defeat to Kaizer Chiefs.

The two teams are set to meet again in the Caf Champions League preliminary round second-leg match at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday.

Bamenda will be seeking vengeance after succumbing to a 1-0 loss to Amakhosi in the first-leg encounter at Limbe Omnisport Stadium in Cameroon over the weekend.

Pagou feels his charges can learn from the defeat to the Soweto giants, who scored the only goal of the match through Erick Mathoho in the 86th minute.

"We saw here that the boys could score. There was the possibility of [us] scoring. The South Africans scored a goal against the run of play at an unexpected time due to a lack of concentration of my players," Pagou said on Lindomp Table Sport.

"I think they have realized that there is no difference. That it's a football game and that we can be equal on the field and that even if we are not the same in terms of organization, financially, infrastructure, on the field we can be equal because it is 11 men who compete and the best wins.

"Whoever develops better, who has more experience, determination wins the match by doing the right thing. Because only determination is not enough, you can have it and put the foot down, or the outside when you don't have to," he continued. 

"You must have all the values ​​mentioned. I believe that anything is possible for us. We conceded a goal here, we have a disadvantage for the return because the opponent scored here. We are going to play our last chance to the maximum. If it's 10, 20 or 30% we will play them hard."

The experienced tactician, who has also coached Eding Sport FC, Apejes and FC Yaounde II in Cameroon, explained that his charges will not be under pressure when they face Amakhosi.

"They realized that our backs were against the wall. The return leg is the only alternative we have. We will have to score a goal there and try to put in a second when the opportunity arises. It is in this spirit that we have when preparing for this match, calmly, without any pressure," he concluded.

The winner on aggregate between Bamenda and Chiefs will face Angolan outfit CD Primeiro de Agosto in the first round tie. 

ATK Mohun Bagan have got off to a flying start in the Indian Super League (ISL) after winning the first two matches against Kerala Blasters and East Bengal respectively. Although they are yet to get into their stride, the team did enough to seal the six points on offer so far and sit in pole position in the table. 

However, head coach Antonio Lopez Habas made it clear that there's no room for complacency or over-confidence. 

"We have to continue winning the matches after winning the first two. We are not overconfident. The players are fantastic professionals. I have the idea to win every day. It was important to win the first two matches. It is equally important to win all the matches till the final. We are happy with our performance but we have to keep winning," stated the coach before facing Odisha FC on Wednesday evening. 

He also revealed that Edu Garcia still remains injured but will recover soon and might be available against Jamshedpur whom they face on Monday after the Odisha game.  

Bagan have to play six matches in December but the coach is optimistic that his team is ready for the challenge. 

"We are preparing. Maybe the fixture schedule is not the best in the world. But it is necessary due to the Covid situation. No excuses. We are prepared to play against all rivals."

Habas has coached against Stuart Baxter previously in his managerial career during his stint in South Africa, first for Mamelodi Sundowns and then for Bidvest Wits. The Spaniard heaped praise on his opposite number and believes that Odisha will benefit from Baxter's experience. 

"I know Stuart Baxter from my time In South Africa. He is an experienced coach. He has a fantastic CV. I respect him and so does he. We have worked a long time ago. It would work well for Odisha."

The former Bolivia manager also spoke highly of Marcelinho, who will be one of Odisha's key players, and termed him as 'one of the best' in ISL. 

"Marcelinho is one of the best players in ISL. Maybe last season he was going through a rough patch.  He is good at setpieces and is a good playmaker. But we are prepared for him," said the tactician. 

Although the Mariners have picked up full points from their first two matches, they have not been at their best. Habas agrees that his team needs to improve physically and he hopes that by January the whole squad will be at 100 per cent. 

"Looking at the circumstances I must say that all teams are on the same page. We are seven months without competition. To be in perfect shape now is difficult. This is a strange situation. We have to come to Goa where there is so much humidity. We are at 75-80 per cent and hopefully, in January we will be 100 per cent," signed off the coach. 

Mikel Arteta has backed calls for the introduction of concussion substitutes in the Premier League, though he reiterated that Arsenal followed the correct protocols in their treatment of David Luiz against Wolves last weekend.

Luiz suffered a badly-cut forehead in a horrific clash of heads with Raul Jimenez that left the Wolves striker with a fractured skull.

Jimenez was immediately rushed to hospital where he underwent surgery, while Luiz was initially able to continue playing despite blood seeping through his bandage.

The Brazilian was eventually substituted at half-time, but the incident raised fresh concerns over how football deals with head injuries and concussion.

The Gunners were criticised in some quarters for not taking Luiz off sooner and therefore potentially putting his health at risk.

Arteta, however, has strongly defended the actions of his medical team and insists all the correct concussion protocols were followed.

“Some people can have the perception whether he should have continued or not,” he told reporters.

“Thankfully we have one of the leading authorities in this country [on concussion], which is Gary O’Driscoll - who is our doctor and has massive experience, not only in football but rugby as well.

“And he knows exactly what to do. He did all the testing, he followed all the protocols and we were very comfortable for him [Luiz] to carry on playing.

“But obviously you have to make a decision in one minute, when somebody is bleeding, when you have someone with a massive concussion next to you - whose life is under threat.

“Maybe it is a moment that we can think to give these people a little bit more time and use a temporary substitution, for example, if we don’t want to find ourselves in those positions.

“But what I can tell you is everything [on Sunday] was done in the right manner.”

The introduction of concussion substitutes has been suggested as a potential solution to safeguard the safety of players who suffer a head injury.

It would allow a manager to temporarily replace an injured player and so give doctors more time to properly assess their condition, while not forcing the team to continue without their full complement of players.

It is certainly a rule Arteta believes should be considered by the Premier League.

“If you have any doubts at any moment and you need an extra two minutes or five minutes to check somebody - maybe we can think about that,” he said.

“Because, obviously, you are after five minutes to make a decision to find a sub, the player is really pushing you, he is talking about everything.

“David was constantly asking about Raul, he went to see Raul and he was totally conscious, all the time, about the situation.

“The player wants to carry on playing and the doctor has to tick all the necessary boxes to be certain another player is okay to continue.

"So, if we have any extra doubts, okay we give them a little bit more time than necessary but you cannot play 10-15 minutes with 10 men in football.”

Arteta also revealed Luiz could return against Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday.

It has already been confirmed that the former Chelsea defender is to miss Thursday’s Europa League’s game against Rapid Vienna to give his cut more time to heal.

He added: “I think he will be fit to play if the scar is healing properly and he is comfortable heading the ball then there shouldn't be any problems."

Kariobangi Sharks have confirmed defender Samuel Olwande will miss FKF Premier League action for the next two weeks.

This is after the towering defender picked up a groin injury during the team’s opening league match against Wazito FC at Kasarani Stadium on Sunday.

The club has confirmed on their social media pages the absence of the player by stating: “Samuel [Olwande] couldn't finish our first league game due to a groin injury and it has now been confirmed he will be out for at least two weeks.”

In the Sunday game, Daniel Sakari, Erick Kapaito (2), and Julius Masaba scored the goals that took Kariobangi Sharks to the top of the table.

It is a win that elated coach William Muluya, who said he was happy to have started the season with a win and confirmed the result was achieved because everyone played his part effectively.

“It was a collective responsibility from the players to the technical bench but I am delighted with the way the fans gave their best to get a positive result,” Muluya told Goal after the match. We want to play good football this season and push for a win in every game we play.”

Kapaito, who is coming from a long term injury, was the man of the match as he created and scored a brace, and coach Muluya is also happy to have him back.

“This is the season Kapaito has started with no injuries,” Muluya said regarding his forward. “As a captain, he also played well and led by example. It is all a coach needs from his captain; he played like a leader. The team needs him.

“He created an assist and scored a brace which is really good for the team and the start of the season.”

On his part, Kapaito told Goal he was praying for an injury-free season so that he can entertain club fans with goals in the FKF Premier League.

“Last season was a nightmare for me because I picked up a long term injury but now I am working alongside our club physio and I am also trying to manage myself well and I want to pray to God that I have an injury-free season so I can entertain my fans with goals,” Kapaito told Goal.

“For me, it is a good start, I have managed to score two goals, I don’t want to say I will win the Golden Boot again, but what I am happy about is we have started strongly as a team, something everyone was looking for before the match.

“The team always comes first, my target to win the Golden Boot always comes second, so I have to help the team first to win matches and then the team can help me to achieve my target for the season [winning the Golden Boot], but I am sure I will do something good this time around.”

Kariobangi Sharks will next face Nzoia Sugar, who lost their opening match 2-0 against promoted side Nairobi City Stars, on December 5.

Barcelona full-back Sergi Roberto has tested positive for coronavirus, the club have confirmed on Wednesday.

Roberto had been enjoying a prominent role in Ronald Koeman's squad before being forced off the pitch with a thigh injury during Barca's 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid on November 21.

The 28-year-old is not expected to return to action until the new year, but has been dealt a setback in his recovery after contracting Covid-19.

Barca revealed that Roberto posted a positive test following their latest round of medical checks, with the defender now set to remain in quarantine for the next 10 days.

"After the PCR tests carried out this Tuesday, the first-team player Sergi Roberto has tested positive for Covid-19," a statement on the club's official website reads.

"The footballer is in good health and is isolated at home as he continues his recovery from the injury that he suffered on November 21.

"The club has informed the relevant sports and health authorities. In addition, all the people who had contact with the player have been traced to carry out the corresponding PCR tests.

"It should be remembered that Roberto suffered a tear in the rectus femoris in his right thigh at the end of the Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona game, an injury for which he will be away from the pitch for approximately two months."

Roberto missed Barca's 4-0 victory away at Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League last Tuesday, before also sitting out their home win over Osasuna by the same scoreline five days later.

The Spain international will be unavailable when Koeman takes his side to Hungary to take on Ferencvaros in midweek, and looks set to miss the entire festive period as he bids to rid himself of coronavirus before getting back to his rehabilitation programme at Camp Nou.

Barca can secure top spot in Group G if they beat Ferencvaros, having already booked their place in the round of 16, before their focus shifts back to La Liga.

The Blaugrana are due to take in a trip to Cadiz this weekend, which they must win to stay in touch with early pacesetters Real Sociedad and Atletico.

Paul Pogba always talks about leaving Manchester United, so he might as well just go, according to Andrei Kanchelskis.

Pogba became the most expensive signing in United's history when he returned to Old Trafford from Juventus for £89 million ($119m) in the summer of 2019.

The Frenchman has since scored 33 goals in 172 outings for the Red Devils, while also providing 35 assists, but niggling fitness issues have prevented him from fulfilling his full potential.

He has also been continually linked with a move away from Manchester, and has done little to silence any speculation whenever quizzed on his future by the media.

Real Madrid have been mooted as the most likely next destination for Pogba, who admitted that a switch to Santiago Bernabeu would be a "dream" while away on international duty with France during the last international break.

Kanchelskis sees no reason for the 27-year-old to stick around if he's unhappy at Old Trafford, and has also suggested that United would do well to distance themselves from the midfielder's agent Mino Raiola.

"Pogba is always talking about leaving Manchester United, so for me, it would be better if you just left," the former Red Devils midfielder told American Gambler.

"If you’re saying every time ‘I don’t like this, I don’t like, I want to leave’ then just leave. Go. Leave. No problem.

“Of course [Mino] Raiola is a huge problem, he’s always saying that Pogba is not happy at Manchester United.

“If you want to come and play for Manchester United, you need to open your heart, play 100 per cent. It’s a shame as Pogba is a great player.”

Kanchelskis also addressed Jesse Lingard's recent fall from grace, with the England international no longer a first-choice starter under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after falling behind the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Fred and Scott McTominay in the squad pecking order.

The former United star thinks his old club should retain the 27-year-old's services for the time being, but has urged him to start proving he can deliver the goods on a consistent basis after two seasons of mediocrity.

"For me, he’s a great player, and I think the problem for him is that he is not playing every game at the same level, like a Dennis Irwin. He needs to maintain the same level," Kanchelskis added.

"He plays excellent football one game and then has a terrible game the next.

“It’s a problem for the chairman because we need to keep hold of these players, and our players need to be comfortable and spend time playing with each other.

"We played four seasons from 1991 to 1994 together and we won two titles, because we played every game with the same team and played to a consistent level.”

Tanzania Mainland Premier League champions Simba SC have confirmed the signing of Uganda international Taddeo Lwanga.

The Ugandan has joined Wekundu wa Msimbazi in a deal where the details are not yet public. This is after he ended his association with Egyptian Premier League side Tanta SC.

“Welcome at Msimbazi Lwanga,” Simba announced on Wednesday.

“The defensive midfielder is a Ugandan international and has previously played for Express FC, SCV Kampala, Vipers SC, and Tanta.

“Welcome so much and be part of the champions and Tanzania’s representatives in international matches.”

The 26-year-old star has been signed as Simba face an injury crisis in the midfield department.

Gerson Fraga, who is in Brazil recuperating, suffered a long-term injury and that forced Sven Vandenbroeck to ask for reinforcements. Simba feel the Crane will help boost the team that is engaging in the Caf Champions League and hopes to advance further from the preliminary round.

Lwanga is expected to partner with Jonas Mkude as Said Ndemla and Yassin Mzamiru play second fiddle roles in both the domestic and in continental assignments.

Lwanga joined Uganda’s Express in 2014 and debuted against Police FC in February. He had to wait until November to score his first goal for the Eagles in a match against Lweza FC.

After 45 appearances and five goals, Lwanga left for SC Villa in 2015. He made his debut for the Jogoos in August against Bright Stars but his goal against Al Khartoum SC in the Caf Confederation Cup in 2016 marks a remarkable moment with the local giants.

The record champions, with Lwanga in their ranks, finished second in the 2016 campaign.

The impressive times at SC Villa attracted Vipers who later signed the midfielder in 2017 and, as was the case while turning out for the Jogoos for the first time, Lwanga made his Venoms debut against Bright Stars in September.

His first goal for the Venoms came against Proline FC in December at St Mary’s Stadium. The star played his last game for the Venoms against BUL FC in May 2019 as his two-year deal came to an end at the Kitende club.

As was the case with a number of his international teammates who featured in the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, Lwanga secured a new club as he signed for Tanta in August 2019.

Lwanga could make his debut against Plateau United in the second round of the Caf Champions League preliminary encounter on December 5 in Dar es Salaam.

He becomes the latest Crane and the only one currently at Wekundu wa Msimbazi since Emmanuel Okwi’s departure.

Lwanga adds to the list of Cranes players who have turned out for the 21-time Tanzania league winners. The other players were Joseph Owino, Murushid Juuko, Okwi, Dan Sserunkuma, Abel Dhaira, Robert Ssentogo, Hamisi Kiiza, Brian Majwega, Alex Ndugga and Hamisi Kiiza.

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey will undergo another scan this week as he races against time to be fit for Sunday’s north London derby.

The Ghana international has missed Arsenal’s last two games due to a thigh injury he sustained during the first half of last month’s 3-0 home defeat by Aston Villa.

Partey has yet to be given the green light to return to full training by the medical staff, but Mikel Arteta has revealed the 27-year-old is desperate to return to action.

And the Arsenal manager has suggested there is still a chance he could feature against Tottenham on Sunday, should his upcoming scan results come back positive.

“He has been training separately in the last week or so,” said Arteta.

“We have to scan him again to see how he is feeling. He is a player that is so willing, that is pushing us every day because he wants to do it.

“At the same time, we have to protect and make sure that when he gets back in the team he is ready to do that and whatever extent of minutes we can use him.

“So this week is going to be crucial, the moment he starts to train in parts with the team. See how he is feeling and how he is evolving day to day.”

On Partey potentially facing Tottenham, Arteta added: “We don’t know.

“Again, he is really pushing. Every day he is trying to get around the doctor and the physios. He hasn’t trained with the team yet. So this week let’s see if he can get a session or two.

“We need to scan him again to see the extent of the injury and how it has healed. I know if it is, Thomas wants to play tomorrow! Then we have to see medically that he is safe to participate this week at all.”

Arteta also revealed that David Luiz could feature against Spurs, despite the head injury he sustained during last weekend’s defeat by Wolves.

Luiz suffered a nasty cut when he clashed heads with Raul Jimenez, a clash that left the Wolves striker with a fractured skull.

The Arsenal centre-back will not be involved in Thursday night’s Europa League tie with Rapid Vienna, but there is a chance he could return for Sunday’s meeting with Spurs.

“I think he will be fit to play if the scar is healing properly,” said the Gunners boss. “If he is comfortable heading the ball, then there shouldn't be any problems.”

Uganda Hippos captain Gavin Kizito is hopeful they are going to win the Cecafa U20 Championship against Tanzania on Wednesday.

Kizito captained the junior Cranes to the ultimate stage as they maintained an unbeaten run and will now face the hosts and the reigning champions in the final of the competition that is being held in Arusha.

Kenneth Ssemakula and Ivan Bogere, who scored a brace, were key for the Morley Byekwaso side when they battled and saw Kenya off in the first semi-final on Monday.

“I thank God for enabling us to win this semi-final tie against Kenya, the scores may have been 3-1 but it was not an easy game at all,” the centre-back told Sports Club Villa’s website.

“That win means that we have qualified for the U20 Afcon. We are going to work hard so that we bring the trophy [Cecafa U20 Championship] home to Uganda.”

Kizito’s sentiments echoed what his coach Byekwaso had said after they sailed past Kenya’s Rising Stars.

“I also want to thank the boys for the efforts that they have shown and I pray to God that he blesses us in the finals,” Byekwaso said then.

“We want to win the trophy because for whoever reaches the final, the focus is always on winning the trophy.”

The Hippos and the Ngorongoro Heroes will play at the Rhino Academy Stadium where the tournament has been held since.

Kizito made his debut for the record Ugandan Premier League champions SC Villa in the 2019/20 season where they drew against eventual champions Vipers SC.

The 18-year-old defender also made his U17 debut which he captained in the Cecafa competition in the same year.

SC Villa head coach for the junior side Phillip Ssozi has explained why the youngster has been successful in football so far, especially given his rise from the junior to the senior teams.

“As a club, we are very happy for Gavin,” Ssozi was quoted as saying by the club’s portal.

“We can see the fruits of our labour that one of us who graduated from the junior side to the senior team is performing so well and leading the U20 national team. Gavin was created to lead and play football, we are not surprised and we have high hopes in him.”

Gareth Bale is "nowhere near" the player he once was, according to Darren Bent, who is sceptical over whether the Tottenham winger will ever be able to rediscover his best form.

Bale has struggled to make an impact at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since returning to north London from Real Madrid in September.

The 31-year-old agreed to re-join on a season-long loan after falling out of favour at Santiago Bernabeu, but has so far only managed to contribute one goal in seven appearances across all competitions.

The Welshman was left on the bench as Jose Mourinho's side secured an impressive 2-0 home win over Manchester City on November 21, and was an unused substitute once again during a 0-0 draw with Chelsea on Saturday.

Most of Bale's minutes have come in the Europa League, with his next outing likely to come when Spurs take in a trip to LASK on Thursday, and Bent thinks a man who scored 56 goals in 203 games during his first spell at the club is running out of time to prove his worth.

“It’s a gradual process but at the same time it’s a year loan," the former Tottenham striker told talkSPORT. "For me, the question you’ve got to ask is how long is Mourinho prepared to give him before he goes 'this is not working'.

“All the talk has been about [Heung-min] Son and [Harry] Kane being superb, but when they get Bale back, when Bale gets back to himself, Bale this and Bale that. But right now he’s nowhere near the Bale we can remember.

“He’s not played consistently for about three years and he’s had big injuries as well, so that Bale may never come back.”

Bent went onto suggest that Spurs may have to consider cutting Bale's loan short if his performances do not improve, with it his belief that keeping hold of him could end up having a detrimental impact on the squad.

“Do you think there’s a point in the season where he could become a distraction? They have to make a decision," he added. "It’s a year loan and if it continues like this what do Spurs do? Send him back to Madrid or keep him?

“So for me how long are they going to give him and how long are the fans going to give him before they go ‘listen, we can’t keep waiting on him to come back'… [Steven] Bergwijn needs to be playing and Lucas Moura need to be playing.

“It’s kind of a strange one, but at the minute the signs don’t look great.”

Andre Onana has accepted responsibility for Ajax’s 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in Tuesday’s Champions League game at Anfield. 

The 24-year-old was handed his fifth appearance in the European competition this season but did not do enough to help his side avoid a loss.

The Cameroon international made a terrible blunder in the encounter to allow the Premier League club clinch a place in the next round of the tournament.

Onana allowed a cross from Reds defender Neco Williams to reach Curtis Jones who scored the only goal of the game.

The goalkeeper has admitted his mistake but revealed it could happen to even the best goalkeeper in the world.

“I am not the best, mistakes can happen to anyone. It is difficult for me but I have to take it, it is part of life and it is part of football that is what we train for,” Onana told the club website.

“Sometimes you make mistakes, sometimes not. I am totally responsible for the loss of today. I have to accept the reality, because of me we didn’t draw and we didn’t win.

“I am here to make saves not to make mistakes and I have to be very critical of myself. I have done a lot of good things in the past so I have to push harder.

“I have to keep my head up and then we will see what is going to happen. We played good. We had so many chances. I like the way the players were fighting. We had more possession.

“We had so many chances but we were unlucky we didn’t score today and that is football.”

The defeat saw Ajax drop to third on the Champions League Group D table with seven points from five games.

Erik ten Hag’s men could, however, still secure a place in the knockout stages of the tournament if they beat Atalanta in their last group game at Johan Cruyff Arena on December 9.

“I don’t have to make the mistake again and if we score a lot of goals, I think we will have an opportunity to go through,” he continued.

Onana has made 15 appearances for Ajax across all competitions this season, helping them to keep six clean sheets.

Sponsor for the Football Kenya Federation Premier League sides Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards Betsafe has officially launched their operations in the country.

The two local giants and Betsafe first confirmed the deal, that will run for three years, in June and will fill the void that was unceremoniously left by SportPesa.

According to the details of the deal, AFC Leopards will get KSh40 million per year while Gor Mahia will get KSh55 million per year from Betsafe.

“Betsafe as a sponsor has been good to us and offered huge support on matters of finances,” Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Racheir said during the launch in Nairobi.

“We almost got stranded with our trip to Rwanda [for a Caf Champions League tie vs APR] but thanks to the sponsor, they came through big time.

“We truly appreciate our partnership with Betsafe, let's join hands to make this partnership a success as they officially start business in Kenya today.”

Rachier also confirmed the club has received half of the money from the sponsor meant for the season.

“We have received about 50% of sponsorship money from Betsafe. Other than the money bit of it, we've got good advice from our partners on quite a number of things.

“We are excited that our official brand sponsor Betsafe has officially launched their site,” AFC Leopards appreciated the partnership in a small post on Facebook.

“We're honoured and proud to be in partnership with Betsafe. It is time to share the fun and share the excitement.”

Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards struggled when SportPesa, their previous sponsor left, leaving the clubs to depend on fans, members and other well-wishers to honour matches and settle player allowances at times.

Gor Mahia were hit hard given that they had to look for finances to help the team honour both local and continental matches without a financial partner.

It is the second time the two Mashemeji Derby rivals are signing a joint sponsorship deal with a betting firm after enjoying a similar relationship with SportPesa.

The Betsafe deal comes at a time FKF secured the league’s sponsor in BetKing as well as the broadcasting partner StarTimes.

The FKF Premier League has started and matchday one actions were played on November 27 and 28 but Gor Mahia, Zoo, Ulinzi Stars and Mathare United are yet to kick-off their campaigns.

Mikel Arteta is the most exciting young manager in Europe, according to Tottenham defender Eric Dier, who believes the Gunners are still in safe hands under the Spaniard’s stewardship.

Arteta will celebrate a year in charge at the Emirates later this month, a period which has seen him deliver the FA Cup and Community Shield to raise hopes of a bright future in north London.

However, the 38-year-old approaches that anniversary under pressure after an indifferent set of recent results.

After beginning the campaign with back-to-back wins, Arsenal have lost five of their last eight Premier League matches to slump to 14th in the table going into this weekend’s north London derby away at Tottenham, with their haul of 13 points from 10 games their lowest points tally ever at this stage of a Premier League season.

Dier has leapt to the defence of the former Everton midfielder and believes the Gunners are simply enduring a minor blip.

"They are going through a difficult period but these games it doesn't really matter who is where in the table," the Spurs defender told Sky Sports.

"We know how much of a difficult game it is going to be. The position in the table is irrelevant. It's early on in the season for both teams.

"They have a lot of quality in their team. They have a very exciting young manager. The most exciting young manager in Europe for sure. I like his way, the way it seems to be. I think they are in good hands.

"We know they have a lot of quality in their squad and we will be very aware of that on Sunday.”

In sharp contrast to Arsenal’s struggles, Tottenham go into this weekend’s game top of the table and without a league defeat since the opening weekend of the season.

Dier, though, is not getting carried away with the team’s good start, insisting it is who is top at the end of the season that matters.

"We know there is a lot of work to do, there is a lot we need to improve on,” he added.

"We need to keep moving in this direction we are going in and also understand there are going to be difficult times and be ready to handle those situations.

"It's easy when things are going well but when things take a turn for the worse, we need to be ready to handle those situations. It only really matters who is first in May."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed the progress Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw are making in terms of their fitness ahead of Manchester United's clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

United will welcome PSG to Old Trafford on Wednesday night for a crucial Champions League group-stage showdown which will likely have a huge bearing on who qualifies from Group H.

Solskjaer's men are sitting top of the standings on nine points after four fixtures, with their French opponents three points further back in second.

RB Leipzig are only behind PSG on goal difference at the moment, and they will be expected to pick up a victory away at Istanbul Basaksehir as they aim to put more pressure on PSG to get a positive result in Manchester.

United only need a point to qualify for the round of 16, but Solskjaer has been sweating on the availability of Martial and Shaw, both of whom sat out Saturday's comeback win at Southampton.

Martial was struck down with a bout of illness 24 hours before the trip to St Mary's, while Shaw has been out of action since suffering a hamstring injury against Everton on November 7.

Solskjaer has confirmed that he will be able to call upon the former against PSG, but he is delaying making a final decision on the full-back until the last minute.

“Anthony got through the session and felt okay, so he's available for selection," the Norwegian said during a pre-match Q&A session for MUTV. "Luke is probably the biggest doubt but the rest of them are holding their hands up saying: 'I'm ready'.

“Luke isn't too far away so let's see what we do with him for tomorrow. Then, of course, Phil [Jones] has been away for a long time but now we're getting more and more players ready to participate in every game.”

Solskjaer also delivered a fresh update on first-choice goalkeeper David de Gea, who was forced off at half-time against Southampton after sustaining a knock to his ankle.

"David trained well today, as did the rest of the group. It was a good session," he said.

The last time United played host to PSG on Europe's biggest stage they were beaten 2-0 in a last-16 first-leg tie, before producing a stunning turnaround in the second leg at Parc des Princes to book their place in the last eight.

Solskjaer is expecting his team to provide the French champions with a far greater challenge almost two years on from that meeting, as he added: “I feel we are ready for this game and I feel better prepared for the occasion. I think some of these boys learnt harsh lessons against PSG and then, home and away, against Barcelona that season.

"The Champions League is what we all want to be part of, playing against the best players in the world. You’ve got the likes of Mbappe, Neymar, Di Maria… class players, and we’ll welcome Ander [Herrera] back. 

"Marquinhos is one of the best centre-backs in the world, so these are the games we look forward to, the real tests. We are more ready than before.”

Stuart Baxter wants Odisha FC to take inspiration from the 2-2 draw against Jamshedpur FC before taking on ATK Mohun Bagan at the Fatorda Stadium on Thursday.

The Juggernauts were trailing by two goals at half time before second-half substitute Diego Mauricio scored twice to snatch a point from their last Indian Super League (ISL) tie.

"In the first half, even though we were trailing by two goals, we still played a lot better than we did against Hyderabad (lost 1-0). So I'm relatively pleased with the way we approached the game. We were compact, breaking out and playing through the lines much better but we gave away two sloppy goals that put us on the back foot," the Odisha coach explained. 

"Luckily, in the second half, the players approached the game in the correct way and kept their beliefs, and we took it up a notch more in terms of our aggression. Of course, the free-kick when the goalkeeper (Rehenesh TP of Jamshedpur) was sent off was key because we scored at that moment. Everybody was hunting for that second goal and (when) we got the second goal we were really pushed to get the third." 

The British manager, however, is wary of the threat posed by ATK Mohun Bagan and opined that they must not give much space to either Roy Krishna or David Williams to operate. 

"They are a balanced side, have been together for a while and have a set way of playing that is difficult to play against. They have good players who can hurt you if you leave some space behind and if you don't do that, they are very solid defensively. 

"We have to make sure that whilst we are throwing players forward, and they do have a well-organised defence, we have to take away the spaces (at the back) as well that they want and make it difficult on them."

Baxter has a selection headache in the striking department as Diego Mauricio changed the complexion of the match with a brilliant performance in the last game, whereas Manuel Onwu links up better with his teammates. 

"Diego did make a massive impact when he came on but I think Manuel plays very well with the other players. So in my mind I have gotta decide whether I start with Diego who makes an impact or Manuel who plays well with the other players," Baxter stated. 

AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda has revealed threats towards head coach Tomas Trucha and his agent.

Trucha was appointed to take charge of the team after it had been handled by Anthony Kimani since Casa Mbungo’s resignation in December 2019.

But the chair has revealed there are people close to the club who are not happy with the stability of the team so far and have gone ahead to issue threats directed to the coach and his agent.

“There is a serious issue with the coach,” Shikanda told reporters on Wednesday. “We shall do a press conference on Thursday and from here we will go and organise to get the nitty-gritty.

“It is unfortunate that some people who call themselves our members are trying to destabilise our team. They have seen us doing well and they are surely not happy.

“We have beaten Tusker in the first match and there are no comments on our social media pages had we lost that match, you could have seen a lot of negative comments.

“But we know we have people who masquerade as AFC Leopards members and fans but in the real sense, they are not.”

The chair also confirmed the club will engage the Kenya Police in order to deal with the matters around threats on the coach and his agent.

“They are trying to kill the club and are trying to kill the work that the National Executive Committee has done,” he added.

“We are taking the threats seriously and we shall write a statement with the police. We are handling that because the coach feels he is not safe.

“He is in Kenya to help us and add skills to the team.”

Shikanda further spoke about the issues of salaries and how they hope to bridge the gap between the budgetary demands and the money available from sponsorship.

“We have paid salaries up to September and we have not yet settled for October fully but we are going to settle it in the course of this week,” he concluded.

“Then hopefully, we can finish paying up the November salaries in the next two weeks. So, challenges will always be there as this is a big club.

“Our budget being KSh120 million and we have as sponsorship of about KSh40 million.

“You can see the gap between the budget and the sponsorship so we will always try and handle that but there are people who are outside there who are fuelling what is happening at the club.”

AFC Leopards will face Bidco United on December 6 for their second Premier League encounter.