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Rennes boss Julien Stephan has praised Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud, saying his professional attitude despite a lack of regular first-team football is an “exceptional” example for other players to follow.

The 34-year-old has played more games for France than Chelsea this season, with summer signing Timo Werner pushing him further down the Stamford Bridge pecking order.

Werner has quickly established himself as Chelsea’s first-choice striker, while Tammy Abraham is currently boss Frank Lampard’s preferred back-up.

It means Giroud has been restricted to just seven appearances for the London club in all competitions, with September’s Carabao Cup defeat against Tottenham his only start. Most of his other appearances have been fleeting cameos in the closing stages of games.

That has led to speculation linking Giroud with a move away from the club in January, with the former Arsenal player eager for regular first-team football in order to secure his place in the France squad for next summer’s European Championships.

Responding to those rumours, Lampard said Giroud is a “huge member of the squad” and still considers him to be a vital part of his plans going forward, with talks over his future due to take place imminently.

Giroud could be handed a rare opportunity to impress when Chelsea take on Stephan’s Rennes side in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The 40-year-old believes Giroud’s struggles for regular action highlights the strength in depth Lampard has at his disposal, though he also thinks the Blues boss is lucky to have a player with such an exemplary attitude sat on the bench.

“When I was talking about big players in the Chelsea squad squad who are not starting, I was thinking of him [Giroud] in particular," he told reporters.

“It shows the wealth of these clubs with the options they can have. Lots of clubs have these tough [selection] issues.

“Giroud is an exceptional example for other players in terms of attitude. Even if he only plays for a few minutes, he has total commitment on the pitch.

"This shows he is an elite level player, who able to give their best whatever their status.”

Stephan also insisted he is not going to panic despite Rennes poor recent form, which has seen them lose five out of their last six matches in all competitions. They have failed to score in four of those, including Friday’s home defeat by Bordeaux.

The Ligue 1 side are also bottom of their Champions League group and could be eliminated with two games remaining if they lose to Chelsea.

“We must not panic,” he added. “We are obviously disappointed with the results and the performance against Bordeaux.

"We will approach the game with confidence and dynamism. We are together, united together, and with a fierce will, we will find the solution, it is a certainty.”

Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa has alleged Confederation of African Football (Caf) will favour Egypt when scheduling their next Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Harambee Stars.

Mwendwa claims the Pharaohs will not be scheduled to play on a Wednesday by Caf and that amounts to preferential treatment.

Kenya will face Egypt at home in one of the remaining Group G qualifiers - a match the East Africans must win in order to keep their slim qualification dream alive.

The African giants played against Togo, on a Saturday and on a Tuesday, in November while Kenya hosted Comoros on Wednesday before the return leg on a Sunday.

“We played on a Wednesday when Victor Wanyama and Johanna Omollo had trained for just one day and now we will play with Egypt at home but I am telling you Caf has not picked a date up to now,” Mwendwa told Radio Jambo.

“There is no way Egypt will play on a Wednesday and here I am not accusing anyone but I am just telling the truth.

“How things happen in a group matter and to back up that statement ask yourself how we qualified for the 2019 Afcon. In between Sierra Leone were disqualified and we went ahead to play Ghana at home on a Saturday.

“We prepared from Monday to Friday and played to win 1-0 at home. We then went for two matches against Ethiopia and the games were not on a Wednesday.”

The FKF supremo added Kenya would have picked a different result had their game against Comoros been on a different day, other than Wednesday.

“We started our qualifiers away in Egypt and we are going to finish them with an away tie against Togo,” he concluded.

“We played on a Wednesday at home and on Sunday we were in Comoros for the other game while Egypt arrived in Togo before even the Togo national team had arrived in Lome.

“We played on Wednesday [against Comoros] but Egypt played on Saturday [against Togo] and if we could have had four more days of training we could be telling a different story now.

“We are going to play against them and I can assure you the [Kenya vs Egypt] game will never be scheduled for Wednesday. It is going to be on a Thursday, Friday or on a Saturday.”

Egypt won both ties against Togo while Kenya drew 1-1 in one game and lost 2-1 in the other.

Orlando Pirates have announced striker Frank Mhango has started full training after recovering from injury.

Mhango could feature in Pirates’ next Premier Soccer League (PSL) game against Baroka FC on Saturday after missing the last two league games as well as the MTN8 home and away semi-final matches against Kaizer Chiefs. 

He was also absent when Malawi played back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Burkina Faso.

He has one league goal to his name so far, a converted penalty in the opening match against AmaZulu before he was injured in his second league match against Stellenbosch in October.

The other match he has featured in was the MTN8 quarter-final showdown against Cape Town City.

“The Bucs technical team has been boosted with the latest news to come out of the medical department,” Pirates said in a statement.

“Josef Zinnbauer and his assistants welcome back 2019/20 top goalscorer Gabadinho Mhango who returns to full training after recovering from injury. The return of the Malawian international comes in at the right time and will surely give Zinnbauer a welcome selection headache upfront in the upcoming matches with the likes of Zakhele Lepasa and Tshegofatso Mabasa firing on all cylinders. Both strikers were on the scoresheet in Orlando Pirates’ come-from-behind victory over SuperSport United at the weekend.”

In Mhango’s absence, Zinnbauer mostly preferred using Lepasa as a lone striker.

With DR Congo forward Jean-Marc Makusu having been recently signed on loan from AS Vita, it is yet to be seen who Zinnbauer will start upfront.

But there is an anticipated attacking partnership between Mhango and Makusu which on paper appears to have the potential to be the most potent in the PSL.

Mhango’s return and Lepasa’s form with Makusu, means Zinnbauer might not miss the absence of injured Thembinkosi Lorch too much.

Pirates have stated Lorch is continuing his rehabilitation with the physiotherapists with four weeks to go before he could return.

Andrea Pirlo is keen to experiment with a three-pronged forward line for Juventus featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata despite an injury crisis in defence.

The trio have not yet started together in any competition this season due to injury and illness.

Ronaldo, Juve's top scorer this season with eight goals in six appearances, missed four matches across Serie A and the Champions League after testing positive for coronavirus in October.

Dybala has battled injury and ill health and has only recovered full fitness in the past week, and Morata, who has six goals in nine games, needed time to settle after signing on loan from Atletico Madrid in September.

Pirlo thinks all three are ready to start against Ferencvaros in the Champions League on Tuesday, as Juve aim to secure their place in the last 16, although he is wary of leaving the team too unbalanced.

"We've been thinking about it from the start. Unfortunately, we never had them together in good condition," the coach told reporters on Monday. "We are thinking of different solutions.

"Dybala was injured, Morata wasn't there right at the start, Ronaldo had Covid... they trained together for a few days. Now, we'll try to balance the team, and then we'll look for a solution to let them play together, if possible."

He said of Dybala, who missed Argentina's World Cup qualifiers this month with illness: "He's better, he's ready. He trained continuously during the international break, apart from the first few days when he was on antibiotics.

"He moved better, he got strength back in his legs and we'll see if we can play him from the start."

Pirlo was asked about his relationship with Portuguese superstar Ronaldo, and the coach said he treats the five-time Ballon d’Or winner the same as every member of his squad.

"My relationship with Ronaldo? The same as with the others,” Pirlo said. “I treat him like [Gianluca] Frabotta and [Manolo] Portanova, this has always been my way.”

Juve's attacking riches are in stark contrast to a depleted defence, made worse by the news Merih Demiral will be out for around 10 days with a muscle issue.

With Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini also sidelined, Pirlo will be forced into something of a makeshift defence against Ferencvaros.

"There are four left at the back and they'll play. Danilo will be at centre-back and Alex Sandro will return at full-back," he said.

"We'll see about the rest. [Dejan] Kulusevski has played a lot of games and [Federico] Chiesa, I don't think he's ready to play from the first minute yet. Let's see how they are tomorrow."

Juve's clean sheet in last weekend's 2-0 win over Cagliari was only their fourth in all competitions in 2020-21.

They conceded three times in their first three Champions League group games and faced 36 shots in total, only nine fewer than Tuesday's winless opponents.

However, victory will guarantee their place in the next round if Dynamo Kiev fail to beat Barcelona.

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards has compared Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi to Brazil's Maicon and Colombia's Juan Cuadrado after his impressive performance as a right-back against Fulham.

Iwobi was drafted into a new role at Craven Cottage on Sunday and he produced a solid shift as a full-back for 90 minutes as Carlo Ancelotti's side bagged a 3-2 away win.

In the encounter, the former Arsenal star completed the most dribbles for Everton (6) with two tackles completed and two interceptions made.

Richards was particularly pleased by Iwobi's performance in the right-back position and he compared him with Maicon and Cuadrado whom he played with at Manchester City and Fiorentina respectively.

"They played against Fulham, so you know you will get more time and space,” Richards was quoted as saying by Liverpool Echo.

“I think it’s perfect for Iwobi. He can pick up the ball a little deeper and dribble into spaces and not have to worry about where he is going to be.

"I played with (Juan) Cuadrado at Fiorentina, who was an attack-minded right-back and it really did work. I played with Maicon at Man City as well, who had great equity in the box. Iwobi had that today.

"If they were playing against Arsenal or Manchester City, it might have been defensive but it worked well for them today.”

Out-of-favour Everton winger Yannick Bolasie was also impressed by the Nigeria international's display.

"Got the result...DCL is that guy, is back, Digne levels....but Iwobi needs those plaudits today was different class first half," Bolasie tweeted.

Posta Rangers have finally agreed to let their coach Sammy Omollo, who is commonly referred to as Pamzo, coach Gor Mahia in their forthcoming Caf Champions League game against APR Rwanda.

Initially, Posta Rangers had categorically stated their head coach is still contracted to the club and has not signed for any other team. 

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) banned K’Ogalo’s current coach Roberto Oliveira Goncalves from stepping on the touchline during their preliminary round fixture against APR of Rwanda for allegedly not having Caf ‘A’ coaching qualification papers and the Kenyan champions turned to the Mailmen for help.

"We have reached an agreement to let Omollo be on the touchline coaching Gor Mahia against APR Rwanda," John Tonui who is Posta Rangers' chairman told Goal on Monday.

"Our decision was guided by the fact that Gor Mahia are going to represent the country and as our brothers' keepers we offered help. They requested us to let Omollo guide the team and we understood them.

"He will be back with Rangers once his assignment is done; it is just for the two legs."

The Mailmen will be on the pitch this Saturday, playing AFC Leopards in their first Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League game at Nyayo Stadium.

"We are confident with the team Omollo has left behind to help our team against Leopards," Tonui added

"He has been with the team in the entire pre-season and lest we forget, he guided them to successful friendly matches against Nairobi City Stars and Gor Mahia respectively [the matches Posta Rangers won 1-0].

"By Rangers letting the coach help a brother does not mean there is a gap, we have a strong and able team to ensure we perform well in the league."

Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier confirmed the former defender had joined on a temporary basis as the club settles the problem with their full-time coach.

"We have settled on Sammy Omollo to be the stand-in coach for the team in Rwanda as we try to sort out the current coach’s issue with Caf," stated Rachier.

"That means [Omollo] will lead the technical bench as Robertinho is not allowed to be on the touchline until the issue is sorted."

The Kenyan champions will leave the country later in the week for Rwanda to play the hosts in Kigali, with the aggregate winner advancing to the next stage of the competition.

Gor Mahia have never reached the Caf Champions League group stage.

Whether you are a devoted Football Manager fan looking for a new challenge or a novice approaching the game for the first time, choosing which leagues to load can sometimes be surprisingly difficult.

There are over 100 leagues available in the new Football Manager 2021 game spread across 52 countries - an entire world of managerial opportunities are waiting - so there is certainly no shortage of choice.

Naturally, the big leagues will be familiar and always have appeal, but some relatively less mainstream football countries offer plenty of intriguing challenges for the aspiring virtual football manager.

So, to help you pick, Goal takes a look at some of the best leagues to load when you fire up Football Manager 2021.

The appeal of English football extends way beyond the Premier League, with the country boasting a highly competitive league pyramid and national tournaments.

Of course, managing one of the top clubs in the Premier League is an exciting prospect, considering you have some of the best players in the world at your disposal, big budgets and continental football too.

Indeed, pitting your wits against star coaches such as Jurgen Klopp, Marcelo Bielsa and Pep Guardiola would certainly be a test of your bona fides as a manager.

You might fancy yourself as the person to finally restore Manchester United to their rightful place on their proverbial perch, or perhaps you'll manage to catapult sleeping giant Newcastle United into greatness.

One of the best challenges in Football Manager is taking a team all the way from the non-leagues to the Premier League, which involves earning promotion from five different leagues.

As well as that, there are lots of old, storied clubs littered throughout the divisions, if you like the sound of resurrecting a once-formidable football institution.

The passion and intensity of Argentine football is almost unrivalled, with supporters in the country creating a monumental spectacle of games involving their teams.

One need only think of the sheer ferocity of the Superclasico rivalry between Boca Juniors and River Plate, or the iconic displays between fans of Racing and Independiente, to get an idea of the scale.

Argentina, of course, is the country that spawned two of the greatest footballers ever to grace the planet - Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi - and there is a rich culture in the game there.

River may be the most successful team in terms of league titles, but they have endured a barren run in recent years and Boca have had things their way.

Over the years, Los Millonarios have produced supremely talented footballers - Pablo Aimar, Javier Mascherano and Gonzalo Higuain come to mind - and you could usher in the next generation of superstars.

Taking the reins of a club outside of the traditional power base of Buenos Aires might also be something to consider, with Newell's Old Boys - the former club of Messi and Bielsa, no less - providing a challenge.

Belgium are currently one of the best national teams in world football, with stars such as Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku leading the Red Devils at the moment.

However, the Low Countries nation has never really made an impact on the European stage, with Anderlecht being the only team to win a continental crown with their 1983 UEFA Cup triumph.

Club Brugge were beaten finalists in the 1978 European Cup final - losing to Liverpool - but other than that they have not managed to trouble the record books.

With such an impressive reputation for producing talented players, Belgian football fans might be forgiven for wondering why they haven't managed to improve in Europe.

Can you hold on to your best players for a few more years and win trophies?

Having dominated European football in the 1990s into the 2000s, Italian football endured something of a downturn, with Serie A no longer the number one destination for the world's best players.

However, the scene has enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years, helped by the presence of veteran stars Zlatan Ibrahimovic at AC Milan and Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus.

As well as the totemic institutions of Milan, Inter, Juve, Roma and Napoli, Serie A also features fascinating managerial projects such as Atalanta, who have shaken up European football in recent years.

The idea of recreating the glory days in Florence with Fiorentina will surely appeal to fans of a particular vintage, while two-time UEFA Cup winners Parma are keen for stability after an erratic few years.

Further down, in Serie B, there are some decent resurrection challenges, with the likes of Chievo and Brescia hoping to earn promotion back to Serie A.

USA

Major League Soccer is a fascinating place to test the managerial waters given the peculiarities of the North American league structure and transfer policies.

Naturally, it will all be very familiar to an American audience, but for Football Manager fans based in Europe or elsewhere, it can be something of an education.

You won't have to worry about relegation and, while you might win the league in your conference, it's the play-offs and MLS Cup that matter.

It is a relatively young league and there have been a number of new "expansion" teams, including David Beckham's Inter Miami and that, in itself, makes for an interesting game.

Then there's the MLS Draft and the very American process of recruiting the top players each season.

The United States will host the 2026 World Cup along with Canada and Mexico, so interest in soccer is sure to receive a boost in the coming years, particularly as the FIFA machine rolls into town.

Holland

Ever since the Total Football revolution of the 1970s, Dutch football has been a standard-bearer of European football, with teams such as Ajax and the Netherlands national team delighting fans.

However, the landscape as it stands in Football Manager 2021 is far removed from those glory days, though Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord still pack a significant punch.

Managing Ajax might be a breeze on the domestic front, so the real challenge in taking them over lies in attempting to deliver a first Champions League since 1995.

Ending the dominance of Ajax and initiating a new era in Dutch football with one of the relatively lesser heralded teams such as Vitesse or AZ also poses a trying prospect.

How about making Sparta Rotterdam as big as Feyenoord or reviving the prospects of the unusually named Go Ahead Eagles?

What other leagues are there in Football Manager 2021?

Of course, the above suggestions may not excite you enough, but there are loads more options to choose from.

Even if you don't manage a certain league, it is sometimes worth loading them if you are interested in getting the best out of scouting those nations or if you fancy a change of scenery after a while.

Here is the full list of countries that are part of Football Manager 2021.

Asia

Africa

Europe

North America

South America

Hyderabad beat Odisha 1-0 in their opening match of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) on Monday at the GMC Stadium, Bambolim.

Aridane Santana scored the only goal from the penalty spot in the 35th minute to secure a win for his new team.

Manuel Roca's side was the dominant side right from the beginning and could have scored the opening goal within five minutes of the match had Aridane Santana been a little more efficient in front of goal. The Hyderabad skipper failed to convert a free-header from Lluis Sastre’s corner from a very close range and the ball went wide.

Within two minutes of Santana’s missed chance came another opportunity for young Akash Mishra who attempted a long-range shot from Sastre’s corner but Odisha custodian Arshdeep Singh did well to block the effort.

In the 34th minute, from a quick counter-attack, Santana found Halicharan Narzary at the edge of the box with a square pass. The Indian winger attempted a shot on goal and the ball hit Odisha skipper Steven Taylor on his left arm as the English defender tried to block the shot. A penalty was awarded and Santana made no mistake from 12 yards out.

Halicharan Narzary had another opportunity to score just minutes before the half time whistle. His curling effort was tipped over the bar by the outstretched arm of the keeper. 

Odisha got their first major goal-scoring chance of the match after the restart and it was due to blunder from Joao Victor. The Spaniard failed to intercept a long ball from Odisha’s half and the ball fell to Nandhakumar Sekar. The winger took a touch near the box and pulled the trigger but Akash Mishra did well to intercept the shot.

Manuel Marquez introduced Liston Colaco and Laldanmawia Ralte on the flanks and the changes worked well for the away side as they looked even more dangerous in the second half. They could have doubled their lead but couldn't finish off their forays forward. 

This was the first time in Hyderabad's brief history that they managed to keep a clean sheet in an ISL game. They next take on Bengaluru on November 28 while Odisha face Jamshedpur the next day.

Georginio Wijnaldum now boasts an impressive entry in Liverpool’s record books, with the Dutch midfielder earning more wins from his first 200 games for the club than any other player.

The Netherlands international, who has sparked talk of interest from Barcelona of late, has been on the books at Anfield since the summer of 2016.

He was snapped up from Newcastle with the intention of becoming a key man on Merseyside. Wijnaldum has delivered on that show of faith, playing a prominent role in Jurgen Klopp’s plans.

Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and Premier League honours have been collected by Liverpool over recent years, with remarkable consistency enjoyed by the Reds.

History has been made on a regular basis - that applies to Liverpool as a whole, and Wijnaldum as an individual. The Dutchman has reached a double century of competitive outings for his current club, with that mark hit against Leicester on Sunday.

Klopp’s men ran out 3-0 winners in that game, helping them to draw level with Tottenham at the top of the Premier League table.

Wijnaldum played the full 90 minutes against the Foxes and ended the evening with a 133rd win as a Liverpool player to his name – with some legendary figures, such as Alan Kennedy and Ian Rush, now in his shadow.

As a collective, Liverpool made more history against Leicester. A stunning run of form on home soil means that the Reds have now gone 64 Premier League games unbeaten at Anfield – a club record in top-flight competition.

They will fancy their chances of extending that sequence, with Wolves, Tottenham and West Bromwich Albion due to visit Merseyside before the turn of the year.

Wijnaldum can, injury permitting, be expected to play a leading role during those contests.

He can revel in all that he has achieved to this point, although he may find himself slipping down a notable chart at some stage in the future.

If Klopp is able to keep his current squad together, then many of those to have joined the ranks since Wijnaldum will be looking to raise the bar even higher when it comes to the 200-game club.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois led the flooding in of condolence messages for the late former Mamelodi Sundowns right-back Anele Ngcongca.

Nngcongca died at the age of 33 in the early hours of Monday following a car accident in Durban.

He was due to be unveiled later in the day as an AmaZulu signing on loan from Mamelodi Sundowns and both clubs confirmed the defender's transfer in a joint statement.

An outpouring of tributes from Fifa, Belgian top-flight league clubs, Premier Soccer League clubs, fans, former teammates, opposition players as well as the South African government dominated social media as news of his death spread.

Courtois who played alongside Ngcongca at Belgian side Genk reacted to his former teammate’s passing with a message of sympathy.

Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council member and Black Stars Management Committee chairman George Amoakoh believe the technical team led by coach CK Akonnor must up their game in the wake of last week's disappointing defeat to Sudan.

After a fine start to their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying campaign, the West Africans suffered their first defeat on matchday four by a 1-0 away loss to the Falcons in Omdurman.

The defeat came five days after the Black Stars registered a 2-0 triumph over the same side in a matchweek three fixture at home.

“I hope that the technical team would sit up and correct all the errors; the errors that ensured that we could not score a goal [away to Sudan]," Amoakoh told Graphic.

“All the game was centred in the midfield and our incursions upfront did not yield any dividend. They should ensure that they are able to penetrate defences and score goals; that is the only way to win matches.

“We did not achieve what we sought to achieve; we thought we could either draw or win the game but it didn’t come off that way, and I think we need to learn a few lessons from that.

"We had a lot of problems with getting exactly what we wanted because of Covid-19 and other factors. You realised that there were a lot of late call-ups… but I believe that at the end of the day, what we had on the bench could have won us the game.

“It didn’t go the way we wanted; if it doesn’t go the way you want what does it mean? I am not a technical person to say the selection was bad.

“The only thing I can say is that how we played did not generate the needed goals to win the game, and for that matter, I would wish that the technical team do their best to ensure that subsequent games are won and won beautifully."

Ghana coach Akonnor, who replaced James Kwasi Appiah in January, has won one and lost one of two competitive games played so far and similarly won two and lost two of four matches played so far in all competitions.

The Black Stars, who still top Group C despite the away defeat to Sudan, return to action with games against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe in March next year. 

Timo Werner is an “instinctive” talent in the Eden Hazard mould, says Chelsea legend Alan Hudson, with the German forward expected to thrive in the roaming role that the superstar Belgian once filled.

The Blues invested heavily in attacking talent during the summer transfer window. Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz have been added, while Werner is being asked to provide end product.

He has fared admirably during the early weeks of his time in England, with eight goals in 13 appearances. There is the promise of more to come from the 24-year-old as he continues to find his feet at Stamford Bridge.

Werner’s versatility promises to make him a useful asset for Frank Lampard, with the former RB Leipzig frontman capable of operating down the middle or from the flanks.

Chelsea have already used him in both of those roles, as they once did with Hazard, and Hudson believes a potential talisman of the future is capable of emulating one from the recent past.

The Blues icon told CaughtOffside: “Werner is instinctive and needs to be left to roam, like Hazard, he has no real position and flits through the game sometimes unnoticed and then will pounce.

“I like him a lot and had he taken his chances at the weekend the Golden Boot is there for him, but it still is, he is a thrilling player with a great eye for goal and can also play the other part of assisting, he is a very clever player, not quite a Eden Hazard but who is?”

Werner has been nudged out of the No 9 role of late by Tammy Abraham, with the England international striker slotting back in as Chelsea wait on Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz to recover full fitness.

Abraham has been thriving in a new-look frontline, netting in each of his last three appearances, but Hudson is not convinced the 23-year-old will be a long-term option to lead the line for Lampard.

He added: “If Chelsea are looking to reach not only the top but become a real European force again, Abraham is not the answer, despite scoring goals, because a blind man could score goals in this team because they create so many chances. He is a very decent player but to become a force in the Champions League, Chelsea need something better to led the line.”

Kenya started their campaign in the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) U20 Championship on a high note after claiming a 3-0 win over Ethiopia on Monday.

Benson Omalla, Ronald Reagan, and Enock Wanyama scored. The Stanley Okumbi-led charges started the game well but could not take the many chances they created.

However, their consistency paid dividends in the 39th minute as Benson Omalla rose highest to head home a cross from the right. The defenders left the forward unmarked and he did not waste the opportunity.

It was the only goal scored in the first half as strikers looked a little rusty.

The Rising Stars continued with their push for another goal immediately after the break. Their push for a second goal bore fruits in the 46th minute. The Ethiopia goalkeeper failed to keep hold of a high ball and Omalla flicked it to Ronald Reagan who had no trouble finding the back of the net.

With five minutes remaining on the clock, a long ball from the back fell to Omalla whose first touch put him past the defender. He steadied himself but with the keeper to beat, he spotted the advancing and unmarked Enock Wanyama who tapped the ball into an empty net. 

It was an excellent start for the Rising Stars who are now on top of Group C with three points while Sudan have no point. Kenya had defeated Sudan 3-1 and 2-1 in friendly matches played in Kenya at Kasarani and Nyayo Stadium respectively.

In Group B, The Hippos of Uganda were held to a goalless draw by South Sudan. Burundi are also in the same group.

Group A has the hosts Tanzania, Somalia, and Djibouti.

These matches are also used as the U17 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers with the winner and runners-up set to play in the finals.

Kenya XI: Maxwell Mulili, Fredrick Alushula, Lewis Bandi, Frank Odhiambo, Alphonse Omija, Steiner Musasia, Benson Omala, Enoch Wanyama, Matthew Mwendwa, Simon Omondi, Ronald Reagan.

Substitutes: Brian Opondo, Kevinton Machika, Sellasie otieno, Nicholas Ochieng, Collins Sichenje, Henry Atola, Ronald Sichenje, Fortune Omoto, Boniface Mwangemi.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has successfully kicked-off the exercise of testing players and officials for Covid-19 ahead of the resumption of the Premier League on November 28.

In line with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Sports and Culture protocols, Bidco United, Kariobangi Sharks, and KCB were the first to get tested at the Thika Stadium and Utalii grounds respectively on Monday, November 23.

Kakamega Homeboyz, Wazito FC, Tusker FC, Posta Rangers, Bandari FC, Nzoia Sugar, and Western Stima will be tested on Tuesday, at the Bukhungu Stadium, Marist University College, Utalii Grounds, KPA Sports Club Mbaraki, Sudi Stadium(Nzoia) and Moi Stadium (Kisumu) respectively.

Vihiga United, AFC Leopards, and Nairobi City Stars will close the Covid-19 testing process on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, at the Senede High School(Vihiga), De Paul Center Karen and Ligi Ndogo grounds respectively.

The 2020-21 FKF Premier League is set to kick off on Saturday with eight matches lined up for matchday one which will also see a total of three matches screened live by FKF partners Startimes.

FKF has also confirmed Kariobangi Sharks will play against Bidco United in a preparation match by Startimes on Tuesday, November 24, 2020.

“We will use the match to gauge our preparedness ahead of kick-off and that is the reason we have planned to have the match,” FKD CEO Barry Otieno told Goal on Monday.

According to the revised fixture obtained by Goal, the Gor Mahia vs Tusker match which was scheduled for Nyayo Stadium has now been postponed while AFC Leopards, who were supposed to start the season against Western Stima, will now kick-off against Posta Rangers.

In the opening day, on November 28, three matches will be played with AFC Leopards taking on Posta Rangers at Nyayo Stadium, the game will also be live on TV, while Mathare United will come up against Kakamega Homeboyz and Bandari host Zoo FC.

On Sunday, two matches will be beamed live, Kariobangi Sharks against Wazito FC at Kasarani Stadium and Western Stima against Bidco United at Moi Stadium in Kisumu.

In other matches set for Sunday, promoted side Nairobi City Stars will open their campaign against Nzoia Sugar, Sofapaka host KCB at Narok Stadium, while Ulinzi Stars will come up against Vihiga United.

FKF PL Round 1 Fixture; Saturday; AFC Leopards vs Posta Rangers (Nyayo Stadium, 3 pm), Mathare United vs Kakamega Homeboyz (Kasarani Stadium, 4:15 pm) and Bandari vs Zoo Youth FC (Mbaraki Grounds, 3 pm.

Sunday; Nairobi City Stars vs Nzoia Sugar (Nyayao Stadium, 3 pm), Kariobangi Sharks vs Wazito FC (Kasarani Stadium, 3 pm), Sofapaka vs KCB (Narok Stadium, 3 pm), Ulinzi Stars vs Vihiga United (Afraha Stadium, 3 pm) and Western Stima vs Bidco United (Moi Stadium, 1 pm).

Mason Mount has called on Chelsea to push for the Premier League title this season, after a run of five wins in a row sees the club just two points away from top spot.

The most recent win over Newcastle saw Chelsea briefly go top of the table , but rivals Tottenham and Liverpool leapfrogged the Blues again to leave them in third.

After Tuesday's away Champions League clash with Rennes, Mount's side will welcome Spurs to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The 21-year-old says that his side are aiming to achieve glory this season in the league, and not settle for just a brief good spell domestically and in Europe.

“It’s always been our goal [to win the title]," Mount said in a pre-match press conference. "We know what we can achieve, and we know the level of the players in this group.

"We can never be content with being top of the group in the Champions League and going to the top of the league and being around it; we can never be content with that. We know what we can do and our goal is always to be No 1 and push for titles. We know we can do that.

"The most important thing at the moment is to try to keep the momentum going. Go from game to game and try to go into each one with the mentality of winning it. When you keep that going, you go into every game wanting to win.

"We are in a good place at the moment but we can’t get carried away. It is exciting times, but we’re so ready to keep working hard.”

Mount's 13 starts and 14 appearances for Chelsea are the joint-most in the squad, which has seen him go and become an automatic starter under Gareth Southgate for the England national team.

Despite this growing reputation, the homegrown star has his detractors and Lampard moved again to dispel claims that he shows favouritism towards his midfielder.

"It is very easy for someone to sit on the phone and make very harsh statements," Lampard said. "With Mason, I think maybe he looks clean-cut, he is doing an advert where he takes his top off and I think that’s about as edgy as he gets.

"He doesn’t do too many triple step-overs or flicks over the back of his head, as he shouldn’t do. He makes really efficient, clean and sharp passes. He presses as well as any midfielder that I have worked or trained alongside and he does 100 things within his game that impresses the managers that he works for.

"It is very easy to say [critical things] because he hasn’t got an Instagram reel of different flicks but it is a different type of football. It is easy to bracket him off and I don’t say that. When I say that, I don’t want to fuel the fire of people saying Mason is my son, because I know he has got a lot to improve on.

"That’s what takes you onto his attitude and desire to improve. He can score more goals, make more assists but he is a quality footballer who is only going to get better. That’s how I feel about him. Mason Mount, nor any player in this squad, is going to get favouritism from me.

"We need to have competition amongst everyone in the squad. Midfield and wide areas we have options and no one gets any edge from me other than on how they perform."

That high praise from Lampard is appreciated by Mount, who is keen to take advantage of every opportunity he gets for both club and country.

In Chelsea's academy and on his first loan at Vitesse , Mount was primarily seen as an attacking No 10 but he is increasingly moving into deeper roles.

Mount admits he has made subtle changes to his game ever since playing under Lampard while on loan with Derby County in the Championship.

"When I was in the academy I might have done a little trick here or there or a step-over, but as you get older I learned in the Championship, my first real experience of it, they don’t always come off and experienced players are going to read it," he added.

"They know what you’re going to do and I think coming into the Premier League and Chelsea, being quick on the ball and knowing what you have got to do before the ball comes to you is the most important thing.

"As a midfielder, you are always going to have that pressure in there to move the ball quickly. We are playing in the Champions League and the best league in the world and the ball needs to move quicker than you do.

"I have definitely learned that especially last season as well. I have evolved my game to be quick, to know what to do when the ball comes to me. That is something I have learned over the last couple of years.”

Maritzburg United have fired coach Eric Tinkler following a dismal start to the 2020/21 season.

He becomes the third Premier Soccer League (PSL) casualty this season after Baroka FC fired Dylan Kerr who then went to Black Leopards to replace Patrick Aussems who was the second coach to lose his job.

Tinkler leaves the KwaZulu-Natal club he joined in January 2019 and saved them from relegation before guiding them to a top-eight finish last season.

But elimination from the MTN8 by Kaizer Chiefs at the beginning of this season, as well as four straight league defeats saw Tinkler falling out of favour with his employers.

“It has been an extremely disappointing start to the season and the results have not been forthcoming,” Maritzburg Chairman Farook Kadodia told the club website.

“The Board, therefore, took the decision to terminate the contract of the coach. We would like to wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

The club said that they are “currently in discussions over who will lead the team on an interim basis until a permanent appointment is made.”

After starting last season on an impressive note as they were tipped for a top-three finish, Maritzburg relapsed and failed to win a single match during the PSL bio-bubble which heralded Tinkler’s woes.

That means Tinkler exits the Team of Choice after a massive run of 11 winless games, including eight losses and last Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Leopards proved to be the final straw.

After a difficult spell in the bio-bubble, Tinkler responded by making a number of signings ahead of the ongoing season.

He signed forward Jose Ali Meza from Mamelodi Sundowns, Zambian goalkeeper Sebastian Mwange, Algerian left-back Fares Hachi while retaining Tebogo Tlolane on loan from Orlando Pirates.

Former South Africa Under-23 midfielder Tyroane Sandows was also signed, arriving from the Brazilian Serie B with Figueirense and boasted the experience of having played in Serie A with Gremio.

Changes in Tinkler’s backroom staff were also made as he brought in Delron Buckley as the assistant coach as well as Rowen Fernandez to train the goalkeepers.

The former Orlando Pirates coach also fired his assistant coach Vincent Kobola whom he had previously worked with at Cape Town City.

Maritzburg host SuperSport United in their next league match on Friday.

Phil Foden is capable of rising above Jack Grealish, James Maddison and other contenders for a playmaking post with England in order to become the ‘next Paul Gascoigne’, says Glenn Hoddle.

A creative midfielder on the books of Aston Villa is currently revelling in that big billing.

Grealish has been starring for club and country, with many now tipping him to follow in the footsteps of another mercurial talent.

Hoddle is excited by the crop of match-winners that England currently have at their disposal, but he believes a Manchester City youngster could prove to be the pick of the bunch.

Foden has taken on a more prominent role at the Etihad Stadium following David Silva’s departure and still has plenty of potential to unlock in his game at just 20 years of age.

He has overcome difficulties at senior international level, which saw him dropped for breaching coronavirus protocol, in order to work his way back into Gareth Southgate’s plans.

His goal account for the Three Lions was opened in a UEFA Nations League clash with Iceland during the November break and Hoddle is looking for him to go on and fill Gazza’s sizeable boots.

Quizzed by the Evening Standard as to who he considers best placed to follow that path, former England boss Hoddle said: “We have a few I think.

“James Maddison, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden could be the one who goes ahead of them once he is playing more and more.

“It comes back to that experience of playing. I think there are goals in Foden as well. Grealish has got good talent, Maddison has as well. Mason Mount, what he is doing ahead of say Grealish is playing Champions League football.

“There is a massive stepping stone between the Premier League and international football, and that is the Champions League. People like Mount and Foden will be getting that experience.

“There are four players there who have got wonderful talent. Foden is a bit younger than the others and he might be the one in three of four years.”

Grealish has been embracing the comparisons to Gascoigne that he has been earning, while Foden has been told by the likes of City team-mate Kevin De Bruyne that he could go on to become “one of the best players in the world if he wants to”.

Fabinho has aired his pride at forming part of more record-setting achievements by Liverpool, with the Brazilian playing an important role in an unbeaten run at Anfield that now stands at 64 Premier League games.

Jurgen Klopp’s side added another entry to the history books when easing past Leicester 3-0 on Sunday.

Fabinho was drafted back into the Reds side for that contest, with the versatile 27-year-old recovering from injury to provide cover for absent centre-halves Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.

The South American was rarely tested by the Foxes during another commanding showing from the reigning English champions on home soil.

Fabinho, who moved to Merseyside from Monaco in 2018 and is yet to suffer a league defeat as a Liverpool player, is delighted to be back playing a leading role in the Reds’ quest for more honours and accolades.

He told the club’s official website on their latest record: “It’s just unbelievable. I’m happy to be part of this team, part of this history.

“We just have to keep this mentality, to try to win every game because we know our qualities, we know here at Anfield we have to always play to win. I’m happy to be part of this history as well.”

Fabinho is also happy to be filling a defensive role for Liverpool, with Klopp needing him to step back out of a holding midfield role in order to help the Reds through a fitness crisis.

“Centre-half, I try to be always in good communication with my team-mates – Joel [Matip], Robbo [Andy Robertson], the players around me. They help me a lot,” Fabinho added.

“We knew we were playing against a very good team and a very dangerous striker [Jamie Vardy] but the communication was very important for that as well.

“I know in this position I have to be concentrated every minute of the game and I’m happy because we kept the clean sheet.

“I’m very happy to be back as well, to play the 90 minutes and win the game 3-0. I feel good, no problems. I’m happy because I’m back and played the full game.”

Fabinho may be required to slot in at centre-half for some time yet, with Van Dijk and Gomez having undergone surgery, but Liverpool are also being linked with a number of potential transfer targets ahead of the January window.