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Clement Lenglet says he feels "prepared" to lead Barcelona's defence with Gerard Pique now set to miss a large portion of the season through injury.

Pique was forced off the pitch after colliding with Angel Correa during Barca's 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid at Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday.

The 33-year-old was later diagnosed with medial and cruciate knee ligament damage, and is now likely to be out of action for the next few months as he begins a rigorous rehabilitation programme.

Sergi Roberto will also be unavailable until the new year after picking up a thigh issue against Atletico, leaving Ronald Koeman facing a selection crisis at the back.

Lenglet's presence in the heart of the defence will now be more important than ever as Barca bid to get their season back on track, but he is ready to step up and meet that challenge head-on in the absence of Pique.

The Frenchman told a press conference ahead of a trip to Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League on Tuesday: "Pique is an important loss because he has been playing for many years and it affects us a lot, I am not the one who should answer [about my role] because it is the coach who picks the team.

"I feel prepared to help the team after two years or so, I am managing a little better being at the club and its environment but it is the coach who chooses the team."

Barca slipped to 12th in the Liga standings after their latest defeat, 12 points behind leaders Real Sociedad, who have played two games more, but Lenglet still believes the domestic crown can be salvaged if the squad remains unified.

"Yes, we can win; there are many games and points left, it has been a difficult start, with bad results, we lack points but there is still a lot left," he said.

"It would not be good to lower our aims, it would be a lack of respect for those who work for us and those who watch us on television, we have to go on and turn the situation around. "

Lenglet added on the importance of getting back to winning ways on the European stage, with Koeman's side now only one win away from qualifying for the knockout stages: "It is important to qualify for the round of 16.

"It is important for many reasons after losing the last game and it will also give us a margin and can help the coach make rotations if we qualify tomorrow."

Liverpool star Diogo Jota has been praised by Danny Murphy for giving Leicester "nightmares" in a Premier League clash on Sunday.

Jota became the first player in Liverpool's history to score in his first four home games for the club after heading home during a 3-0 win over the Foxes.

The 23-year-old now has eight goals to his name from 12 appearances in all competitions for the Reds, who forked out £45 million ($60m) to bring him to Anfield from Wolves in September.

The Portuguese was deployed on the right of a front three alongside Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane against Leicester in the absence of Mohamed Salah, and showed off his versatility by switching from wide to central positions throughout the 90 minutes in order to create openings in the final third.

Murphy was hugely impressed by the former Wolves star's latest performance, and says he "deserves credit" for the way he has seamlessly integrated himself into Jurgen Klopp's set-up.

“Diogo Jota, talk about hitting the ground running,” the former Liverpool midfielder said on the BBC's latest Match of the Day episode.

“He was all over the place. He started on the right of the three, where Salah plays normally, drifts into the holes into the centre of the pitch, because he’s so desperate to get on the scoresheet and make an impact on the game.

“He mixes his game up well, dropping deep, linking up the play. And what I like about him is the amount of runs he makes off the ball, which is what all good players do.

“And it’s also the fact of his bravery to go and find spaces, wait, and the intensity of his runs.

“He keeps getting in there, he’s a brilliant option, another source of goals for Liverpool and he deserves credit for how he’s adapted. For any defender picking him up, it must be a nightmare.”

Jota will be back in contention for a place in Klopp's starting XI when the Reds play host to Atalanta in a Champions League group-stage encounter on Wednesday.

Liverpool are due back in Premier League action three days later, with a tough trip to the Amex Stadium to face Brighton on the cards.

Azam FC have stated their ambitions to bounce back from the weekend's defeat and beat rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) in a Mainland Premier League match on Wednesday.

The Chamazi-based giants blew their chance to stretch their lead at the top of the 18-team league table after falling to a solitary goal against KMC in a match played at Uhuru Stadium on Saturday.

Reliant Lusajo scored the all-important goal after connecting with a pass from Hassan Kibunda to beat Azam keeper David Mapigano, and also hand the title-chasing club their second defeat of the 2020-21 campaign.

Ahead of their next league match against Yanga, Azam media officer Zakaria Thabit has promised the fans an immediate response from the defeat.

“We really worked hard against KMC but could not get anything from the match,” Thabit is quoted by Sokaletu. “It was a battle of who could take his chances, and KMC used their one chance and finished us off.

“But we must now forget about the match and focus on our next assignment, it is the derby against Yanga, we know we will be playing at home but all we need is a quick bounce back.

“We must win the tie, we will do everything to win the match for the fans, we hope the coach will see some of the mistakes the boys committed against KMC and rectify them, we want to be ready and get the points against Yanga.”

In an earlier interview, Azam assistant coach Vivier Bahati admitted they were outmuscled by KMC during the Saturday match and could not play their usual passing game and hence did not deserve to get anything at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

“I must accept that KMC overpowered us, they took control of the game and destabilised our style of play, in fact, they were the better team and deserved to win,” Bahati is quoted by Sokaletu.

Azam needed three points from the fixture to stretch their lead at the top of the 18-team table but despite the defeat, Bahati is confident they are still in the race for the title.

“In football sometimes, it comes a time when the players’ style is slowed down, they don’t play like they always do and that is what happened to our players, we were outshined and it is part of football,” Bahati continued.

“But the defeat does not mean we are now out of the race for the title, no, we know we still have a long way to go, and we must recover as quickly as we can and make sure we win our next match.

“The race for the title is still far to be decided and what we need to do now is recover, rectify our mistakes against KMC, and get ready for the next match.”

The Chamazi-based giants suffered their first defeat of the season after going down 1-0 to Mtibwa Sugar at Jamhuri Stadium in Morogoro.

The winner between Azam and Yanga will move top of the table as the two teams are currently tied on 25 points from 11 matches.

Simba SC are third on 23 points after thrashing Coastal Union 7-0.

Olivier Giroud is hopeful that Chelsea will be open to letting him leave in January as manager Frank Lampard contends with several members of his squad being frustrated over a lack of game time.

World Cup-winning striker Giroud will seek his exit unless he is introduced as a regular starter in the weeks leading up to the January transfer window.

The 34-year-old has publicly admitted to not being happy at starting just one game this season and having played for just 157 minutes.

"It's worrying. I thought I still had a role to play at Chelsea but my playing time is getting reduced a lot. It's going to have to change or a decision must be made," Giroud told Telefoot.

"I am clear-headed about my situation: I will have to make a decision in January. I hope to make the right one, as I have always done."

It is understood that Giroud will seek to remain at a top European club, having almost moved to Inter in the last January window when both Tottenham and Lazio were interested in him.

France coach Didier Deschamps has already expressed his concern around Giroud's lack of game time ahead of Euro 2020 which will now take place in the summer of 2021.

Alongside Giroud, Emerson Palmieri and Marcos Alonso will both seek their exits once again in January after Ben Chilwell's summer arrival reduced their time on the pitch.

Juventus remain the most likely option for Emerson after they struggled to complete a loan deal on transfer deadline day for the Italy international.

Still, Lampard has given Emerson some minutes in recent weeks and he won't actively explore his exit until a meeting in December about his future.

Alonso's future looks even more bleak compared to his fellow left-back after failing to make a single appearance since September 26, following a half-time argument with Lampard over his defensive mistakes against West Brom which saw him substituted at the interval.

Inter coach Antonio Conte is understood to be interested in taking Alonso to the San Siro ahead of Emerson.

Meanwhile, Fikayo Tomori will seek a loan move in January having turned down the chance to join West Ham on transfer deadline day when he rejected them in the final minutes before the window closed.

The 22-year-old has made only three appearances this season, and just two starts, with Lampard struggling to keep all of his five centre-backs happy.

Antonio Rudiger explored his options to leave Chelsea ahead of transfer deadline day but he has jumped back up the pecking order in west London in recent weeks.

Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Roma and AC Milan were among the clubs that explored signing the Germany international, although he has since convinced Lampard of his worth.

Rudiger's priority is to remain at Chelsea and he will likely turn down any approaches unless Lampard and the club move to put him back on the unwanted list.

Andreas Christensen has dropped to fourth in the central defensive pecking order with both Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma cementing their status as the regular starters.

The Denmark international has not been offered a new contract despite having just over 18 months left on his current deal. However, he is likely to hold on until the summer before either pushing for a new deal or his departure.

Chelsea have several former loanees still at the club, including Danny Drinkwater and Baba Rahman who are both fit and could leave either permanently or on temporary deals. Both players failed to find clubs in the summer but they will try again in January.

Gor Mahia forward Nicholas Kipkirui is confident the team will come back from Rwanda with a positive result against Armee Patriotique Rwandaise.

The Kenyan champions will be away in Kigali in the first leg of the preliminary round in the Caf Champions League to the Army, targeting a result that will put them in a prime position to advance to the next round.

The former Zoo FC man is confident his team will not disappoint.

"We are well prepared for the game and yes, we are away but we are going for nothing less than a win," Kipkirui told Goal on Monday.

"APR are a good team, and they are going to offer a stiff challenge. It is expected, but we are equally prepared and we are going to give our best. There are players with enough experience and quality to help us get a win."

The Kenyan champions will be against their former striker Jacques Tuyisenge who joined the team at the beginning of the season.

"Tuyisenge is a good striker, we all know what he is capable of doing," Kipkirui continued.

"But, remember we have defenders who can stop him as well; actually if we play together as a unit, then I am confident we will get the result we need. This is all about teamwork."

The 24-year-old has promised the fans his best, at the same time opining on the upcoming 2020/21 Football Kenya Federation Premier League season.

"As usual, if I get a chance I will strive to put the ball in the back of the net, but if I do not, I will work harder to create something for the opponents.

"The upcoming season will be tough because also remember we are adapting to the new tactics by the new coach [Roberto Oliveira Goncalves]. It might take us a few games to fully adapt but I am confident we will prevail."

Posta Rangers coach Sammy Omollo will be in the technical area when Gor Mahia play APR due to the controversy over Robertinho's coaching papers.

West Ham United striker Sebastien Haller said he returned from his first international assignment with the Ivory Coast with confidence after scoring in Sunday's Premier League match against Sheffield United.

Haller fired in a powerful shot in the 56th minute which gave David Moyes' side a 1-0 victory at Bramall Lane.

It was his second goal in the English top-flight this campaign and it came just a few days after he made a memorable debut appearance for Ivory Coast.

The France-born striker scored his first international goal for the Elephants in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Madagascar and he believes the goalscoring feat has helped him since he returned to London last week.

Haller told the club website; “It feels great. For me it is the same, a goal is a goal, and I'm just happy for the goal. This one is from outside the box, so it is special.

"I'm happy for the team because today was a great fight and we got the three points which we needed.

“Of course for the confidence as a striker it's really important [to score]. I came back from the national team, bringing the confidence back from that, so I hope it can help the team for the next games.

"I just know that at the training ground everyone is involved, giving their maximum in each session. It pushes everyone to the right direction and that's why I think we're here today [with the points]. We have a good attitude.”

In his reaction, David Moyes expressed happiness with the 26-year-old's confidence boost and he wants him to build on Sunday's winner when they host Aston Villa for their next Premier League fixture on Monday.

"That’s what we want from Seb [Haller] and what everyone’s looking for, me included,” Moyes said.

“He came back from international duty and I could sense in the two days we had back training that he had a spring in his step. His confidence seemed up and we’re really pleased with that.

“He’s showing signs now, and like today’s goal, we want him to get more goals and to be more involved in the build-up play and stronger in some situations.

“But I have to say I couldn’t be more pleased for him because he’s stuck at it and be’s scored a really good goal today.”

Lionel Messi has been left out of Barcelona's squad for their trip to Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday night.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner has not been included in Ronald Koeman's final 19-man squad ahead of the Blaugrana's latest Champions League outing in Ukraine.

Messi will join Gerard Pique on the sidelines as Barca look to extend their 100 per cent record in Group G, with the Spanish defender set to miss a large portion of the season after suffering a serious injury during Saturday's 1-0 Liga defeat to Atletico Madrid.

Frenkie de Jong has been omitted from Koeman's plans along with Messi, however, the Dutch head coach played down any issues with the pair during their pre-match press conference.

"They need to take some rest and, after the good performances in the Champions League, it is a good time for them to rest," Koeman told reporters.

Messi played the full 90 minutes of Barca's defeat at Wanda Metropolitano, but was unusually subdued as the team suffered their third domestic loss of the 2020-21 campaign.

Although the Argentine has hit six goals in 11 appearances for Koeman's side this season, five of those efforts have come from the penalty spot, leading to question marks over his influence in the final third.

It has been suggested that the 33-year-old is no longer fully committed to the club's cause after pushing for a transfer in the summer window, and he is being tipped to leave Camp Nou in 2021 after entering the final eight months of his current contract.

Koeman refused to be drawn on speculation over Messi's future last week, while Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola poured cold water on rumours of a possible reunion with the Argentine at Etihad Stadium being imminent.

“Lionel Messi is a player from Barcelona," said Guardiola, who coached the playmaker at Camp Nou between 2008 and 2012. "What I want is [for Messi] to finish his career there. I would love it, I would wish it. That is what I said I don't know how many times, maybe a thousand times."

While their domestic form has been mixed, Barcelona have three wins from three in the Champions League this season, beating Ferencvaros, Juventus and Kiev in Group G.

Turkish midfielder Ozan Tufan has revealed the details of his failed move to Crystal Palace in 2018.

Tufan began his professional career at Bursaspor in 2012, and spent three years at Timsah Arena before being snapped up by Fenerbahce for €7 million (£6m/$8m).

The 25-year-old has since emerged as a key member of the Fenerbahce team, scoring 17 goals and laying on 16 assists in 141 games, and was rewarded for his performances with a new contract last year.

The Turkey international is now tied to Sukru Saracoglu Stadium until 2023, but he came very close to leaving his homeland after attracting attention from Premier League club Palace two years ago.

Tufan says he was all set to fly to England and complete a move to Palace until an injury to Bakary Sako forced the Eagles to alter their transfer plans.

He also claims that Bayer Leverkusen made contact over his availability before he signed an extension, and has admitted that he still harbours ambitions to play in one of Europe's top leagues as he enters the prime years of his career.

"I’m 25 years old – I can’t say it is ‘young’ for a footballer. But I can say that I have fit many positive stats in these 25 years. I have featured for the national team nearly 55 times. I have experienced many lows but came out of them only stronger. I made assists, I scored goals. I feel pretty good right now," Tufan told Goal.

"Every Turkish player has Europe on their minds, but I always wanted to go there at the right time. My aim is to be consistent there for years, rather than making an appearance and then coming back to Turkey.

"Crystal Palace had showed a real interest in me a few years back and I nearly signed for them. We even had our plane tickets to England. But right before the day we planned to fly to England, Crystal Palace’s Sako got injured.

"The board had an emergency meeting and they decided to sign a replacement for him. So my move failed. They signed Alexander Sorloth instead of me. The details on this are not widely known but yes, it happened to us. 

"Aside from that, before I renewed my contract with Fenerbahce, there was talks with Bayer Leverkusen. Many clubs are asking about you but your priorities lie here. A transfer is not an issue to be rushed, in my opinion. My club is Fenerbahce.

"Here, they put a plan in front of me and that plan satisfies me then I signed an extension. There were clubs who were interested in me this off-season too. Especially the Russian clubs. But I’m very happy at Fenerbahce right now and we are focused on only one thing: Becoming champions."

November and December are usually the busiest shopping periods of the year with people buying gifts for friends and family celebrating Christmas and the holidays.

In recent years, shops introduced Black Friday sales to entice people with discounts and special offers.

Black Friday has quickly crept into all forms of life, including video games as it has been a regular promotion over the past few years in FIFA.

FIFA 21 will have special Black Friday pack offers as well as other events, objectives and challenges throughout the entire weekend, continuing into Super Sunday and Cyber Monday.

Contents

When does Black Friday start in FIFA 21?

Black Friday traditionally takes place on the day after Thanksgiving in the United States. This year, Black Friday is on November 27.

In the lead-up to Thanksgiving and Black Friday, EA Sports will tease the event through its online social media accounts as well as in the game using the splash screen when you load FIFA Ultimate Team.

The Black Friday promotion continues throughout the weekend, including on Super Sunday on November 29 and Cyber Monday on November 30.

What FIFA 21 pack offers are available for Black Friday?

One of the main attractions of Black Friday for FIFA Ultimate Team players is the chance of getting special player packs in the store and even discounts on some packs.

Throughout the weekend, special packs such as Premium Player Packs and Rare Player Packs will be released on the store in limited quantities. Some of these will be available on a first come, first served basis, while others will be time restricted.

In previous years, EA Sports also had discounted packs and even buy one, get one free offers on certain packs in the store.

Other special packs will also be available through in-game objectives as well as Squad Building Challenges.

What SBCs will there be for Black Friday?

Many of the special packs available during Black Friday, Super Sunday and Cyber Monday are given out as rewards for completing Squad Building Challenges (SBCs).

Some of these SBCs will run for a 24-hour period from 6pm GMT each day, while others last throughout the weekend.

The most special SBCs will last for just an hour or two and are released as "Flash SBCs" on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The Flash SBCs sometimes offer other rewards such as upgraded players and in-form players from previous Team of the Weeks.

Will the FIFA 21 Transfer Market crash?

In previous years, the prices of many high-rated players in FIFA 21 dropped ahead of Black Friday as people looked to sell their squads at the highest value possible.

All the pack offers on Black Friday mean more packs than usual are opened, which leads to more players on the market and sees people undercut each other when selling players.

This causes the price of players to drop, but it is no longer the transfer market crash it used to be as people have been selling players and undercutting prices for many weeks ahead of Black Friday.

The biggest price crash usually occurs ahead of Team of the Year in early January, when 99-rated versions of some players are in packs and even more packs are opened than in other weeks.

Nicolas Pepe was sucked in by “great defending” from Ezgjan Alioski against Leeds, says Tony Adams, with the Arsenal forward branded “silly” for being dragged into a trap that saw him collect a red card.

The Ivorian was sent off during a keenly-fought contest at Elland Road which ended in a 0-0 draw.

Mikel Arteta’s side had been hoping to take more than a share of the spoils from that contest, but were forced into containment mode after being reduced to 10 men.

Pepe has been widely condemned for tangling with Alioski, with a needless headbutt leading to him being dismissed six minutes into the second half.

Leeds' divisive Macedonian defender has not covered himself in glory either, with a theatrical tumble taken after winding an opponent up to the point that he snapped.

Adams has no issue with how Alioski acted, with it part of his job to rile rivals, but admits that Pepe let himself and Arsenal down by buckling under the kind of pressure that Premier League performers should be accustomed to facing.

The legendary former Gunners captain told Stadium Astro: “I can’t defend him at all. He’s got frustrated because there is huge pressure, the Leeds player is completely down his neck.

“You are entitled to do that, that is great defending for me. You have got to take that in your stride.

“If a defender is not pressurising you, then he’s not doing his job.

“I can’t defend the guy at all, he has been very silly on this occasion. It kind of killed Arsenal because they had to go back and completely defend.

“It goes back to previously, the way that the defender was pressurising him all over the pitch and Pepe didn’t like that. He has got provoked and turned around and headbutted him.

“It’s the way you react to that kind of pressure. You react by creating problems and scoring goals. There are kids watching and that was a really bad example.”

Pepe has struggled to make a positive impact through his time at Arsenal, on the back of a club-record £72 million ($96m) move from Lille in 2019, and it remains to be seen whether he will be welcomed back into the fold by Mikel Arteta once an untimely suspension has been served.

Joachim Low will be given "time and emotional distance" to deal with Germany's stunning defeat to Spain, but Oliver Bierhoff is leading an assessment of the national team’s future.

Pressure is building on World Cup-winning coach Low after the sensational 6-0 reverse in the UEFA Nations League last week.

It was Germany's heaviest defeat since they lost to Austria in a friendly in 1931 by the same scoreline, as Manuel Neuer, who set a new record for a German goalkeeper by winning his 96th cap, conceded six goals in a competitive game for the first time in his career.

The manner of the defeat, described by Low as "awful", was particularly concerning. Germany failed to muster a shot on target, had just 30 per cent of the possession, and Toni Kroos (43) was the only player from the visitors to have more successful passes than Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon (41).

It was their first loss of 2020, yet they won only three of their eight matches in Group A4, also drawing with Spain, Switzerland twice and Turkey.

German Football Association (DFB) president Fritz Keller offered Low his support in the aftermath of the shock result in Seville, as did team director Bierhoff. However, the DFB announced on Monday a "timetable" to assess the "situation" of the national team following the defeat.

"The DFB presidential board has unanimously agreed on a timetable to gather information, evaluate it and advise on next steps," a statement read. "This also gives the national team head coach enough time and emotional distance to fundamentally review the national side's current situation.

"In sporting terms, to analyse the causes of the heavy defeat in Sevilla, but also, personally, to come to terms with the great disappointment. That's part of the process.

"When the presidential board meets on December 4, Oliver Bierhoff, the team director, will provide an overview and assessment of the current situation regarding the national side.

"That will include lessons learned from the loss against Spain, as well as the side's overall development in the last two years. The DFB will provide more information at that time about the results of the discussions and next steps."

Low has been in charge since 2006, finishing third at the 2010 World Cup before claiming the title four years later.

At the European Championships, Germany reached the final in 2008 and the semi-finals in 2012 and 2016.

However, although victory at the Confederations Cup in 2017 – where Low named a scratch squad – and the European Under-21 Championship in the same year hinted at an era of dominance, subsequent results have been less impressive.

The defending champions crashed out of the 2018 World Cup at the group stage and would have been relegated in the inaugural Nations League but for a change of format.

They missed out on the Finals again due to the defeat to Spain, when only a draw was required to advance.

At next year's delayed Euro 2020, Germany have been drawn in a daunting group alongside world champions France, European champions Portugal and Hungary.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was last week asked about the possibility of replacing Low. "In the future? Maybe," he replied. "Now? No."

Ahmad Ahmad, the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has been banned for five years by FIFA after being found guilty of breaching ethics codes.

The 60-year-old, who is also a FIFA vice-president, had been investigated for his conduct during the period from 2017 to 2019.

FIFA's adjudicatory chamber said Ahmad had breached rules relating to duty of loyalty, offering and accepting gifts or other benefits, abuse of position and misappropriation of funds.

Ahmad has been banned from all football-related activity for five years and fined CHF 200,000 (£160,000/$220,000).

FIFA said in a statement on Monday: "The investigation into Mr Ahmad's conduct in his position as CAF president during the period from 2017 to 2019 concerned various CAF-related governance issues.

"These included the organisation and financing of an Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, his involvement in CAF's dealings with the sports equipment company Tactical Steel and other activities.

"In its decision, following an extensive hearing, the adjudicatory chamber ruled that, based on information gathered by the investigatory chamber, Mr Ahmad had breached his duty of loyalty, offered gifts and other benefits, mismanaged funds and abused his position as the CAF president, pursuant to the FIFA Code of Ethics.

"Consequently, the adjudicatory chamber found that Mr Ahmad had breached articles 15, 20 and 25 of the current edition of the FIFA Code of Ethics, as well as article 28 of the 2018 edition, and sanctioned him with a ban from all football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level for five years.

"In addition, a fine in the amount of CHF 200,000 has been imposed on Mr Ahmad."

Late last month, Ahmad disclosed his intention to run for a second term in office but he was struck down with coronavirus, which forced him to hand over to CAF first vice-president Constant Omari as he continues his recovery.

However this now looks to be in major doubt as Ahmad, who was elected CAF president in 2017 after defeating long-standing incumbent Issa Hayatou, would have to pass an eligibility test to take back his place on the FIFA Council.

James Garner can be "a very good midfielder", according to Juan Mata, who has backed the Manchester United youngster for stardom.

Garner joined United's academy ranks way back in 2009, and slowly worked his way through the club's youth system before graduating to the senior squad in 2018.

The 19-year-old has since appeared in seven first-team matches for the Red Devils, but only one of those outings has come in the Premier League.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ultimately decided that sending Garner out on loan was the best thing for his development, and he subsequently joined Watford for the duration of the 2020-21 campaign.

The English midfielder, who has already taken in 10 Championship appearances for the Hornets, recently expressed his admiration towards Mata when asked to name the best player he has played alongside to date at Old Trafford.

“I’ve played with some top, top players. I have to say Juan Mata is class," Garner told Watford's official website.

“Everything about him – his touch, his pass, how he speaks to you on and off the pitch – he’s just a real nice guy.”

Mata has now responded to his team-mate's comments by expressing his belief that the teenager is capable of reaching the top level if he continues on his current trajectory.

“He is a good friend, that’s why he speaks so well of me!” the Spaniard told The United Review . “I always thought he is one of the players who, if he keeps going and keeps improving, in the way he was doing in the Academy, he can be a very, very good midfielder.

“I really like him; the way he plays on the ball, his cleverness, his way of looking forward, looking for a pass and also his attitude off the ball. So, whenever he was here, I always tried to encourage him and said what I believed he could be as a player.

“I always tried to motivate him and give him confidence as I think, when you’re that age, you need confidence and trust - not only from the manager but also from your team-mates.

“I wish him all the best at Watford and I am sure he will do well. He’s a great guy and a very good player, as I’ve said before, because he keeps improving every day.“

Garner will be back in action with Watford when they take in a trip to Bristol City on Wednesday, while Mata is currently preparing with the rest of the United squad for a Champions League meeting with Istanbul Basaksehir the day before.

Uganda coach Johnathan McKinstry has conceded he knows nothing about the Harambee Stars and their focus is on Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Kenya will face neighbours, the Cranes, in the African qualifiers for the Fifa 2022 World Cup.

The draw for the competition was held in Cairo, Egypt a couple of months ago with the two teams also being handed Mali and Rwanda in Group E.

The youthful tactician pointed out the threat expected by the Jacob 'Ghost' Mulee-led charges, but conceded he does not know a lot about the way they play.

"We know we are in the same World Cup qualifying group with Kenya and we will look at that in due course," McKinstry told Goal.

"Currently nothing on them because it would be putting wrong priorities first. Our focus has been on [African Cup of Nations opponents] South Sudan especially in the last several months. 

"But Kenya is another huge footballing nation. I have been on African football for the last 10 years and the players Kenya have produced in the same period [are of high quality]. 

"We know when it comes to those World Cup qualifiers Kenya will be a formidable opponent. But I will be lying if I say at this moment we know much about them. Our focus has been on South Sudan."

In the 2021 Group B Afcon qualifiers, Cranes wasted an opportunity to qualify early for the biennial competition to be held in Cameroon. After beating South Sudan by a solitary goal at Lugogo in Uganda, the team fell by the same margin in Nairobi at Nyayo Stadium in the reverse fixture,

"Ultimately we were not good enough and as a coach, I take full responsibility," McKinstry said after seeing his team fall to the Bright Stars by a goal scored by Tito Okello.

"We planned for the game, we trained, players did their best and the coaching staff did their best to come up with the game plan.

"But I am sad for them [that we lost the game] and we have to go back and see what we have to do to give players what they need to perform [in the next game]."

The Northern Irish coach stated they will have to go and analyse the game well in preparation for their next assignment at home against Burkina Faso.

"So I have to go back and look at ourselves and see if there is something positive; the [1-0 loss] humbles all of us. 

"We took this match seriously, we prepared well, nobody can say we were casual in our approach but for whatever reasons we did not get it right, and congratulations to South Sudan for the win."
  

Arsenal and Leeds United have condemned the social media abuse of Nicolas Pepe and Ezgjan Alioski following their Premier League clash.

Leeds held Arsenal to a 0-0 draw at Elland Road on Sunday, in a game which was overshadowed by an incident involving Pepe and Alioski early in the second half.

The Ivory Coast international was sent off for headbutting the 28-year-old left-back, whose over the top reaction prompted ex-Manchester United defender Patrice Evra to say he "deserves an Oscar" in the Sky Sports studio post-match.

Both players received abusive messages of a racist and threatening nature online in the wake of the incident, with the police now set to launch a formal investigation.

Arsenal have promised to do everything they can to aid the authorities in their pursuit of the guilty parties, releasing the following statement on their official website: "We utterly condemn the vile abuse directed at Nicolas Pepe and Ezgjan Alioski on social media following our match against Leeds United. 

"This is completely unacceptable and we will be working with the police and authorities to do everything we can to trace and prosecute the culprits."

Leeds have issued a similar message to their supporters on Monday morning, which reads: "The vile abuse directed at Ezgjan Alioski and Nicolas Pepe on social media after yesterday’s Premier League game with Arsenal will not be tolerated by Leeds United.

"We will work closely with the police and the footballing authorities to ensure those responsible are identified and punished."

Pepe will now face a three-match suspension for violent conduct, with the 25-year-old's manager Mikel Arteta expressing his disappointment in the winger after the game.

“It is unacceptable,” Arteta said. “I’ve spoken to him; it is unacceptable. I really like the personality of the team. When Pepe let the team down, how we suffered together and stuck to what we had to do.”

Arteta suggested Pepe was naive in reacting to what had become a running battle with Alioski.

“We knew the level of intensity, aggression and how alive they are in every action and you have to be able to deal with that because it’s part of the plan against this team,” Arteta said. “You have to be able to handle this situation.”

Bayelsa Queens were crowned 2020 Flying Officer's Cup champions after a 1-0 final victory over Nasarawa Amazons in Abuja on Sunday.

The eight-team women's tournament was organised by Paul Edeh in the honour of the first-ever female combat helicopter pilot Tolulope Arotile, who died in an accident, at the age of 24.

To reach the final, Bayelsa Queens finished as runners-up in Group B with five points before squeezing past former champions Edo Queens thanks to Alani Jumoke's own-goal in the semi-final.

Nasarawa Amazons, on their own part, were Group B winners with seven points to advance before edging past Naija Ratels 5-4 on penalties after Blessing Emmanuel cancelled out Sikiratu Isah's effort.

At Guards Brigade Stadium, Barakat Olaiya's 14th-minute strike was all Moses Aduku's team needed to pip Nasarawa to the coveted title.

Following their triumph, the Restoration ladies were rewarded with a giant trophy and N500,000 as prize money, while Nasarawa Amazons went home with the cash prize of 300,000 as runners-up.

Earlier, at the same venue, Edo Queens were held to a 0-0 draw in regulation time by Naija Ratels but the 2019 champions claimed the third-place trophy, with a 4-3 win in the penalty shoot-out.

With the third-place win, Edo also received a cash reward of N200,000, while fourth-placed Ratels received N150,000.

For individual accolades, Bankole Olowookere was named the Best Behaved Coach as the Fair Play Award went to Naija Ratels, while Best Coach was given to Bayelsa Queens' Moses Aduku. 

Ratels' Blessing Emmanuel won the best goal, Bayelsa's Onyinyechukwu Okeke claimed the Golden Gloves and Bayelsa's Joy Jerry was voted the Most Valuable Player, while Confluence Queens' Joy Omewa won the top scorer gong, with six goals. 

Sunday's grand finale attracted top politicians and football personalities, including second vice NFF president Shehu Dikko, NWFL chairperson Aisha Falode, Nasarawa state sports commissioner Bala Adam and parents of Tolulope Arotile.