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Tanzania head coach Etienne Ndayiragije has explained why Tanzania did not manage to beat Tunisia in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Tuesday.

Taifa Stars picked up a point from a 1-1 draw at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Thursday after they had lost 1-0 in the first encounter in November on Friday.

The Burundian coach has now explained how a lack of training days affected his plans and, therefore, saw them fail to pick up more points from the former African champions.

“We did not have enough time to train,” Ndayiragijje told IPP media.

“We trained for one day at home and for three days in Turkey. In all the training, I did not have all the players at the same time as some were still with their respective clubs.”

Tanzania will now have to win their remaining two matches and hope Equatorial Guinea lose in Tunis against the Carthage Eagles if they have to seal another Afcon slot.

However, the coach has explained how they can only be assured of a win against the two remaining rivals in Group J.

“If we can play well we can win and qualify. We have one game at home and another away,” Ndayiragije added.

The head coach explained why he featured Adam Adam in the crucial home tie that was attended by a fairly huge crowd after Caf agreed to the Tanzanian government's request to allow stadium attendance.

“I handed [Adam] Adam playtime so that he can get the necessary experience especially at the international stage,” he concluded.

Ndayiragije had to play Tunisia without their key striker and captain Mbwana Samatta was injured turning out for Fernabhce before the international break.

Currently, they are third with four points below Tunisia who have 10 points and Equatorial Guinea who have six points.

Libya, who have been forced to host their matches away from home, are at the bottom with just three points.

Tanzania are searching for a second straight Afcon qualification after participating in the previous edition where they were eliminated at the group stage without a win.

The participation in the Egypt competition was their first after they had missed out on the continental podium for 39 years.

Eddie Nketiah needs to “get angry” and wrestle a regular starting berth at Arsenal away from Alexandre Lacazette, says Ian Wright.

Mikel Arteta has continued to favour the France international forward in his No.9 position this season.

Lacazette rewarded that show of faith with three goals through as many appearances at the start of the 2020-21 campaign, but has gone six games without finding the target since then.

His inconsistent form is mirroring that of the Gunners, with Arteta still searching for a formula that allows potential to become something more tangible at Emirates Stadium.

Wright believes that tinkering with his attacking unit could aid that cause, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang having also looked a little out of sorts this term.

Nketiah, who has continued to star as a record-setting marksman for England’s U21 side, is seemingly next in the striking pecking order.

The 21-year-old has been urged to start forcing his way into his manager’s thoughts, with a door to regular game time being left open as Lacazette struggles to find a spark.

An Arsenal icon told his Wrighty’s House Podcast: “Reiss Nelson… what’s going to happen with Reiss Nelson? You have to be worried about Reiss and, to a certain extent, Eddie as well.

“We talked about Laca and people are talking about Laca’s got to be taken out. Maybe for just for himself, just to have a rest.

“Eddie now should be looking at what Laca does, why Laca’s in the team, why Laca’s being picked over him even though he’s not scoring. And he’s got to start learning about the progression of himself.

“Because by now, with the goals that we know he’s capable of scoring because he can get in the box and he can finish, he should be adding those other things to his game to be putting a bit more pressure on Laca, with all due respect to Laca.”

Wright, who hit 185 goals for Arsenal during his time in north London, added on academy graduate Nketiah: “He should have forced himself by now, especially with Laca.

“If he had gone on loan at the start of the season and Laca’s in the form he’s in, people would probably be saying, ‘What did you sent Eddie out on loan for? He should be there!’

“The fact is, if I had to speak to Eddie, I’d be saying, ‘Listen, I don’t know if you’ve recognised it but your opportunity is right now. As a No.9, if you want to play that role, it’s now’.

“Because you’ve got a No.9 at the moment who has low confidence, he brings so much to the team, but at the same time, if the manager has somebody that is a goal threat and doing that pretty well, he’d probably play you.

“He needs to get angry.”

Nketiah has taken in 14 appearances this season, hitting three goals, but only one of those outings has been from the start in a Premier League fixture.

Roberto Firmino remains “a really important player for Liverpool”, says Kenny Dalglish, with the Reds legend claiming to have no concerns over the striker's lack of goals.

Questions have been asked of whether a man who has been the Reds’ go-to option in a No.9 berth for several years deserves to keep his place as alternative options hit form.

Diogo Jota has been a revelation at Anfield following his summer arrival from Wolves, with the Portugal international hitting seven goals through 11 appearances.

Firmino has mustered just one through 12 outings, with end product from the South American having been in short supply for some time now.

Dalglish concedes that Jota has presented Jurgen Klopp with a welcome selection headache, with the German tactician favouring a front four for a trip to Manchester City, but believes there is still a prominent role for Firmino to play heading forward.

The Reds icon told the Liverpool Echo: “For Diogo to come in and score as freely as he has done and to make such an impact, not always having played the full game, will do him a world of good.

“The belief he'll have in himself and the confidence supporters will have in him, too.

“It's important when someone comes in and settles straight away, for the player and the club, just look at the contribution he has made.

“I'm not particularly concerned about Firmino. Bobby is a great player with a great touch and gets through an awful lot of work.

“He compliments Mo [Salah] and Sadio [Mane] when the three of them play together, and obviously the four of them played together at City and were really good together.

“Bobby is a really important player for Liverpool.”

Dalglish added on Liverpool’s ability to tinker with an attacking unit that has been so settled over recent seasons: “It's great to have choice and that is what Jurgen has got.

“Some games he might play all four of them, like he did at Manchester City, but some games he might have to play three or choose to play two - if he wants to change the personnel.

“It's like he's got a crystal ball he gets that many decisions right, so I'm sure there'll be more decisions he gets right over the forwards.

“It is a great position to be in and to have those players, just imagine you're playing against them - it's not the forwards that have to worry, it's the defenders.”

Defending Premier League champions Liverpool will return to domestic action on Sunday when they take in a home date with table-topping Leicester.

New Tusker FC signing Wellington Ochieng' has stated he is proud and ready for the challenge at the Ruaraka-based side.

The 11-time champions roped in the player from rivals Gor Mahia in preparation for the 2020/21 Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League. The versatile player is now focused on helping the Robert Matano-led side to perform well in the top-tier.

"I am so happy for this new challenge in my career and am proud to defend this amazing shirt," Ochieng' posted on his official Facebook account.

"Thank you for your welcome messages. Let us go Brewers."

Ochieng' has been part of the K'Ogalo side that has won back to back league titles as well as represented the nation in the Confederation of African (Caf) assignments.

The defender was the third player the Ruaraka-based side signed in the recently closed transfer window. It started with experienced centre-back Eugene Asike extending his stay at the club by one year. Goalkeeper Robert Mboya also extended his stay at the club by another season as well. 

Christopher Oruchum was the first signing for the former champions from the 13-time champions AFC Leopards.

"One of the things that motivated me to sign for Tusker is that Tusker is one of the biggest clubs in Kenya whereby we stand a chance to be exposed to big teams in Africa and outside the country," the defender said after completing the move.

"Having joined a team that was high-flying the previous season, I hope and pray that I will also add something and also help the team to achieve more than they achieved last season. 

"There was a time I was really close to signing for Tusker when I was at Thika United but the deal did not materialize then I ended up going to AFC Leopards, then from there I have the chance again of joining this great club, which I have longed to play for." 

Kevin Monyi is another player who has been signed by the Brewers on a two-year contract as well.

Monyi came to help strengthen the whole playing unit for the local heavyweights, who last won a trophy four seasons ago.

Since then they have been chasing the league trophy unsuccessfully as Gor Mahia have won them in subsequent seasons, and have sparingly participated in the domestic cup tournament.

Egypt football legend Essam El Hadary has revealed he would not be coming out of retirement.

The goalkeeping great called time on his illustrious career after a short stint with former Egyptian Premier League side Nogoom FC.

Over the past week, reports in the media suggested the 47-year-old would return to the beautiful game to represent Egyptian fourth-tier side ZED FC.

However, El-Hadary in a series of tweets maintained that he has officially hung up his gloves and is now focused on coaching.

“I won’t join any club and all these rumours are completely false. I took many courses in Europe and trial periods with some world-class teams. And now, thanks to your support, I’m ready to start my coaching career,” the former Al Ahly, Sion and Zamalek goalkeeper tweeted.

“I want to thank my fellow teammates, whom I shared the pitch with throughout the generations. I also would like to thank every coach I’ve worked with as well as the administration and medical staff.

“And to all the workers, whom I consider brothers, who helped me throughout my career. And a special thanks to my country, Egypt. I hope to one day to close the curtain on my footballing career and look back with no regrets.”

El Hadary began his professional career in 1993 with Damietta, but he is perhaps best known for his 12-year spell at Al Ahly between 1996 and 2008, during which time he won 21 titles.

On the international scene, he was handed his debut in 1996 and went on to feature in 159 games, winning four Africa Cup of Nations titles, but was denied a fifth in 2017 following Cameroon’s triumph in Gabon.

The veteran appeared five times in qualifying and, at the age of 45, made his Fifa World Cup debut in Volgograd, and he soon grabbed the headlines for on-pitch reasons.

With the score at 1-0 after Mohamed Salah's opening goal, a penalty was awarded for Saudi Arabia. El Hadary, though, would not be beaten, and made a truly brilliant save, tipping Fahad Al Mulwallad's spot-kick onto the bar.

Unfortunately for the veteran stopper, another penalty was awarded before half-time, with Salman Al-Faraj stepping up to score and sending the two sides into the interval level at 1-1.

The seventh edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) is set to kick-off on Friday and Sourav Ganguly, who is the co-owner of ATK Mohun Bagan, has earmarked the date of the first Kolkata derby in his diary.

East Bengal and Mohun Bagan have made it into the ISL this season and the derby is scheduled for November 27th.

The former India cricket captain hopes that ATK Mohun Bagan have a great season and has backed coach Antonio Habas to do well given that he has already won two titles for the erstwhile ATK.

“Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are huge additions. They have a great fan following. The Salt Lake stadium goes berserk every time they play. It's electric to have 100000 people. I have played Test matches with 125000 people in the stadium while beating Australia at the Eden Gardens. 

“I hope we have a good season. I am a big fan of our coach. He has a lot of say in ATK Mohun Bagan. He has won us the title on a couple of occasions, and I hope we win this season as well. I have my eyes on the Kolkata derby. Hope we will win that day,” said Ganguly in an ISL Instagram chat on Thursday.

Ganguly also shared his thoughts on the importance of the Kolkata derby which will be played in the ISL for the very first time.

“It is a festival on the day of the derby. I used to go with my father at the Eden Gardens to watch the derby. The city used to be engrossed with the game. Not one seat used to be empty. The excitement and attachment of the people were unbelievable. The games off the pitch start 48 hours ago. The reactions at the end are priceless. Life comes to an end if the club loses.  Passion and attachment define Kolkata football,” said Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President.

Arsenal should be willing to ignore Christian Eriksen’s strong ties to arch-rivals Tottenham if an opportunity to prise the Danish playmaker away from Inter presents itself, says Kevin Campbell.

It has been suggested that a player who only left north London back in January 2020 could soon be heading back to familiar surroundings.

Eriksen, who pushed hard for a move away from Spurs in the last winter transfer window, has seen an Italian dream turn into something of a nightmare.

He has struggled for form throughout a testing spell at San Siro that has been broken up by a coronavirus-enforced lockdown and fierce competition for places in Milan.

The 28-year-old has admitted that he may need to cut his spell at Inter short after just 12 months on their books.

Eriksen has told TV2: “This isn’t what I dreamed of. All players want to play as much as possible, but the coach decides who gets to go on the pitch.

“It is a strange situation, as the fans want to see me playing more and so would I, but the coach has different ideas and as a player I have to respect that.”

It has been suggested that Arsenal could be offered the chance to take Eriksen back to English football, with a swap deal involving Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka being mooted.

Campbell believes the Gunners should be pushing for that deal to be put in place, despite a former rival having previously taken in 305 appearances for their north London neighbours.

“Eriksen played for the rivals but we all know the quality he possesses, that is for sure,” ex-Arsenal striker Campbell told Football Insider.

“It is not quite working out for him at Inter right now and I am sure he would be a good addition to Arsenal’s squad.

“I do not care if he played for Spurs – he is a superb player who can bring something to the table for Arsenal.

“I would not mind it if we swapped Eriksen for Xhaka. The key is building and fattening that squad up to challenge and you can never have enough quality players.”

Ghana U20 women's coach Yusif Basigi has called up 30 players for an international friendly with Morocco in Accra.

The Black Princesses will face the Atlas Lionesses for the second time this year following an initial meeting in Morocco in preparations for their U20 Women's World Cup qualifying matches.

At the Mohammed VI Stadium, goals from Milot Pokuaa and Faustina Akpor could not save Basigi's ladies from defeat as they threw away a goal lead to lose 3-2 to their hosts in Casablanca.

After strikes from Ghizaine Chebbak, Ouinekh Hanane and Hanane Ait El Haj gave the Moroccans a comeback win, coach Basigi will hope his side's profit from their home advantage this term.

In the build-up to the warm-up fixture, the Hasaacas Ladies handler is counting on the bulk of players that featured in the previous meeting in Morocco, with a mix of some fresh domestic talents.

The 30 players and officials are due in camp at the GFA Technical Centre (GSCE), Prampram from Thursday, November 19 and will, on arrival undergo a mandatory Covid-19 test.

With the cancellation of the 2020 U20 Women's World Cup due to Covid-19 outbreak, the Ghanaian side will be aiming to continue preparations for the qualifiers for the 2022 edition.

FULL SQUAD

Grace Baanwa (Hasaacas Ladies FC), Kerrie McCarthy (Kumasi Sports Academy), Cynthia Kolan (Pearl Pia Ladies FC), Justice Tweneboah (Ampem Darkoa Ladies FC), Tedina Sekyere (Dreams Ladies FC), Nina Norshie (Valued Girls FC), Faustina Aidoo (Hasaacas Ladies FC), Queenabel Amankrah (Hasaacas Ladies FC), Cecilia Hagan (Sea Lions Ladies FC), Evelyn Badu (Hasaacas Ladies FC), Azumah Bugre (Army Ladies FC), Jaqueline Owusu (Dreamz Ladies FC), Suzy Dede Teye (Ladystrikers FC), Peterson Kundock (Ampem Darkoa Ladies FC), Fuseina Mumuni (Pearl Pia Ladies FC), Grace Acheampong (Ashtown Ladies FC), Mukarama Abdullah (Northern Ladies FC), Milot Abena Pokua (Hasaacas Ladies FC0, Doris Boaduwa (Hasaacas Ladies FC), Rahama Jafar (Northern Ladies FC), Lauratu Issaka (Mfantseman Ladies FC), Faustina Akpo (Berry Ladies FC), Joyce Larbi (Kumasi Sports Academy), Abigail Tutuwa (Prisons Ladies FC), Rafia Kulchire (Hasaacas Ladies FC), Diana Antwi (Ampem Darkoa Ladies FC), Comfort Yeboah (Soccer Intellectuals FC), Sophia Dadzie (Sea Lions Ladies FC), Selina Abalansa (Soccer Intellectuals Ladies FC), Sandra Owusu Ansah (Supreme Ladies FC).

Sergio Ramos is “on the wane” at 34 years of age and would only be an option for Liverpool to consider in January if they got “desperate”, claims Steve Nicol.

The Reds are expected to enter the winter market for reinforcements at centre-half.

That is because Jurgen Klopp has endured a wretched run of luck on the injury front of late, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez being ruled out with long-term knee problems.

Various options have been mooted for Liverpool to consider, with Dayot Upamecano and Kalidou Koulibaly of RB Leipzig and Napoli respectively billed by many as top targets.

It could be that Ramos comes into Klopp’s thinking as he continues to run down his contract at Real Madrid.

Nicol, though, is not convinced that the World Cup winner is the kind of “stop-gap” that the reigning Premier League champions require, with those at Anfield urged to show more long-term thinking.

The former Reds defender told ESPN FC when asked if Ramos could be a candidate to help Liverpool through a difficult situation: “I don't wish to make this sound bad but it depends how desperate they are.

“Listen, if Virgil van Dijk has a setback and it's going to take even longer, if Joe Gomez is struggling, you'd rather go for someone like Upamecano, at 21, who you're going to have for a decade. It's kind of a no-brainer.

“If you can't get him, then you kind of start going down the list.

“Clearly, you want a younger player who is going to be there for some time. You really want to avoid stop-gaps, unless you're in a real hole.

“So, listen, if they got Ramos it would only be for a couple of seasons. I think he's on the wane a little.

“But it wouldn't be the worst signing ever, he would do a job. But even he's injured today, he did his hamstring.”

Ramos limped out of Spain’s stunning 6-0 victory over Germany in the UEFA Nations League.

He could also be facing up to a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with Liverpool in no position to take fitness gambles as they manage their way through an injury crisis.

It may be that Ramos is taken off the table in the coming weeks anyway, with Real still keen to agree fresh terms with their talismanic captain and extend his 15-year association with the club.

Kerala Blasters kick-start their Indian Super League (ISL) season on Friday when they face ATK Mohun Bagan.

The Blasters have made wholesale changes to their foreign contingent with only midfielder Sergio Cidoncha being retained from last season. Amongst the new players is Costa Nhamoinesu, who has been named amongst the three captains who are Cidoncha and Jessel Carneiro.

Coach Kibu Vicuna explained his reasons for handing the captain’s armband to be shared by three players.

“For me, which player is going to be the representative of the team is important. These players have the possibility to be good captains. They are going to be the representatives of the team. 

“To be captain is not only about having the armband, it is about representing the team on and off the field. I like to have three-to-four captains. Perhaps in the future, we will add one more,” said Vicuna.

Nhamoinesu is impressed with the talent at Kerala Blasters and believes that every player is keen to learn from Vicuna a new style of play which captures the attention of the Blasters fans.

“When I came here, I am not trying to pick out individuals, I look at the team as a whole.  All youngsters are enthusiastic, and they are full of energy, they really want to learn from the coach who is teaching a new style of play,” said the 34-year-old.

The Coronavirus pandemic has hit the preparations of most teams as they remain in a bio-bubble during the course of the campaign. Nhamoinesu was quick to point that it’s important to be motivated and stay focused especially during the times of the pandemic.

“It (This season) is different than what we are used to. Everything is now about the mental aspect. Physically it is demanding but now we must be strong mentally. We are not trying to look for excuses, we will try to work with what is available for us. 

“Yesterday, we had some activity among us after dinner. No one knows what the future holds. We are looking to work with whatever is available and we will see where that takes us,” he shared his thoughts.

Wazito FC have unveiled Francis Kimanzi as their new coach ahead of the 2020/21 Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League campaign.

The immediate former Harambee Stars coach takes over from Fred Ambani who was fired alongside his technical bench that included assistant coach Salim Babu and goalkeeper trainer Elias Otieno. 

At his new team, the 44-year-old will be assisted by John Kamau who is also an experienced coach.

"I am grateful and honoured to be here ... discussing the future of Wazito Football Club together with my able technical bench," Kimanzi said during his unveiling on Thursday morning.

"It was not an easy decision, it was a tough one because of the culture of the club [which is] what I need as an individual.  

"I am very happy to have pulled together a good technical bench to help in achieving the objectives of Wazito FC. We will do it for sure; we have a mission and we must achieve it."

The tactician has now set his sights on helping the team get back to the winning formula ahead of the forthcoming campaign.

"We want to get the team to a winning formula; currently we do not know how but we will figure it out once we meet the players," Kimanzi continued. 

"We want to have a playing style that can be recognized by players; we want to leave some good legacy at the club."  

Ambani and his team were fired after failing to convince management that they were the right people to steer the team forward. Wazito FC's 2-1 loss away to Zoo FC in Kericho played a major part in their dismissal.

After his appointment, Kimanzi will start his Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League campaign with a clash against Kariobangi Sharks on November 29 before playing away against Mathare United on December 5.

Wazito will then take on Sofapaka on December 9, tackling Ulinzi Stars on December 13, and then wind up their opening five fixtures with a clash against KCB on December 26.

The team is aiming at performing better this season after struggling to a 13th place finish in the abandoned 2019/20 season. 

Golden Arrows captain Matome Mathiane says his team are mindful of a Kaizer Chiefs backlash but have a game-plan in place for a positive result.

Following the international break, Chiefs will be desperate to bounce back and start stringing some form together. This is after they lost three, drew one and won two of their opening six matches in all competitions.

In the PSL, Amakhosi have only found  the back of the net once in three matches, an own goal by a Chippa United defender in their 1-0 win over the Chilli Boys.

Arrows meanwhile have started solidly and are in filth spot on the table with five points from three fixtures; a convincing 3-1 win over SuperSport United as well as 1-1 draws against Baroka FC and Bloemfontein Celtic.

As their skipper says, the KwaZulu-Natal side is braced for an onslaught by Chiefs when they meet at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium on Saturday afternoon, 15:30 kick off.

At the same time, Abafana Bes'thende, under head coach Mandla Ncikazi, have plans of their own to win the game.

“They are still a big team, and we will give them the respect they deserve," Mathiane told Sowetan.

"But going to play Chiefs, we know that they will want to bounce back to winning ways at our expense. That’s something we don’t want a team that has not been winning to get back to winning ways against us. So we are well prepared to play against them.

“We play with high intensity, and we press. The moment we will start pressing, they will have a serious problem,” Mathiane added.

The Arrows defender also mentioned that the Glamour Boys seemingly have a reliance on playing route-one football and he has questioned their ability string passes together.

“They don’t have those players they used to where they will keep the ball for a long time. The system they are playing now, they are using long balls, so we are a team who plays possession football."

Kerala Blasters are all set to face ATK Mohun Bagan on the opening day of the seventh edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) on Friday in Goa. Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the season will be conducted in Goa with every team being part of a bio-bubble.

Coach Kibu Vicuna acknowledged that while the pre-season preparations have been far from ideal, but the fact that the league will see light of the day is certainly a big positive.

“It is true that pre-season is short. In a new team, you like to train more. You have players who ended quarantine three days ago. Every team has its own problems. No complaints and excuses. We are happy to start the league. 

“The foreign players came later due to visa issues and they need more time. The whole team needs more time, not only physically but also tactically. We are going to be better next month than today, I am sure about that,” said Vicuna.

The Spanish coach won the I-League title with Mohun Bagan last season with the Green and Maroon playing an exciting brand of football. With Mohun Bagan and ATK merging to form a new entity in ATK Mohun Bagan, Vicuna moved to new pastures as his contract wasn’t renewed. This was because Antonio Habas, the coach of the erstwhile ATK, was appointed head coach of ATK Mohun Bagan.

“I have good sentiments for Bagan, they treated me very well. I have a lot of friends there. But I am happy to be at Blasters, I am going to do my best, the people have received me very well,” he shared his thoughts on facing his former team on the first day of the campaign.

“We are starting the season, trying to create a good team and will try to play good football. It is a different league. It was a tough league last season. The level of players coaches and clubs are very even, every game is going to be tough. I have confidence in the way we are training.”

Vicuna is spoilt for choices this season when it comes to the Indian contingent especially in midfield. The former Mohun Bagan coach mentioned that the players who will make most of the chances afforded to them will be given more opportunities rather than just choosing a team based on the past reputation.

“I am not used to looking at the players' past. If they take advantages of the chances they have, they are going to play. We have good young players and players with experience. We are trying to create a balance. For me, age is not the most important. We have players with potential, as all players, they must improve daily.”

Kerala Blasters have four goalkeepers, namely Bilal Khan, Albino Gomes, Muheet Shabbir and Prabhsukhan Gill and Vicuna is pleased with how each of the four are undergoing their training in the pre-season.

“We have four number ones, we have four goalkeepers. We are happy with the way they are training with the goalkeeper coach. They performed in the friendlies. We have to choose one for tomorrow's game, that's all. We are focusing on the first game,” signed off Vicuna.

Zesco United head coach Numba Mumamba has challenged Jesse Were, John Makwatta and their fellow strikers to be more composed in front of goal.

The Ndola club will host Kabwe Warriors on Saturday as they look for a second win in the Super League campaign which they started by drawing Napsa Stars 1-1.

They then lost to Forest Rangers in a local derby before picking up a 1-0 win over Lumwana Radiants in the third matchday.

Mumamba now wants his strikers to be more clinical in order to get goals from the many chances he believes his side creates.

“We are creating a lot of chances but we are also failing to score. This was the story in Lumwana where we created a lot of opportunities but only scored one goal,” Mumamba told the club’s website.

“We are in a hurry to shoot on target. There is a need to have composure in front of goal before you shoot. We have invested a lot of time working on our finishing so that we are ready for the next game against Kabwe Warriors.”

Although the former Zambia international claims there has been a waste of chances, he feels there was a strong response during the match against Lumwana Radiants.

“They responded very well and looked very confident in our third game against Lumwana Radiants.,” he concluded.

“We controlled the game and dominated most of the proceedings. That is what we expect from ourselves especially that we are fighting to win the title.”

The match against Kabwe Warriors will be among the first which will be attended by fans since the government lifted the suspension on stadium attendance.

The fans, who were not in a position to enjoy the latter stages of the 2019/20 campaign due to the coronavirus pandemic, will now attend the venues but with strict adherence to the Covid-19 protocols.

Meanwhile, the club’s CEO Richard Mulenga has mourned the death of Zesco United Supporters Club member Jessica Lumbeta.

“Lumbeta’s passing comes at a significant moment when football fans have been sanctioned to watch Super League matches from the comfort of their respective match venues,” Mulenga stated.

“Lumbeta is one such voice that we will greatly miss not only this Saturday but also in the ensuing years to come.”

Timu ya Ziko are seventh with four points after three games.

Sami Khedira has opened the door for a move to the Premier League to be made in 2021, with the Juventus midfielder admitting he would welcome the opportunity to be reunited with Jose Mourinho.

The World Cup winner has spent the last five years on the books of Serie A giants in Turin.

Form and fitness issues have dropped him down the pecking order at Juve, with no competitive game time seen this season and just 35 appearances made across the last two campaigns.

Free agency now beckons, as the 33-year-old runs down his contract in Italy, and it could be that his next challenge lies in England as the former Real Madrid star looks to chase another “dream”.

“When I was a child it was always a big dream of mine to be a Premier League player,” Khedira told Sky Germany.

“I am really happy and satisfied with my career until now but one thing is still missing because I always had this dream and it has never come true… to be a part of the Premier League.

“I have watched so many Premier League games since I was young and even now I am following the Premier League a lot.

“I always enjoyed playing in the Champions League against the English clubs. The atmosphere, the style and idea of football has always impressed me.

“If it is possible it will for sure be a really big dream [come true] and honour to be a part of the Premier League.”

It could be that Khedira pushes for a switch to Tottenham, as he wants to work with ex-Blancos boss Mourinho again, while current Everton coach Carlo Ancelotti is another manager that he holds in the highest regard having also enjoyed success with the Italian tactician at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Quizzed on why he rates Mourinho so highly, Khedira said: “Because of his personality, He is always honest, direct, clear in his mind and a great coach.

“Many people talk about him [being] too defensive but he is a winner, he is a champion. That is why he impressed me the most.

“I really enjoyed working with Jose Mourinho but there are many coaches who I would like to work with.

“I would never say no again to Jose Mourinho but it is not the only guy who I would say I would like to work with again.

“There are many coaches, even in the Premier League that I respect a lot. Ancelotti is doing a great job at the moment and is a great personality. He is one of the coaches who impressed me also.”

TS Galaxy striker Wayde Lekay has explained how he dealt with the disappointment of missing a penalty against Kaizer Chiefs.

The match in question against Amakhosi was a league encounter on November 4. A week before that, he had opened his scoring account in the PSL by taking his team to a 1-0 win over AmaZulu.

Against Chiefs though, Lekay was to hit the woodwork from the penalty spot, with the game ultimately ending in a 0-0 draw.

The Cape Town-born player admits the miss hurt him, but says he's mindful about dwelling too much on the negatives.

"Obviously during the game, it is a disappointing moment but many players miss penalties. It is something that happens in football," he told the club website.

"You have to accept it. Yes, it does take a knock on your confidence but if you allow it to get the better of you then you won’t succeed. I’m back on training and working very hard. That’s the most important thing," the 23-year-old added.

The former Steenberg United (second-tier) player goes on to explain that confidence is a big part of the game, and says he's benefiting from the knowledge he has been receiving from his coach, Dan Malesela.

"You have to know that you are worthy," Lekay said.

"You have to know what you can do. It is something that the coach always emphasizes. He always says that the biggest challenge is fear.

"If we are going to fear then we won’t succeed. For us to have those characteristics, I believe we can take on anything. It is pointless coming in to the league with fear.

"It is eleven versus eleven in the field of play. That’s what we are here for.  We have to know that we can go and win. Confidence is key."

So far the rookie Premier Soccer League (PSL) club has shown little fear and this is afterall the team which won the Nedbank Cup two seasons ago when beating Chiefs - while still playing in the second-tier at that point.

Currently they are seventh on the standings and are unbeaten with five points from three matches. The Mpumalanga side are next in action on Saturday night, away at Swallows FC.

Former Ghana and Mainz 05 midfielder Nana Darteh Bediako is the latest to attribute the nation's struggle in securing the international future of players in the diaspora to bad press.

The West Africans have set their sights on following in the footsteps of the likes of Nigeria, Morocco and Algeria to broaden their talent pool with players born abroad.

Ghana's quest has, however, not gone as successfully as they had hoped, having been turned down by a series of players, the most recent including Athletic Bilbao striker Inaki Williams, Greuther Furth winger Jamie Leweling and Jeremy Doku of Rennes.

"They [players of Ghanaian descent abroad] are afraid of playing for the country because they think it will not end them well," Bediako told Happy FM on Wednesday.

"Some of the things they hear about playing for the Black Stars discourage them - the insults, harsh criticisms and many others.

"You cannot force them to make that decision on switching nationality. I would love to see my son play for the Black Stars. I am sure Abedi Pele is happy seeing his sons [Andre and Jordan Ayew] play for the Black Stars.”

Despite their low success rate over the years, Ghana are not giving up on their quest.

Football officials of the West African country are currently locked down in talks with Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah and Brighton and Hove Albion right-back Tariq Lamptey in an attempt to woo players over from representing their country of birth England at senior level.

Anderlecht winger Francis Amuzu and Ajax Amsterdam starlet Brian Brobbey are also on the radar of the Black Stars.

“There are a lot of perceptions about how Ghanaian footballers play the game,” Black Stars management committee chairman George Amoakoh told Nhyira FM in September.

"Destructive tendencies in the game, those who deliberately want to injure you and cut short your career.

“Then the usual unending speculation, especially about Ghanaian players using 'juju' to play football.

“Even those [players in the diaspora] who were raised here and go to Europe to play there, most of them, because of 'juju', don’t want to play for Ghana.

“It's a very big problem we are trying to unravel and make right."

Former Netherlands U21 centre-back Derrick Luckassen, and the France-born trio of Alexander Djiku, Enock Kwateng and Elisha Owusu have all recently pledged their allegiance to the four-time African champions. 

Chennaiyin will take on Jamshedpur in their first match of the seventh season of Indian Super League (ISL). 

In their second and third fixtures, they will face rivals Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC respectively. 

The full list of Chennaiyin's fixtures released so far can be found below: 

Here are Chennaiyin's first 10 fixtures. 

Fixtures for only the first 11 rounds, which consists of 55 matches, have been released right now. The schedule for the remaining 55 league matches will be published in December as the league awaits clarity on calendar dates of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) matches.

The entire tournament will be held behind closed doors in Goa, due to the Covid-19 pandemic which means the teams will have to stay in a bio-bubble for the duration of the tournament.