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Former Chelsea winger Jeremie Boga’s dribbling ability is second only to that of Lionel Messi, according to his Sassuolo coach Roberto De Zerbi.

After loan spells with Rennes, Granada and Birmingham, Ivory Coast international Boga left Chelsea for good in the summer of 2018, and has starred for Sassuolo ever since.

He helped his side to an eighth-placed finish in Serie A last season and they have kicked on since then, sitting second in the table behind AC Milan going into the international break.

Boga missed the start of 2020-21 with coronavirus but has been finding his way back to the form which saw him register 11 goals and four assists in Serie A last season .

He regularly competes with the likes of Messi, Neymar, Wilfried Zaha and Adama Traore for the most dribbles completed in Europe, and his coach thinks he deserves his place among the very best.

“Boga arrived here and he did not know how to link up with his team-mates or score goals, but as far as his ability to beat his man, I would put Messi ahead of him… and then I would have to think about it,” De Zerbi told La Repubblica .

“Now he plays with the team and they all benefit from it. Everyone does.”

De Zerbi also singled out midfielder Manuel Locatelli. The 22-year-old joined from AC Milan after impressing on loan and his coach believes he has become Italy’s best midfielder.

“Locatelli is the best Italian midfielder. With the national team against the Netherlands, he was against [Georginio] Wijnaldum, a huge player for Liverpool – and yet he dominated.”

Sassuolo’s early-season form has captured the imagination of many in Italy and De Zerbi is making no secret of his ambition for European qualification – though he worries his squad could be picked apart if they don’t make it.

"I have no problem declaring my ambitions. If we finished eighth last season, this year we want to win a place in Europe,” he said.

“Our players have been chosen one by one, no one is here by chance.

"Without Europe, the cycle of this group would be over and next year we should start fresh. It is a very strange season; the cups each week have a huge impact, and I don't think we will return to normal again before the new year.”

South Africa goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune has led celebrations for captain Thulani Hlatshwayo, who reached 50 national team caps during Monday’s 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sao Tome e Principe in Port Elizabeth.

A former South Africa junior international, Hlatshwayo captained Molefi Ntseki’s men to a third straight win which put them on course for the 2022 Afcon finals.

The 30-year-old Orlando Pirates defender is in an exclusive club of players to captain the country at major tournaments, comprising of 1996 Bafana captain Neil Tovey, Lucas Radebe, Aaron Mokoena and Dean Furman.

“Congratulations on your milestone Skipper Thulani. 50th cap Flag of South Africa. There’s your reward for all the hard work you put in. Enjoy every bit of it winking face raising hands,” Khune, a former national team captain himself, said on social media.

After captaining Bafana Bafana at the 2019 Afcon finals in Egypt, Ntseki has maintained his trust in the 30-year-old to continue leading the national team on the pitch.

The 30-year-old’s leadership qualities have also seen Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer appointing him co-captain as Happy Jele struggles to command a starting place.

This is after the centre-back joined Pirates in September from the now-defunct Bidvest Wits.

If Bafana qualify for the 2022 Afcon tournament, Hlatshwayo could captain the national team for a second straight continental tournament.

Adama Traore’s contract negotiations at Wolves have stalled with the winger disappointed at his recent lack of first-team action.

Sources have told Goal that the 24-year-old was expected to have signed a new deal by now but talks have slowed with Daniel Podence and Pedro Neto preferred out wide at Molineux this season.

Traore has not started a Premier League match since the 4-0 defeat to West Ham at the end of September, coming off the bench in each of Wolves’ last five league games.

He enjoys a good relationship with manager Nuno Espirito Santo and would be happy to sign a new deal if he returns to his regular starting spot. His current contract runs until the summer of 2023.

However, with his status within the game growing since making his senior international debut for Spain in October, Traore is unlikely to agree to an extension while he is not in the Wolves team – and the club’s hierarchy are growing impatient with the lack of progress.

Traore was one of Wolves’ star performers in 2019-20 and it came as little surprise when he was called up to the Spain squad by Luis Enrique, but his form dipped after English football returned from coronavirus lockdown.

He failed to register a goal or assist in any of Wolves’ last seven league games or the latter stages of the Europa League, while January signing Podence has found his feet at last.

However, Wolves boss Nuno suggested last month that he did expect Traore to sign a new deal and he was sure he is happy at the club.

“What I can say about this is Adama is delighted to be here,” he said. “You can see how happy he has been in training just by seeing us be together again.

“Things will happen naturally. Speculation around our players doesn’t bother us. We know what we have to do. First of all, you have to be happy where you are, and he clearly is.”

Traore, formerly of Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, has been linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs in recent months.

Liverpool and Manchester City have been linked with both Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola gushing in their praise of him when their sides faced Wolves last season, while a return to boyhood club Barcelona has also been suggested as an option.

With Liverpool having spent big on former Wolves team-mate Diogo Jota over the summer, a move to Anfield now seems unlikely.

The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has picked Arusha as the town to stage the Cecafa U20 Championship.

TFF president Wallace Karia has confirmed the tournament, which was earlier scheduled to be hosted by Sudan, will now be held in Tanzania, with matches being played at Karatu, Manyara, and Arusha town.

According to Wallace Karia, the tournament will kick off on November 20 and will run until December 2, with nine nations taking part.

Rwanda and Eritrea are the only member countries that will not take part in the competition after pulling out at the eleventh hour.

“We have settled for Arusha to stage the tournament and this is after Sudan withdrew from hosting the same,” Karia told reporters in Dar es Salaam.

“We will have nine countries taking part but I want to confirm Rwanda and Eritrea have pulled out owing to various reasons and will not grace the competition, we hope we will have a good tournament as it will give the young players a chance to showcase their talent.”

Meanwhile, the Kenya U20 national team, the Rising Stars, started residential training for the tournament on Tuesday at the Kenya School of Government with, both the team and the members of their technical bench undergoing the mandatory Covid-19 tests ahead of the regional junior tournament.

The team has been in non-residential training and is set to play a friendly match against AFC Leopards on Wednesday before they leave for the showpiece early on Friday.

Kenya has been pooled in Group C of the tournament that will run from Sunday, November 22, to Wednesday, December 2, 2020, in Arusha.

Group Stage fixtures: Tanzania vs Djibouti (Sunday, November 22, 2020, Black Rhino Academy, 16:00), Djibouti vs Somalia (Tuesday, November 24, 2020, Black Rhino Academy, 16:00), Somalia vs Tanzania (Thursday, November 26, 2020, Black Rhino Academy, 16:00), South Sudan vs Uganda (Monday, November 23, 2020, Sheikh Amri Abeid, 16:00), Uganda vs Burundi (Wednesday, November 25, 2020, Sheikh Amri Abeid, 13:00, Burundi vs South Sudan (Friday, November 27, 2020, Sheikh Amri Abeid, 16:00), Ethiopia vs Kenya (Monday, November 23, 2020, Sheikh Amri Abeid, 13:00), Sudan vs Ethiopia (Wednesday, November 25, 2020, Sheikh Amri Abeid, 16:00) and Kenya vs Sudan  Friday, November 27, 2020, Sheikh Amri Abeid, 13:00).

Alex Morgan has been named to the U.S. women's national team's 23-player roster for their upcoming friendly against the Netherlands. 

Morgan has not featured for the U.S. since the 2019 World Cup final, having given birth to her first child in May. 

The veteran striker has been working her way back to fitness after signing with Tottenham in September, and made her debut for the Women's Super League outfit earlier this month.

Head coach Vlatko Andonovski has named 15 players to his squad that took part in last month's training camp, along with England-based players Morgan, Rose Lavelle, Sam Mewis, Tobin Heath and Christen Press. 

The November 27 friendly against the Dutch, which will take place at Rat Verlegh Stadium in Breda, Netherlands, will be the USWNT's first match since March.

It will also be the team's first game abroad since the 2019 World Cup final, a game in which the U.S. defeated the Netherlands 2-0 to clinch their second straight World Cup title and fourth overall. 

“I love the challenge of bringing this group together, getting about a week of training and then playing the European champions on their home ground,” Andonovski said.

“We have a lot of experience on this roster, but also a few players who have never been through a match like this before, so the best thing is that we will learn.

"We’ll learn about individuals and about the team. Consistent high performance is the most important factor in making rosters and starting lineups, and this trip will give our players the chance to show themselves in high level training and match environments.”

Also on the roster is Stanford phenom Catarina Macario, who will not be on the game day roster as she continues to pursue her eligibility after securing U.S. citizenship last month. 

Full USWNT roster (club; caps/goals)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Aubrey Bledsoe (Washington Spirit; 0), Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 3), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 63)

DEFENDERS (8): Alana Cook (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 1/0), Abby Dahlkemper (NC Courage; 61/0), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars; 26/1), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC; 104/24), Kelley O’Hara (Utah Royals FC; 131/2), Margaret Purce (Sky Blue FC; 1/0), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC; 177/0), Emily Sonnett (Orlando Pride; 45/0)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars; 102/20), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC; 86/19), Rose Lavelle (Manchester City, ENG; 45/12), Catarina Macario (Stanford; 0/0), Kristie Mewis (Houston Dash; 15/1), Samantha Mewis (Manchester City, ENG; 67/18)

FORWARDS (6): Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 2/0), Tobin Heath (Manchester United, ENG; 168/33), Alex Morgan (Tottenham Hotspur, ENG; 169/107), Christen Press (Manchester United, ENG; 138/58), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0), Lynn Williams (NC Courage; 28/9)

South Africa midfielder Bongani Zungu has hit back at the team’s fans, questioning their loyalty in supporting the team’s 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualification bid.

Bafana Bafana beat Sao Tome e Principe 4-2 on Monday, to follow up on the 2-0 victory they recorded in Friday's reverse fixture as they maintained the second spot in Group C.

In the reverse fixture, Zungu came on as a substitute to score in injury time after Percy Tau had broken the deadlock from the penalty spot.

With Zungu grabbing the second goal in Friday’s win, the Glasgow Rangers FC man was given a starter's role on Monday.

Both victories were unconvincing for Bafana Bafana and they were made to sweat in the second fixture in particular, when two of the goals were scored in the final three minutes with the hosts down to 10 men after Ivonaldo's second booking.

“We lose. Some of you complain! We win, you say it’s not good enough. kanti nifunani entlek [what do you really want]?” Zungu wrote on Twitter.

The ever-demanding Bafana fans on Twitter could feel Zungu’s concerns after the midfielder was dropped from last month’s international friendly matches against Namibia and Zambia.

His omission attracted criticism to coach Molefi Ntseki, who was believed to be having personal issues with the player.

Zungu publicly criticised Ntseki after he was previously left out of selection.

“No. No he didn’t [Ntseki explaining the snub] and that’s okay… Guys, you know my manager, my family asked me not to be open about the situation with Bafana on social media and stuff. But what I can say is, I am very angry,” said Zungu on social media as per Phakaaathi earlier this year.

Zungu scored two of Bafana’s three goals at the 2019 Afcon finals and was expected to be one of the key players in the road to the next Afcon edition as well as their 2022 Fifa World Cup qualification bid.

His performances over the last week have seen him cement his position as one of Bafana’s important players.

The 2021 U-17 Women's World Cup, which was scheduled to be held in India, has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic, FIFA announced on Tuesday. It has also been decided that India will host the 2022 edition of the World Cup.

The tournament was supposed to be held in November 2020 initially, only for the pandemic to force a postponement. FIFA then revised the schedule and the tournament was to be held in February and March in 2021 in India.

India was appointed as the host by the FIFA Council meeting at Miami on 15 March 2019. But after taking stock of the pandemic situation, the governing body for the sport decided to scrap the event in its entirety. The 2020 U20 Women's World Cup has also been cancelled along with the U17 edition. 

"Since the previous decision earlier this year to reschedule both tournaments to early 2021, FIFA has been consulting with all stakeholders. As a result and after careful consideration of the feedback received by the stakeholders combined with the inability to further postpone these tournaments, the FIFA-Confederations COVID-19 Working Group subsequently recommended that the 2020 editions of the two women’s youth tournaments be cancelled and that the hosting rights for the 2022 editions be offered to the countries that were due to host the 2020 editions," a release from FIFA stated. 

FIFA also asserted that the decision was taken after the various stakeholders decided to take a 'health and safety first' approach.

India will now host the 2022 U17 Women's World Cup while Costa Rica will get the chance to host the 2022 U19 Women's World Cup. 

Most of the qualifiers for the 2021 U17 Women's World Cup also had not been completed and with the pandemic still continuing worldwide, it seemed highly unlikely that they would have been conducted in time for the tournament.

It must be noted that the CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North and Central America) and CONMEBOL (South America) qualifiers had not been conducted while UEFA (Europe) cancelled their qualifiers outright earlier this year, nominating Spain, England and Germany (as the highest-ranked teams) for the World Cup.

OFA also cancelled their qualifier and nominated New Zealand as their representative in the World Cup.

Five venues had been selected as host cities for the tournament - the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata, Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, EKA Arena in Ahmedabad and the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

The 2020 Club World Cup is set to be held in Qatar from 1-11 February next year. 

The 2022 World Cup hosts are set to host the world’s continental club championship for the second time running, after hosting the 2019 edition which was won by Liverpool. 

The upcoming edition was originally scheduled to take place in December 2020 but has been delayed till February 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has impacted sporting calendars throughout the globe. 

"The FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020, which was originally scheduled for December, has been subject to the disruptive effect of the pandemic on the confederations’ continental club championships that serve as a pathway for the event," FIFA stated in a release. 

Two clubs have already qualified for the tournament. European champions Bayern Munich will be joined by Qatar Stars League winners Al Duhail who are the host nation's representatives. Champions of continental club championships from CONCACAF (North and Central America), CONMEBOL (South America), AFC (Asia), OFC (Oceania) and CAF (Africa) will also qualify for the tournament. The respective continental competitions are expected to be completed in the next three months. 

It must noted that Qatar have already proved their mettle in organising high-profile tournaments during the pandemic, having hosted 39 West Zone matches in the 2020 AFC Champions League. They are also set to play hosts to 44 East Zone matches in November and December apart from the final. 

A bio-secure bubble and stringent testing protocols were implemented while hosting the tournament. Qatar have also restarted their domestic league and a limited number of fans are being allowed to attend the games after following social distancing measures. 

Chennaiyin FC midfielder Anirudh Thapa feels that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar provides a huge chance for fans in India to watch the sport's greatest spectacle live. 

Given that two of football's all-time legends in Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi might be playing their final World Cup in 2022, Qatar 2022 is a must-visit tournament, according to Thapa. The midfielder himself is keen to travel to Qatar and watch the matches

The Portuguese superstar will be 37 and the Argentine wizard will be 35 when the tournament kicks off on November 21, 2022. Thapa does not want to miss the chance to watch the two legends live on the sport’s grandest stage. 

“If I am able to, if I don’t have any commitments, I will definitely go and watch the World Cup in Qatar. It is a lifelong dream to watch a World Cup and see the big teams play," he told Goal .

“Also, some of the legends are playing their final World Cup in 2022. So, I definitely want to go to Qatar and watch the World Cup if I’m able to.”

The 2022 edition will only be the second time the World Cup is held in Asia. The first time was back in 2002 when South Korea and Japan co-hosted the tournament. This time around, the tournament will be easily accessible for fans from India, given Qatar's accessibility for Indians and the excellent relation between the two countries. 

Qatar is also home to a sizeable Indian community and Thapa feels that this only makes it easier for Indians to travel and enjoy the World Cup, which begins in two years' time. 

“We have good relations with Qatar and there are a lot of Indians in Qatar. It should be very easy for us to travel to Qatar and watch the World Cup. I think it is possible that a lot of Indians will go and watch the games in 2022,” he said. 

Of course, the 2022 World Cup will also be unique with respect to the innovation and technology that will be on display for the first time ever. Qatar have already unveiled three venues for the World Cup that have cutting-edge features like the Advanced Cooling Tech that will ensure the climate inside the stadium is controlled and kept at comfortable levels. 

The facilities at the venues and practice pitches have also been described as ‘world-class’ by many legends of the game. Thapa also attests to the same, having experienced them first hand during India’s World Cup qualifier against Qatar in September 2019. The 23-year-old started and played a key role as India held the Asian champions in Doha.

He also had the chance to experience several training facilities which will be used for the World Cup as well. 

“The infrastructure in Qatar is absolutely amazing. I absolutely loved it. The stadium, the pitches were really nice and the surface is really smooth,” he said. “We haven’t experienced a proper football stadium in India but in Qatar, the stadium atmosphere was top-notch.”

Thapa, who has been to Europe on a training stint to Ligue 1 side FC Metz, feels the facilities in Qatar are better. 

“I’ve not been to Europe much but from whatever I saw in France, Italy and Holland, facilities in Qatar are comparatively world class. The infrastructure is one of the best in the entire world.”

AFC Leopards have reported Zambian Super League side Lusaka Dynamos to Fifa for unlawfully signing Duncan Otieno.

The lanky midfielder was unveiled on November 1 after joining from Nkana FC but even before the league started, the 26-year-old was on his way to Zambia. 

"With a view to reinforcing our team; we procedurally contracted Duncan Otieno to once again play for us upon expiry of his contract with Nkana FC of Zambia that ended on 31st October 2020," the Kenyan outfit said in a statement.

"The player was glad to re-join us and hence signed up to be in the Den for the next two years beginning with the forthcoming 2020-2021 season. Correspondingly, all processes required and documentation was done in the Transfer Matching System (TMS) to firm up this agreement.  

"However, the player was unsettled by the agent who notified him of another offer and opted to pursue it despite having already entered into a contract with the club."

The Kenya international went on to sign a deal with the Zambian outfit, and Ingwe are not happy with it. They are now in touch with the world football governing body to report the team for tapping-up the player

"This step is unprocedural as we have had no contact with the Zambian club concerning their desire to sign the player," Leopards continued.

"If indeed this is the case, then Lusaka Dynamos and the player are in breach of FIFA transfer rules and hence should be ready for the consequences.  

"Accordingly, the National Executive Committee has deliberated to have appropriate lawful action initiated to settle this situation by moving to report the matter to FIFA for player tapping and double signing."  

Otieno was part of AFC Leopards' pre-season squad which faced and lost to the National Super League side Shabana FC during the Mashujaa Day celebrations at Gusii Stadium on October 10.

Thereafter they proceeded to Elgeyo Marakwet County for a 10-day training period where Otieno and his teammates played against Kapenguria Heroes FC on two occasions.  

Apart from Otieno, AFC Leopards signed Peter Thiong'o, Burundian Bienvenue Shaka from Tunisian top division side Etoile Sportif du Sahel, where he had spent two years.

Goalkeeper John Oyemba arrived on a two-year deal after he had left Kariobangi Sharks and his arrival is expected to strengthen the department that performed well under Benjamin Ochan – who kept 15 clean sheets in 21 matches - in the cancelled 2019/20 season.

Harrison Mwendwa was also signed for two years from Kariobangi Sharks as well as midfielder Fabrice Mugheni, who arrived from Rayon Sports.

Inter full-back Aleksandar Kolarov has tested positive for coronavirus, the club have confirmed.

Kolarov returned to San Siro at the start of the week after struggling with unspecified physical problems while away on international duty with Serbia.

He was an unused substitute in a penalty shoot-out defeat to Scotland that denied Serbia a place in the European Championship next year, and was left out of the squad completely as his country drew 1-1 with Hungary in a League B, Group 3 Nations League meeting on Sunday. 

The 35-year-old reported for Inter's latest round of medical checks on Monday, and was subsequently diagnosed with Covid-19, which means he will now be forced to spend at least 10 days in quarantine.

Inter have delivered an update on Kolarov's condition via their official website, which reads: "FC Internazionale Milano announces that Aleksandar Kolarov tested positive for the swab carried out yesterday after returning from the call with his national team.

"The player, completely asymptomatic, will now follow the procedures provided for by the health protocol."

Kolarov is the third Nerazzurri player to have contracted coronavirus this month, with Marcelo Brozovic and Daniele Padelli also currently taking in spells in self-isolation.

The Serbian defender has been a regular in Antonio Conte's squad since completing a €2 million move to Inter from Roma in September, creating eight chances and supplying one assist in six appearances across all competitions.

He will, however, be unavailable to feature when Inter welcome Torino to San Siro for a must-win Serie A clash on Sunday.

Kolarov will also sit out a Champions League group-stage encounter against Real Madrid three days later, and will have to post a negative Covid-19 test before being eligible for selection again when the Nerazzurri take in a trip to Sassuolo on November 28.

Inter are currently sitting seventh in Serie A after seven fixtures, five points adrift of leaders AC Milan, and are also facing an uphill battle to qualify from Group B in Europe's elite competition after failing to win any of their opening three games.

Mohammed Abdel Rahman's late effort handed Sudan a 1-0 home victory over Ghana in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Tuesday.

The injury-time goal secured all three points for the hosts in the Group C matchday three fixture at Al Hilal Stadium in Omdurman.

The defeat has denied the Black Stars an early qualification for the next continental gathering in Cameroon as a win or draw on Tuesday would have been enough.

The West Africans, nonetheless, still top their group and remain in position to secure one of two qualification slots when the series resumes in March next year.

Ghana coach CK Akonnor made five changes to his starting XI, bringing in Fatau Dauda and striker Caleb Ekuban for suspended first-choice goalkeeper Richard Ofori Antwi and injured captain Andre Ayew.

Amiens defender Nicholas Opoku, China-based Mubarak Wakaso and Crystal Palace winger Jeffrey Schlupp also replaced Christopher Nettey, Emmanuel Lomotey and Samuel Owusu respectively.

In the absence of Andre, who scored both goals in Thursday's 2-0 home triumph on matchday three, younger brother Jordan Ayew took over the captain's armband.

In a first half of few chances, Jordan made Ghana's first attempt for the opener, hitting a shot across the face of goal.

Then Ekuban just failed to connect with a Wakaso lofted ball into the box moments later.

In the 26th minute, Abdel Rahman had arguably the best chance of the first stanza but his shot from inside the box failed to beat Ghana goalkeeper Dauda.

Seven minutes after the interval, Jordan produced Ghana's first shot on target, releasing a thunderbolt, from range which called Sudan goalkeeper Ali Abdullah Abu Eshrein into action.

The captain tested Eshrein with a free-kick in the 86th minute, the Al Merreikh goalkeeper proving up to the task one more time.

As things looked headed for a draw, Sudan stung Ghana in the second minute of injury time as Abdel Rahman beat Boye to a cross to head the ball into the net for the match-winner.

With six points to their name, the north Africans are third on the league table, three behind Ghana and South Africa, who are joint-top on nine points. 

Kenya international Anthony Akumu has boldly stated he will still choose to play for Gor Mahia even if he gets a better offer from bitter rivals AFC Leopards.

The lanky Kaizer Chiefs midfielder played for K'Ogalo between 2010 and 2014 before leaving for Sudan's top-tier side Al Khartoum. Later on, the now 28-year-old joined the Zambia Super League side Zesco United before going to South Africa.

Despite being out of K'Ogalo for the last six years, the defensive midfielder, who can also play as a central defender, says there is no love lost between him and the Kenyan outfit who gave him a platform in the top-tier.

"I have massive respect for Leopards, but to be honest, I cannot choose them over K'Ogalo no matter how good their offer is," Akumu told Goal.

"[Ingwe] are a good team, actually one of the biggest in Kenya but I just cannot play for them.

"Gor Mahia is a team that gave me a chance, it is my home, and if I have an opportunity to get back home, for sure I will."

The soft-speaking Akumu also stated he is not yet done and his focus is on improving as a player.

"I want to be involved as much as possible, I want to keep learning and it needs more hard work," Akumu added.

"Yes, I am happy for my achievements, but it is not enough, I want to do more at the club and national team level."

Akumu was part of the Harambee Stars squad for the group Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying double-header against Comoros where the first one ended 1-1. Then the islanders claimed a 2-1 win in the second game.

In the first game played at Kasarani on Wednesday, November 11, M'changama Youssouf put Comoros ahead from a free-kick which was expertly taken, wrong-footing Arnold Origi in the Kenya goal, but Masoud Juma equalised for Harambee Stars in the second half after going down to the visitors who had to play with 10 men for the better part of the game.

In the second leg played four days later in Moroni, Mohamed Ben El-Fardou and Mattoir Faiz scored the goals for Les Coelacantes and Harambee Stars denied them a clean sheet courtesy of Cliff Nyakeya’s effort.

However, Akumu was not involved in any of the matches.

Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo has urged Genk forward Paul Onuachu to replicate his club performances for the Nigeria national team.

The lanky centre-forward has been delivering scintillating displays for the Luminus Arena outfit in the current campaign.

Onuachu has bagged nine goals in 11 league games to help the Blue and White to the fourth spot on the Belgian First Division A table.

The forward has, however, been struggling to establish himself in the Nigerian national team since he made his debut against Egypt in March 2019.

The 26-year-old will be expected to lead the Super Eagles attack against Sierra Leone in Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers following the injury suffered by Napoli attacker Victor Osimhen in Benin City on Saturday.

Ahead of the encounter, Ighalo has urged Onuachu to work harder for the Super Eagles, having only managed one goal in six appearances for Gernot Rohr’s men.

“If you can’t score a goal as a striker then work to provide assists. If you can’t give assists then work hard for the team,” Ighalo told Brila FM.

“Onuachu is a good player; he’s strong in the air and very physical as well. He should be confident and bring that focus he has at club level.

“The pressure that comes with the national team is intense. Playing as the Number 9 in the Super Eagles is a huge weight. I understand that responsibility he (Onuachu) just needs to work hard for the team.”

Nigeria currently lead Group L with seven points from three games and are hoping to secure a win in Freetown against the Leone Stars to guarantee their place in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Ighalo bagged 16 goals in 35 appearances for the Super Eagles before his retirement from international duty in 2019.

The Red Devils forward was the top scorer in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and also emerged as the highest scorer in the tournament to help Nigeria clinch their eighth bronze medal in the competition. 

Cristiano Ronaldo is a “monster” who was “born with natural talent”, says Fabio Coentrao, with a former Real Madrid and Portugal team-mate of a modern-day great not surprised to have seen remarkable standards maintained.

A five-time Ballon d’Or winner is showing no sign of slowing down despite now being 35 years of age.

His stunning skill set continues to be embraced at Serie A champions Juventus, with major silverware having been delivered at the likes of Manchester United, Madrid and now Juve.

Coentrao has experienced that alongside Ronaldo for club and country, with the 32-year-old full-back claiming to be in no doubt that an illustrious compatriot is the best player on the planet.

“I often wish other people could have had the chance to work with him to see up close what he is like,” two-time La Liga title winner Coentrao told O Jogo.

“He is a monster, a great friend and an excellent person. He was born with natural talent and he has worked very hard to become the best in the world.”

Coentrao never hit the heights at Real that Ronaldo managed, but the Portuguese defender remains proud of what he has achieved at the very highest level.

A man with 52 international caps to his name said of his time in Spain:  “I had to go to other clubs to show my work and then I arrived at Real Madrid, the best club in the world.

“But, that's not for everyone. I was there for seven years, with a contract that was renewed in the middle of that time. I won 15 or more titles there. That speaks for itself and it's a matter of pride.”

Coentrao is now running down his career back in Portugal, with an emotional return to his roots made at Rio Ave.

“I'm only thinking about working each day, knowing that it's not easy after such a long break, my family is proud of my career,” Coentrao, who has struggled with injuries throughout his career, said on his future plans.

“When I was 13, my parents had to emigrate and I was alone. Rio Ave helped me a lot at that time because I was only a young boy.”

Sergio Lobera is all set to begin his first season as Mumbai City head coach in the Indian Super League (ISL).

With impressive signings, especially in the foreign players' department, onboard, the former FC Goa tactician is excited to work with his new-look squad. 

The Spaniard has brought in a lot of players from FC Goa but has said that the formation and tactics will not be a replica from his days with the Gaurs. 

"It is possible to (keep changing) the formation because we need to play with the best players (for each match). In our style of play, you can play 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2, but the most important thing as a coach for me is that the players understand our style of play.

"With very good players in the squad, you need to manage them well, but it's an amazing problem. As a coach, I have the best players and I will try to work well collectively as a team in our style of play," he said.

He added, "You know what my idea is and the last three seasons (at FC Goa) reflect my philosophy as a coach. I believe in this (attacking) style of play. I think it's very important to play attacking football. Obviously, you need a balance because it is not possible to play football by only attacking. 

"Obviously, we want to win but it's not only about winning. We have to keep the ball when we need to keep possession, quickly recover the ball when you lose the ball, try to play (more) in the opponents' half and score a lot of goals."

Satisfied with the summer transfer dealings at the club, the former Las Palmas coach has admitted that working with familiar faces is easier. He also complimented City Football Group (CFG) for their involvement in finding the right players who can adapt to his philosophy.

"When you have some players who have played under you before (Jahouh, Boumous and Fall, Mandar Rao Dessai who followed Lobera from FC Goa), it's easier to implement your idea in a short time but I need to build a team. It's not about individual players. Football is a collective sport and just having very good players doesn't mean you have the best team. We need to work with 28 players and try to get the best for the team.

"You need to sign players thinking about what you want to do and about our style of play. Working with Mumbai City and the City Football Group, every day we had a lot of communication about the profile of players we need and I am very happy with the players I have," he explained.

Lobera also highlighted the importance of man-management while dealing with multiple high profile players. He also pointed out the crucial role of the Indian players in the squad in order to land the ISL title that he couldn't win with FC Goa. 

"As a coach, you want the best players. You don't want problems and you want only to play with the best 11 players but I need the full squad to win the trophy. With very good 11 players you can only win a few games but not the league. My job as a coach obviously is to improve the level of the players tactically, technically, physically and mentally but the most important thing is to manage the group well. 

"Everybody needs to know our collective objective and secondly I need to find a good balance between individual and collective targets because it is my job to manage all players in all kinds of situations in the best way possible.

"We have very exciting talents but the most important thing is to improve the level of Indian players and foreign players to have a big role in improving the Indian players. It's impossible to win the trophy when the level of Indian players is not good or if the foreign players don't understand well what is the situation of football in India," he concluded.