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Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has confirmed he is in talks with Manchester City over a contract extension and is representing himself in the absence of former agent Patrick De Koster. 

The 28-year-old is currently contracted at the Etihad until 2023 after signing a new contract in January 2018 following his initial move from Wolfsburg in 2015. 

A key part of Pep Guardiola's side, City are understandably keen to lock De Bruyne down longer with the Belgium international likely to secure a pay rise after winning the PFA Player of the Year last season. 

De Bruyne himself seems content to stay where he is and is handling initial talks by himself - stressing the situation should be easy enough to sort out. 

"I am happy in Manchester. I am at a good club. Good owners. Good club. We are chatting a bit, but we are not very far in the negotiations," De Bruyne told Het Laatste Nieuws.

When asked if lawyers were involved, the midfielder replied: “Now I do it myself. I would like to stay with Man City, so it is not a difficult situation. If I didn’t want to stay, it would take someone to mediate."

De Bruyne has made 10 appearances for City in all competitions this season with seven assists and one goal to his name. Overall, the Belgian has made 232 appearances for the Premier League side, contributing 96 assists and 58 goals.

Former Barcelona star Xavi recently singled out De Bruyne as the best midfielder in the world, noting that he's likely been helped by the presence of Guardiola. 

"Kevin de Bruyne, from Manchester City, seems to me of another level, brutal, he is able to make a difference. He is the best midfielder in the world and relatively young," Xavi told Qatar Airways. 

"Pep is the best manager in the world. He has given a twist to our sport. He is very good for what he transmits and his leadership ability. In addition, the way he convinced us, he is very good."

De Bruyne played the full 90 minutes on Sunday as Belgium claimed a 2-0 win over England in the Nations League. The result leaves Roberto Martinez's side needing just a draw against Denmark on Wednesday to claim top spot in their group. 

Jack Grealish was delighted to make his first competitive start for England despite the 2-0 defeat to Belgium on Sunday.

The Aston Villa captain made his fourth appearance for the Three Lions as they faced Roberto Martinez's men in the Nations League.

Youri Tielemans and Dries Mertens struck in the first half to seal the three points for the Rode Duivels.

Grealish, 25, admitted to watching videos of Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne and Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho to get him fired up for the game.

He said to  Sky Sports: "I absolutely loved it. This is what I have been waiting for, these are the games I have dreamed of. I have grew up all life wanting to play for England.

"We wanted to win tonight though so I am devastated we didn't get the win. I knew this was my chance to impress. These are the things I love, the pressure of wanting to do well.

"The last 24 hours I have been watching clips of my favourite players. I do that every game. I have been buzzing. I watch clips of Kevin De Bruyne, Philippe Coutinho - loads of players in my positions. I did it as a little kid and still do it today, that's what gets me going."

Grealish is still getting used to playing alongside his England team-mates, but he has been impressed by the "world class" figures around him as well as manager Gareth Southgate.

"The most difficult thing is trying to get the chemistry with the team-mates," he said.

"When you come here you only have 10 days to build that. It just clicks with some players though. The manager has been brilliant with me. There are world class players in my position."

England are in action again on Wednesday when they host Iceland in the final match of the Nations League group stage. 

Southgate's side are third in League A Group 2, three points behind Denmark and five adrift of leaders Belgium, while Iceland are still pointless after five games.

Grealish's performance earned the praise of both Southgate and Cesc Fabregas after the match.

Gareth Southgate became the first England manager to lose 10 matches since Sven-Goran Eriksson after the 2-0 defeat to Belgium saw his team dumped out of Nations League contention.

First-half goals to Youri Tielemans and Dries Mertens did the damage for the Belgians at Den Dreef on Sunday evening, with the Three Lions dominating much of play but unable to get back in the match.

It was Southgate's 10th defeat in his 48 matches in charge of England, as he equalled the amount of losses suffered by former Three Lions boss Eriksson, who lost 10 of his 67 games in the hot seat.

Following the 1-0 loss Denmark in October, England has now lost back-to-back competitive matches for the first time since 2018 - where they were defeated three consecutive times in a stretch from July to September.

Southgate's side can now no longer qualify for the Nations League finals, with Belgium and Denmark competing in a straight shootout on Wednesday to decide Group 2's representative in the final four.

England are however safe from relegation in the Nations League with Iceland failing to secure a point in their five matches to date.

Southgate was pleased with England's endeavour despite the defeat, insisting they will win matches if they continue to put in that level of performance.

"We don't like losing, but enormous credit to the team, all the way through they created problems and defended resiliently," Southgate told Sky Sports.

"I thought we were excellent. I couldn't have enough praise for the players. If you play at the level we did tonight, I think we will win more games than we lose."

Both of Belgium's first-half goals came from outside the area with Tielemans' 10th minute strike deflecting off Tyrone Mings before going in off the post, and Mertens scoring a wonderful free-kick after a controversial foul was awarded against Declan Rice.

The Three Lions had 55 per cent of the ball and doubled Belgium's shot tally with 16 to eight throughout the match, but couldn't find the cutting edge to breach Thibaut Courtois' net.

England will host Iceland in a Nations League dead rubber on Wednesday, with Southgate sure to swing the changes and give opportunities to the squad's fringe players.

Jack Grealish has done his chances of becoming a regular starter for England no harm after a strong individual performance in a 2-0 defeat to Belgium in the Nations League on Sunday. 

The 25-year-old started on the left wing for Gareth Southgate's side and was one of the Three Lions' sharper players when on the ball. 

Grealish completed the second most take-ons (4), while he was also fouled a game-high seven times as Belgium did anything they could to try and contain him. 

The bright performance provided some silver-lining for England, who now won't be able to make the Nations League finals, with Southgate quick to single out Grealish for filling an attacking void.

"I thought we were excellent. I couldn't have enough praise for the players," Southgate told Sky Sports post-match. 

"We had a different profile of players but in those positions I thought Jack Grealish had an absolutely outstanding game. Losing Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford, we lose a lot of speed. But I can't fault the attacking play until the last chance.

"We created far more opportunities than we did at Wembley. I saw what I knew I would see from Jack, someone with the bravery to play. He took the ball in tight areas, his technique was good, we knew he would buy a lot of free-kicks. I thought he was outstanding, he should be delighted. I explained to him what we wanted to see when we brought him in in September.

"Today was a great game for us to see him in. I couldn't speak highly enough of his performance." 

Grealish's strong showing also caught the eye of Premier League legend Cesc Fabregas, whose one observation of the match on social media centred around the Villa captain. 

The attacker will now be hoping to back up his performance on Wednesday when England host Iceland at Wembley. 

Grealish's promising displays for the Three Lions come on the back of a strong start to the season with Villa, where has scored four goals and provided five assists across just seven Premier League appearances. 

England forward Harry Kane declared England were "dominant" in their 2-0 loss to Belgium in the Nations League on Sunday. 

First-half goals from Youri Tielemans and Dries Mertens ultimately decided the match with the Three Lions going on to enjoy more possession in the second 45 minutes but failing to make the most of it. 

The defeat means Gareth Southgate's side won't be playing at the Nations League finals next year with either Belgium or Denmark set to top their group. 

Kane, who was playing his 50th match for England, believes his side played well despite the result and should be backing themselves to succeed in the future. 

"We were dominant. We were unlucky to concede the two goals," Kane told Sky Sports post-match.

"A deflection and I don't think the second was a free-kick. A lot of positives to take but it will give us confidence. If we play like this going forward, we will win the majority of games for sure.

"Jack Grealish is a fantastic player. You can see his qualities on the ball. I am sure he will get plenty of opportunities in an England shirt.

"We haven't won a major trophy for a long time and that gives us a major carrot. With the squad we have and the players we have, we have to have full belief."

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez, who was also marking his 50th game in charge of the national team, gave credit to the Three Lions after the match but stressed his side were always in control.

"It was a really good game of football, two strong teams who know each other very well and played each other four times since the 2018 World Cup," Martinez said.

"We got the early lead then we had to suffer and see the press and risk that England took. We could not utilise that in our advantage and we defended really well and showed a good focus that pleases me a lot. We used to see a lot of good things on the ball, being pretty but it was a good all round performance.

"You need to give credit to England, they did very well in the second half and pushed us high up. We can use the opportunity of counter attacking but we gave he ball away cheaply. We were always in control at 2-0, sometimes it can be dangerous, you feel comfortable but we defended Thibaut Courtois' goal very well.

"We want to work towards the third win in Leuven on Wednesday. Denmark are a very good side, the key is being good in what you do and we are looking forward to that game."

Italy moved top of Nations League Group A1 heading into the final matchday as a Jorginho penalty and Domenico Berardi's late goal sealed a 2-0 win over 10-man Poland. 

With coach Roberto Mancini isolating after testing positive for COVID-19, his team turned in an accomplished display in Reggio Emilia as they extended their unbeaten run to 21 matches. 

Jorginho's 27th-minute spot-kick proved crucial, with the penalty awarded for Grzegorz Krychowiak hauling down Andrea Belotti, whose earlier venture into an offside position had cancelled out Lorenzo Insigne's would-be opener. 

Though Belotti and Nicolo Barella squandered chances to add to Italy's lead, Poland's comeback hopes all but ended when Jacek Goralski received a second yellow card, with Berardi subsequently adding gloss to a dominant display.

Italy thought they had their reward for a bright start when Insigne drilled in from Barella's cross, only for the goal to be disallowed due to Belotti's position. 

Yet the striker swiftly made amends by drawing a clumsy foul from Krychowiak, with Jorginho coolly sending Wojciech Szczesny the wrong way. 

Belotti looked set to double Italy's lead only to volley over after latching onto Insigne's delightful pass, while Barella lashed over following the restart. 

Goralski was fortunate to escape with a booking for a lunge on Belotti, with Poland's half-time substitute having flown in with his studs up, though his luck soon ran out. 

After Belotti had a penalty appeal for handball dismissed, the Torino player was scythed into by Goralski, who duly received his marching orders to end a dismal cameo off the bench. 

Italy made their numerical advantage count to grab a deserved second – Insigne playing in the unmarked Berardi to thump in his second international goal.

England hopes of reaching the Nations League Finals were ended as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Belgium.

Gareth Southgate's side needed at least a draw to ensure their chances of topping Group A2 remained alive going into their final game against Iceland.

However, first-half goals from Dries Mertens and Youri Tielemans put the hosts on track for a win that leaves them needing just a point in their final group game against Denmark to reach the Finals.

Belgium made a strong start to proceedings as some front-footed defending from Jan Vertonghen was followed by the ball being fired up toward Tielemans, whose shot took a deflection off Tyrone Mings before going in off the post just 10 minutes in.

England almost hit back immediately, Harry Kane's header from a corner being brilliantly cleared off the line by Romelu Lukaku.

But Roberto Martinez's men doubled their lead shortly after, Mertens curling in a fine free-kick despite the visitors' protests that Declan Rice had not committed a foul in the build-up.

With Southgate's words clearly ringing in their ears, England started the second half on top, winning a succession of free-kicks at the edge of the Belgium box before Kane forced a save from Thibaut Courtois with a low drive.

The visitors could not make the most of their chances, however, a theme that continued following the introduction of Jadon Sancho and Dominic Calvert-Lewin from the bench and ensured their evening would end in defeat.

Italy moved top of Nations League Group A1 heading into the final matchday as a Jorginho penalty and Domenico Berardi's late goal sealed a 2-0 win over 10-man Poland. 

With coach Roberto Mancini isolating after testing positive for COVID-19, his team turned in an accomplished display in Reggio Emilia as they extended their unbeaten run to 21 matches. 

Jorginho's 27th-minute spot-kick proved crucial, with the penalty awarded for Grzegorz Krychowiak hauling down Andrea Belotti, whose earlier venture into an offside position had cancelled out Lorenzo Insigne's would-be opener. 

Though Belotti and Nicolo Barella squandered chances to add to Italy's lead, Poland's comeback hopes all but ended when Jacek Goralski received a second yellow card, with Berardi subsequently adding gloss to a dominant display.

Italy thought they had their reward for a bright start when Insigne drilled in from Barella's cross, only for the goal to be disallowed due to Belotti's position. 

Yet the striker swiftly made amends by drawing a clumsy foul from Krychowiak, with Jorginho coolly sending Wojciech Szczesny the wrong way. 

Belotti looked set to double Italy's lead only to volley over after latching onto Insigne's delightful pass, while Barella lashed over following the restart. 

Goralski was fortunate to escape with a booking for a lunge on Belotti, with Poland's half-time substitute having flown in with his studs up, though his luck soon ran out. 

After Belotti had a penalty appeal for handball dismissed, the Torino player was scythed into by Goralski, who duly received his marching orders to end a dismal cameo off the bench. 

Italy made their numerical advantage count to grab a deserved second – Insigne playing in the unmarked Berardi to thump in his second international goal.

England hopes of reaching the Nations League Finals were ended as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Belgium.

Gareth Southgate's side needed at least a draw to ensure their chances of topping Group A2 remained alive going into their final game against Iceland.

However, first-half goals from Dries Mertens and Youri Tielemans put the hosts on track for a win that leaves them needing just a point in their final group game against Denmark to reach the Finals.

Belgium made a strong start to proceedings as some front-footed defending from Jan Vertonghen was followed by the ball being fired up toward Tielemans, whose shot took a deflection off Tyrone Mings before going in off the post just 10 minutes in.

England almost hit back immediately, Harry Kane's header from a corner being brilliantly cleared off the line by Romelu Lukaku.

But Roberto Martinez's men doubled their lead shortly after, Mertens curling in a fine free-kick despite the visitors' protests that Declan Rice had not committed a foul in the build-up.

With Southgate's words clearly ringing in their ears, England started the second half on top, winning a succession of free-kicks at the edge of the Belgium box before Kane forced a save from Thibaut Courtois with a low drive.

The visitors could not make the most of their chances, however, a theme that continued following the introduction of Jadon Sancho and Dominic Calvert-Lewin from the bench and ensured their evening would end in defeat.

Senegal have become the first country to qualify for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon after a 1-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau on Sunday.

Sadio Mane separated both teams at the Estadio 24 de Setembro with his 82nd-minute strike.

The result stretched the Teranga Lions' unbeaten streak to four games with 12 points in Group I while Congo trail in the second spot with six points, although with a game against Eswatini on Monday.

Sunday's effort made Mane the joint-top scorer in the group with three goals, alongside Famara Diedhiou who scored a hat-trick against Eswatini in November 2019.

The Liverpool star who was on target against Guinea-Bissau in Thies four days ago, and Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly played for 90 minutes while Watford’s Ismaila Sarr was replaced in the 79th minute.

Senegal have now qualified for their 16th Africa Cup of Nations tournament and they will be aiming to win their maiden title in Cameroon 2022 after finishing as runners-up in Egypt last year - they suffered a 1-0 loss against Algeria in the final.

The qualification comes as another feat for Aliou Cisse who has now guided the West African country to three successive editions of the continental showpiece without losing a game in the qualifying stage.

The former Senegal captain who was appointed as national team coach in 2015, also led the Teranga Lions to the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia.

Aliou Cisse's men will hope to end their campaign on a flying note when they visit Congo for their next group game on March 22 before hosting Ewastini on home soil eight days later.

Four and a half years after Gernot Rohr was first appointed by Nigeria, the German coach finds himself at a crossroads during his time as Super Eagles head coach.

Friday’s 4-4 draw with Sierra Leone, a defeat in almost everything but name, represented one of the national side’s worst performances in living memory.

Ironically, the first half an hour of that match represented one of their finest spells of football since Rohr took the helm, as the Super Eagles put four past the Leone Stars without response, and appeared on course for a record-breaking victory.

However, the subsequent collapse threatens to become the defining moment of Rohr’s troubled time at the helm.

Nigeria, their confidence ebbing away with each Sierra Leonean goal, wilted over the next hour of action, with their midfield losing control, their defence flagging under pressure, and the attacking unit increasingly toothless.

Rohr watched on impotently as his side unravelled, ultimately losing two points in the race for Cameroon but, more critically, enduring a hammer-blow to their morale and denting the nation’s fragile confidence in the Super Eagles.

While the players’ professionalism and attitude must be questioned, Rohr must also take a considerable portion of the blame.

Time and again his substitutions have proved ineffective and have too regularly appeared to cost Nigeria momentum and control in a match, rather than helping the Eagles consolidate their authority and continue to take the game to opposition.

It was as clear as day, as Friday’s match swung in the Leone Stars’ favour, that Nigeria’s midfield was labouring, yet Rohr watched on helplessly, making tweaks and cosmetic re-alignments, rather than fixing the gaping hole in the hear of the team.

Certainly, it can be hard to find too much logic in some of Rohr’s substitutions, and sometimes, his changes appear to be made just for the sake of it.

Why, for example, remove the influential Samuel Chukwueze, whose movement and running gave the Leone Stars something to be worried about behind their defence?

Why remove Leon Balogun for Semi Ajayi? Why introduce strikers Paul Onuachu and Kelechi Iheanacho when the midfield requires bolstering?

The substitutions themselves are problematic, as are the timings of the changes…Rohr dithers, watching on as Rome burns, when a proactive approach is required.

Then, the broader squad selection must also be questioned.

In the past, we’ve seen Nigeria setting themselves up to fail, rather than succeed, and it feels as though the same is happening again with Rohr.

Many eyebrows were raised when the German coach named four midfielders—one of whom was right-back Tyronne Ebuehi—in his squad for the double-header against the Leone Stars.

It was hard to see, without injured Wilfried Ndidi, who would offer the defensive rigour in the heart of the park, and there were always going to be a certain issue of the practicality of a Joe Aribo-Oghenkaro Etebo midfield pairing.

Unsurprisingly, both of these two problems—both very predictable—came home to roost for the Super Eagles, as the duo in the centre were targeted and ultimately overrun as the contest went on.

Why replace injured winger Moses Simon with Onuachu? 

Why replace Frank Onyeka with Shehu Abdullahi?

Why invite two right-backs and then play centre-back Kevin Akpoguma in that position?

Was there no place for Ramon Azeez, Kelechi Nwakali, Mikel Agu, Uche Agbo, Anderson Esiti or Okechukwu Azubuike?

Perhaps they haven’t always impressed with the national side, but any of them should be a competent option—should Etebo tire or get injured, say—against a side ranked 120th in the world.

These are all questions, perhaps, that the NFF and Amaju Pinnick should have been asking Rohr and his team when federation officials called for a summit on Saturday morning to understand what went wrong in the 4-4 draw.

The federation also have some questions to answer, specifically about the decision to offer Rohr a new contract in May 2020—ahead of the World Cup, before the Eagles’ underwhelming performance and first-round exit at the grandest stage of all.

While Rohr’s handling of the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign—after being drawn with 2012, 2017 and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations champions Zambia, Cameroon and Algeria—was a fine achievement for a progressive, adventurous side, the West African giants haven’t built on the promise of those years.

The coach’s desire to constantly cut the average age of the side, and oversee consistent influxes of new faces may have resulted in Nigeria being the youngest squad at the 2018 World Cup, but has it also denied the Eagles of some critical experience and calming older heads who can help the team get through difficult periods.

Introducing youth around a spine of Ndidi, John Obi Mikel and Odion Ighalo was one thing, but with the three of them absent, Rohr’s Super Eagles project may be entering it’s terminal phase.

Manchester City's injury problems worsened on Sunday when it was confirmed Raheem Sterling had been ruled out for England ahead of the match against Belgium.

The winger was left out of the squad as England beat Republic of Ireland 3-0 in a friendly on Thursday and was once again absent for the Nations League clash in Belgium.

England coach Gareth Southgate confirmed the 25-year-old felt some discomfort on Friday and doubts he will be included in the game against on Iceland on Wednesday.

"Raheem felt something a couple of days ago and didn't train on Friday as a precaution," the Three Lions boss said.

"He started training yesterday and wasn't really happy with it. It's not one we should take a chance on.

"He should be fine by the end of the week but I think the games for us will just come too quickly."

City recently saw Nathan Ake sustain a hamstring problem in the early stages of Netherlands' 1-1 draw with Spain on Wednesday.

The centre-back was substituted just six minutes into the tie and was subsequently withdrawn from the squad, with Lille defender Sven Botman taking his place.

Pep Guardiola's side are already without Sergio Aguero, who has been limited to just three appearances this season.

The Argentina international missed his side's first three Premier League games with a knee injury and then had to be replaced in the match against West Ham last month due to a hamstring problem.

Aguero returned to training with City last week but was not fit enough to face Premier League rivals Liverpool in their recent 1-1 draw.

City have only recently welcomed Gabriel Jesus back into the team after he was kept out for several weeks with an injury.

Guardiola has been a vocal critic of the Premier League's decision to return to a maximum of three substitutes per match while other leagues in Europe have allowed teams to make five changes to help prevent injuries because of the busy fixture schedules.

"Here we believe we are more special, we don't protect the players, so that is why it is a disaster," he said last week.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has also criticised the league, blaming chief executive Richard Masters for a "lack of leadership".

South Africa national U23 coach David Notoane has highlighted several positives from Saturday's friendly defeat against Saudi Arabia.

The South Africans suffered a 3-2 loss at the King Abdulaziz Sport City Stadium, with two of the goals they conceded coming in the final eight minutes of the game in Jeddah.

Cape Town City striker Fagrie Lakay, back in the Mother City last season after spells with Bidvest Wits and SuperSport United, created the first goal against Saudi Arabia with an excellent cross for Orlando Pirates marksman Zakhele Lepasa to convert.

Lakay then netted himself to get the scores back on level terms, just a few minutes before the hosts scored their injury-time winner.

Notoane was impressed with what he saw from the 23-year-old, who was once Bafana Bafana's youngest ever international at 17 years and five months.

“We brought in a whole lot of new players, some of whom are graduates from our Under-20 national setup which went to the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Poland last year,” Notoane was quoted saying by Safa.

“Players like Fagrie Lakay are some of the players which have been in the Under-23 database and I am happy that he is continuing with a fine form he has been showing from his mother club for us.

"He was involved in the first goal that we scored and also netted the second. I am happy with how he played in our first friendly tie."

The U23's will take on Saudi Arabia again on Tuesday and Notoane says he wants his men to be more mindful of losing focus at crucial junctures of the game.

“We conceded all of our goals in the critical moments of the game,” he explained. “Their first goal against us came late in the first half and they also scored two goals in the last 10 minutes of the match.

"This is something we can rectify leading up to our second friendly game, as we had only one training session coming from quarantine leading up to our first match.”

The matches are being used as preparation for the U23's participation in the Tokyo Olympic Games, to be held in July and August 2021.

Yanga SC have defeated second-tier side African Lyon FC 3-1 in a friendly match played on Sunday.

Tuisila Kisinda, Yacouba Songne, and Michael Sarpong were on target for Young Africans SC with Msuhi Abdallah scoring a consolation for the minnows.

The 27-time champions were using the match to prepare for their next Tanzania Mainland League assignment with various fringe players getting a chance to impress the coach.

It took Wananchi just four minutes to open the scoring courtesy of Kisinda. The forward was there to finish a good move by the Jangwani Street-based side.

Barely three minutes later, Timu ya Wananchi doubled the advantage. This time around, it was Songne who managed to find the back of the net.

African Lyon conceded a penalty in the 28th minute, and Sarpong ensured the former champions got their third goal and piled more pressure on their opponents.

The second-tier side managed to get their consolation through Abdallah.

Yanga have been doing well in the league and are the only unbeaten team this season. They have managed to win seven games and drawn three to take their points tally to 24, one fewer than leaders Azam FC.

The Ice-cream Makers are leading the race with 25 points after eight wins, a draw, and a loss.

Simba SC, who are the defending champions, are in the third position after registering six wins, two draws, and as many losses.

Meanwhile, Wekundu wa Msimbazi have come out to state they are not interested in the services of Young Africans midfielder Mukoko Tonombe.

Social media has for the past week linked Tonombe, who signed for the Jangwani giants in the just concluded transfer window, with a move to rivals Simba, a few days after it emerged Yanga had also shown interest in signing midfielder Clatous Chama from the league champions.

Simba chairman Mohamed Dewji has now told reporters in Dar es Salaam they have not discussed Tonombe as a target, and rubbished the reports, terming them as propaganda.

"We don't need Tonombe, those are propaganda,” Dewji told reporters during a weekly press meeting.

"To tell the truth, we have not even talked about this issue on the board, this thing is propaganda...so the issue of this player we have not talked about and there is no official news to say that this player we are following him."

On Saturday, Yanga official Herdi Said dismissed the reports that Tonombe was headed to rivals Yanga SC by stating he is happy at the Jangwani giants.

Comoros went top of Group G after beating Kenya 2-1 in an African Cup of Nations qualifiers at Le Stade Omnisports Malouzini, Moroni on Sunday.

Mohamed Ben El-Fardou and Mattoir Faiz scored the goals for Les Coelacantes and the Harambee Stars denied them a clean sheet courtesy of Cliff Nyakeya’s effort.

Masoud Juma almost scored his second goal in five days when he connected with a high ball sent to him by goalkeeper Arnold Origi, but he was put under pressure by two Comoros defenders and ended up losing the ball as the referee awarded a goal-kick in the third minute.

Kenya won a corner in the fifth minute which was delivered by Ayub Timbe but Joseph Okumu’s header flew wide as Comoros breathed a sigh of relief after they had been put under pressure by the visitors.

Comoros, enjoying considerable support from the fans in attendance, grew into the game but their attacks through the left and the right-wing were equally dealt with by both Eric Ouma and David Odhiambo.

Red Star Belgrade star El-Fardou scored the opener for Comoros with a header that Origi had little chance of stopping in the 21st minute. The goal was El-Fardou’s 10th for Comoros as he was making his 22nd appearance for the side.

Nyakeya, who had a good game and provided an assist in the reverse fixture, equalised for the Harambee Stars in the 35th minute. The former Mathare United winger made his way through the right flank and managed to beat Ben Boina in the Comoros goal from a tight angle.

Lawrence Juma was substituted in the 41st minute as his former teammate at Gor Mahia Kenneth Muguna was brought on in what appeared to be a tactical change for Kenya.

The Harambee Stars almost got a second goal in the 42nd minute but Timbe, after beating Faiz on the left-wing, saw his shot blocked as he attempted to find the bottom corner. Had he crossed the ball to Nyakeya who was unmarked on the other flank, Kenya would surely have gone ahead.

A lapse in concentration from the Kenyan defence gifted Comoros a great chance to retake the lead in the 50th minute and Faiz found the back of the net with a fierce shot that saw Origi concede a third goal in his second game since returning into the national fold.

Coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee made his second change in the 61st minute as he withdrew Timbe, who had wasted another clear chance a minute before he left the pitch, for Boniface Muchiri.

Eric Johanna saved Kenya more blushes after he stopped Yacine Bourhane, who was through on goal in the 89th minute, just outside the box. Johanna was yellow-carded for the rough challenge while Bourhane was booked for his protest in the face of the referee.

Kenya had picked up three consecutive 1-1 draws before the loss in Moroni while Comoros had a win and two draws.

Kenya Starting XI: Arnold Origi, David Odhiambo, Eric Ouma Joseph, Okumu Brian Onyango, Victor Wanyama, Ayub Timbe, Johanna Omollo, Masoud Juma, Lawrence Juma, Cliff Nyakeya.

Subs: Ian Otieno, Johnstone Omurwa, David Ambulu, Anthony Akumu, Samuel Olwande, John Makwatta, Kenneth Muguna, Boniface Muchiri, Hassan Abdallah, Erick Johanna, John Avire.

Comoros Starting XI: Ben Boina, Kassim M'Dahoma, Benjaloud Youssouf, Kassim M'Dahoma, Nadjim Abdou, Bakari Said, Benjaloud Youssouf, Ibroihim Djoudja. Rafidine Abdullah, Yacine Bourhane, Ahmed Mogni, Mattoir Faiz, Ben Mohamed El Fardou Ben.

Subs: Amir Abdou Manager, Ali Ahamada, Kassim Abdallah, Younn Zahary, Younn Zahary, Ahmed Soilihi, Faouz Faidine Attoumane, Nakibou Aboubakar, Ali M'Madi, Housseine Zakouani.

United States President Donald Trump brought a “lifelong Leeds United fan” into his latest attack on the media - which prompted a response from the Premier League club.

Still railing at his defeat to Joe Biden in the US presidential election, Trump has been lashing out at his critics on his favourite platform, Twitter.

On Sunday, Trump took issue with Fox News for inviting Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, onto their channel.

Buttigieg has been a vocal critic of Trump, and after seeing him on Fox News , the president tweeted : “This is why @FoxNews daytime and weekend daytime have lost their ratings. They are abysmal having @alfredenewman1 (Mayor Pete of Indiana’s most unsuccessful city, by far!) on more than Republicans. Many great alternatives are forming & exist. Try @OANN & @newsmax, among others!”

Trump has handed the moniker of Alfred E Neuman to Buttigieg due to his resemblance to the Mad Magazine cover star.

However, on this occasion Trump tagged a Leeds United fan who has a name similar, though not identical to, the Mad mascot.

Unsurprisingly for a man with nearly 90 million followers on the platform, Trump’s tweet proved extremely popular - and caught the eye of the Premier League side.

Using a gif of Trump pointing and smiling, the club’s official Twitter account posted : “He thought the election was bad, then he went after an #LUFC fan.”

Although not garnering as much attention as Trump’s initial tweet, the response from the club proved extremely popular amongst their own fans.

While not all of the responses could be referenced due to the use of some coarse language, one of the better ones came from Notsocheekytaylor who said : "How does Trump stay relevant in the presidency?.... Mentions Leeds.”

Leeds fan Alfred E. Newman tweets are protected and can only be viewed by his approved followers.

While Trump’s attention will remain on the election and the lawsuits he is intending to launch to challenge the election result, Leeds will shift their focus away from politics and on to a Premier League clash with Arsenal next Sunday.

Ghana will be without influential captain Andre Ayew for Tuesday’s 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier away against Sudan.

The 30-year-old was initially named in a 23-man squad published on the Ghana Football Association’s official website on Sunday for the trip to North Africa but has had to withdraw after failing a late fitness test.

His absence will be a heavy blow for the Black Stars, having scored twice in each of his last appearance for the West Africans, including in Thursday’s 2-0 triumph over Sudan in a Group C matchweek three qualifier.

“Black Stars captain Andre Ayew has been ruled out of the trip to Sudan for the second leg of the 2022 Afcon qualifier due to injury,” the GFA have announced on their official website.

“The Swansea City midfielder suffered a muscle strain at the team’s training session on Saturday, ruling him out of the squad for the trip.

“Ayew scored a brace last Thursday when Ghana hosted Sudan at the Cape Coast Stadium for the first leg tie.

“He is expected to return to Swansea to undergo further tests to assess the extent of injury.

“The senior national team left Accra on Sunday morning to Sudan for the second leg tie which will be played in Omdurman on Tuesday.”

By Ayew’s withdrawal, Ghana are set to be without all three team captains for Tuesday’s tie.

First-vice captain Thomas Partey was the first to withdraw from the Black Stars’ October double-header after sustaining a thigh injury while in Premier League action for Arsenal against Aston Villa last week.

Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Richard Ofori, Ghana’s second vice-captain, has also been excluded from the travelling party due to suspension by accumulation of yellow cards.

Ghana has also had to do without Ajax Amsterdam prodigy Mohammed Kudus, who picked up an injury during his club’s Champions League meeting with Liverpool last month. Real Mallorca midfielder Iddrisu Mohammed Baba also pulled out of the November games due to injury.

The Black Stars have, however, been boosted by the arrivals of Crystal Palace midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp, Red Bull Salzburg ace Majeed Ashimeru and China-based midfielder, who all missed Thursday’s match due to late camp arrival.

A win in Omdurman will secure CK Akonnor’s side qualification for the final Afcon tournament in Cameroon.

Paul Pogba says he is currently going through the most difficult spell of his career due to concerns over his playing time at Manchester United.

The midfielder has made 10 appearances across the Premier League and Champions League for the Red Devils this season, but has been included in the starting XI in only half of those.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have had an inconsistent start to the campaign as they sit 14th in the English top flight after seven matches, while they were beaten 2-1 in the recent European encounter against Basaksehir in Istanbul.

The 27-year-old has proven to remain a pivotal player for France while on international duty, having played a key role in their Nations League win against Portugal on Saturday evening.

And he admits that he is relieved to be with the national team as it has given him a break from his problems at Old Trafford.

"I had never known such a difficult period in my career," he said in an interview with RTL.

"The France team is a breath of fresh air, the group is exceptional, it's magic."

France boss Didier Deschamps sympathises with the former Juventus star and hopes to help him get back to his best despite a difficult time.

"He is in a situation with his club where he cannot be happy, neither with his playing time nor with the position he is playing," Deschamps told reporters at a press conference on Monday. 

"He is not in his best period, he has had a series of injuries and Covid-19, which has hit him quite hard. He needs to find his rhythm. 

"We can't say that he is fulfilled in what he does at club level. With me, there is no such concern, but I try to manage it too. When a player is not comfortable at his club, obviously, he is happy to play for the France team."

Pogba will have another chance to impress with Les Bleus when they face Sweden in their next Nations League match on Tuesday. He will then hope to be back in the starting XI at United when they host West Brom next Saturday.

A second-half Karela United equaliser denied four-time Ghana Premier League (GPL) champions Ashanti Gold victory in their opening game of the season on Sunday.

After Diawisie Taylor scored on five minutes to give visiting Karela the lead, Appiah McCarthy and Hans Kwoffie hit back to put AshGold 2-1 up at half-time at the Len Clay Stadium in Obuasi.

Samuel Ofori, however, netted for the away side 11 minutes after recess to snatch his side a point.

Elsewhere at Akoon Park in Tarkwa, Medeama gave away an Ali Ouattara first-half injury-time lead to settle for a 1-1 home draw with Great Olympics, who found the back of the net through Daniel Appiah.

There were seven goals in Sogakope where hosts Wafa beat King Faisal 4-3. Konadu Yiadom, Godwin Agbevor, Augustine Boakye and Daniel Lomotey were on the score sheet for the hosts. Kwame Peprah (two) and Wadudu Yakubu scored for the visitors.

At the Cape Coast Sports Stadium, Ebusua Dwarfs and Elmina Sharks played out a 2-2 draw. Dennis Korsah-Akoumah and Razak Issah scored for hosts while Richard Mpong and Ishmael Hammond were on target for Sharks.

Asante Kotoko will host Eleven Wonders in a late kick-off fixture at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.

Action continues on Monday when Liberty Professionals host Bechem United at the Carl Reindorf Park in Dansoman in one of two fixtures of the day.

In the second game, Inter Allies and Dreams FC will square off at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Earlier on Saturday, Legon Cities hosted Berekum Chelsea at the Accra Sports Stadium in the season opener. The hosts went in front through a Stephen Amankona penalty but Jonah Attuquaye similarly hit back for the Royals from the spot to snatch a 1-1 draw.

The match between Hearts of Oak and Aduana Stars has been postponed indefinitely.