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Former Thika United coach James Nandwa has called on Kenya to be sharp upfront and tight at the back if they are to secure a win against Comoros in Moroni on Sunday.

The Harambee Stars will face the island nation in the qualification campaign for the Africa Cup of Nations finals for the second time in five days, with the first meeting on Wednesday ending 1-1 at Kasarani Stadium.

Nandwa, who was sitting on the technical bench when Kenya last played Comoros in Moroni in 2014, has now advised the team to improve in their striking department and also have a strong defence to achieve a good result.

“Comoros is a strong team, but we equally have a good team. We just need to be sharp upfront and defend solidly as a team. I believe we still have a chance to make it to Cameroon,” Nandwa is quoted by Standard Sports.

“I was with Harambee Stars when we played them in 2014. The pitch is small like City Stadium and we will only have a great advantage if there will be no fans, but it‘s my hope that [Ayub] Timbe will repeat what he did there in the previous return leg.”

On whether he was impressed with Kenya’s display from the first meeting, Nandwa said: “I think they didn’t play well in the first half because there was no coordination, but they improved in the second half and created many chances.

“But as we go to Moroni, we must be organised, defend well and make good use of our chances. Our main problem has been maintaining possession and scoring. I think if we do that, we can get some positive results there. We really need a positive result in order to keep our 2021 Afcon qualification hopes alive.”

With Egypt beating Togo 1-0 on Saturday, Kenya will stand a good chance to stay on course in the qualification campaign if they get the win away.

The Kenyan team have also been promised Sh5million from the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and their partners Odibet if they win the away match.

“We must always have plans to boost our players and it is the reason we have promised them Sh5million if they win in Moroni,” FKF President Nick Mwendwa told Goal before the team boarded a private jet to Comoros.

After the Comoros game, Kenya will have to wait until next year to host the Pharaohs on March 22 before wrapping up their campaign with a trip to Lome against Togo on March 30.

Adrien Rabiot has admitted that his France team had to “redeem” themselves in Saturday’s Nations League clash with Portugal after a shock reverse in their midweek friendly with Finland.

The world champions succumbed 2-0 at home to the Fins on Wednesday in Paris, turning in an anaemic display in which they carried little offensive threat.

Tasked with overcoming the European champions away from home, though, they showed a different face.

They dominated much of the game but only had a predatory strike from N’Golo Kante to their credit to defend as the hosts rallied towards the end.

Didier Deschamps’ men, though, held out, saving face after their embarrassing outing only days earlier.

“We had to redeem ourselves from the Finland game, in which were not good and not at our level,” Rabiot told L’Equipe TV. “Portugal, it was a serious match. It’s easier to motivate yourself, but you have to have the desire to do good things.

“We told ourselves that we had to start the game well and that’s what we did. We were compact defensively. Going forward, we could have scored but we created a lot of changes. In the end, we came under pressure a little, but in this type of match that’s normal.”

Utilised in a role on the left of the midfield, Rabiot, who won his eighth cap, was just happy to be back in the team.

“I was on the left in a 4-4-2, but my job was not that of a winger, I was a lot more central to the play,” the 25-year-old Juventus man said. “I tried to get the ball and play it forward. When we didn’t have the ball, it was a good position to block the opposing midfielders.

“It’s not a role I’m used to having, but I’m glad I got it and did it well. When you’re good, you can adapt to any position. I’m happy with my game and that of the team.”

Victory means France have sealed their place in the Nations League finals ahead of their last group clash with Sweden in midweek, while Portugal face Croatia.

Mamelodi Sundowns defender Anele Ngcongca is reportedly close to signing for AmaZulu.

Four months after a move to the now-defunct Belgian side KSV Roeselare fell through, Ngcongca is still on his way out of Chloorkop.

The defender announced on social media that he is on his way to Durban after a “medical [was] done [and] everything went well."

Far Post reported that the 33-year-old will be joining AmaZulu after swatting aside interest in him from Maritzburg United and Swallows FC.

He is said to be joining Usuthu on a season-long loan deal after he extended his Sundowns contract by another year in May.

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala is believed to have convinced Ngcongca to join AmaZulu.

Usuthu have signed more than 10 players during the current transfer window, including former Orlando Pirates stars Luvuyo Memela‚ Augustine Mulenga and Thembela Sikhakhane, as well as Tshabalala who headlines the new arrivals.

They have also secured the signatures of forward Siphelele Mthembu, Malawi defender Limbikani Mzava from Highkands Park, Siphelele Nene, Makhehleni Makhaula, Sicelo Mkhize and defender Samkelo Mgwazela.

Now, Ngcongca is said to be close to joining the band of players at AmaZulu as Sundowns are rumoured to be offloading a number of senior players.

Veteran defender Wayne Arendse, Tiyani Mabunda and striker Anthony Laffor are reportedly on their way out of Chloorkop and could be loaned to other PSL clubs.

After prominently featuring for Downs in the Premier Soccer League bio-bubble, Ngcongca was expected to be one of the club’s key players this season.

Glowing praise from former Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane two months ago appeared to have cemented his status at the club amid overtures from KSV Roeselare.

“I think you know my heart and feelings about Anele. He is one of the most underrated right-backs in the country," Mosimane told the media at the time.

“It would be sad to lose him, to be honest, but I don’t know what is happening between the club and his agent because we are in the bubble."

His reported move to AmaZulu comes as he was yet to play a single match for Sundowns this season.

Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has been praised for his free school meals campaign by former Old Trafford club-mate Romelu Lukaku.

Rashford has spent much of the year fighting reticence from the UK government to give children in poverty support over the course of their holidays, raising a huge sum of money to support the disadvantaged in the process.

Lukaku, who scored 42 goals in 96 games for United, says that he has “massive respect” for the work that his ex-colleague has done.

"What he did is a beautiful thing - it's something he deserves massive respect from the whole population, throughout England because what he did was challenge the government to help them with free school meals in the holidays because he comes from that environment and when you come from that environment you are marked for life," Lukaku told ESPN.

"I speak from my own experiences and it's stuff you don't want to see other kids to go through that stuff, what he did was a beautiful thing and he deserves massive respect wherever he goes. I expected nothing less from him because he has that awareness of trying to do the right thing for everybody - both on the football side and in general life. He deserves massive respect."

Rashford’s campaign has proven to be a roaring success. After the government initially turned down a bill in October to extend the free school meals scheme in the holidays until Easter 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced to back down and has since confirmed that an extra £170 million ($223m) of extra funding has been made available for the campaign.

The Man Utd ace had previously fought successfully for free school means to be offered during the summer.

Lukaku moved away from the Red Devils in the summer of 2019 to Inter, where he has enjoyed a strong start to life in Milan. He scored 34 goals in 51 matches last term and has seven more from eight appearances so far this time around.

The two attackers would have been set to meet on international duty on Sunday, with Belgium playing host to England in a Nations League clash, however Rashford had to withdraw from the Three Lions squad due to injury.

League A Group 2 is set for a thrilling finish, with Belgium two points clear of England and second-placed Denmark, who play pointless Iceland on Sunday.

Belgium go to Denmark on Wednesday to conclude their campaign, while England host Iceland.

Harambee Stars coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee has acknowledged they will face a tough battle to secure maximum points against Comoros in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Sunday.

The Harambee Stars held the island nation to a 1-1 draw in the first meeting played on Wednesday and will now be seeking to get a win against the same side in the reverse fixture set for Moroni.

Kenya coach Mulee, who started his reign in charge of the national team with the 1-1 draw, after replacing Francis Kimanzi, has now told Goal they must be ready to throw everything at Comoros because “it will be a difficult game.”

“It is not going to be an easy game,” Mulee told Goal. “We have to accept that Comoros have a good squad, they are a very good side when playing at home, they also did good away as they beat Togo 1-0, so it will not be an easy game.

“However, what I know in football, if you plan well, you will get the result you want, we have the chance to cause an upset, we have the chance to turn the tables against them, it is possible, I know we can do it with good mentality.

“Looking at how they played in the first meeting, they are a very solid side defensively, they troubled us at the back and they also have a very good goalkeeper [who kept them in the game at Kasarani], so we must devise ways of breaking them down.

“Moroni is a very difficult hunting ground but we will try as hard as we can to compose ourselves and do the job, we are confident and will make sure we get a decent result out there.”

Kenya are yet to win a match in the qualification campaign with their two other matches also ending in identical 1-1 draws - against Egypt away and Togo at home.

On Saturday, Egypt secured a 1-0 win against Togo to move top of Group G with five points, the same as Comoros, while Kenya are third on three while Togo have a single point.

The win by the Pharaohs was potentially a good result for Kenya and Comoros, as whoever wins the match on Sunday night will move top of the table with six points.

It is often said that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. ATK Mohun Bagan have followed this idiom to the hilt and it reflects in their squad-building exercise.  

The think tank remains the same with Antonio Habas at the helm of affairs and the management has obliged the coach by retaining all key players who had played a significant role in landing their third ISL (Indian Super League) title in six years. 

To put things into perspective they have retained 21 players from the previous campaign, the most by an ISL side. Also, they have not chopped and changed in the overseas contingent as only Tiri and Brad Inman has been added to their roster, with the Spanish centre-back a direct replacement for retired defender Agustin Garcia. 

In the attacking third, it will be business as usual for Roy Krishna who will continue to lead the lines with David Williams as his chief aide. In midfield, Habas can rely on his trusted personnel like Edu Garcia, Javi Hernandez, Carl McHugh, Pronay Halder, Jayesh Rane. All of them have been together for more than a year and have forged a brilliant understanding amongst them. 

However, in defence, there might be a couple of changes with Sandesh Jhingan and Tiri set to be the likely partners for Pritam Kotal in a three-man backline. Prabir Das will slot in his usual right wing-back position with either Michael Soosairaj or Subhasish Bose on the opposite flank. Arindam Bhattacharya will keep his place under the sticks. 

Therefore, we find that Habas can field his strongest XI with eight players on the pitch who have been playing together from the previous season, a luxury hardly any other ISL team can afford. Barring Bengaluru FC, who have also just made three new overseas signings, most teams have made wholesale changes to their squad. 

Bagan's arch-rivals East Bengal have assembled a completely new-look unit with a brand new foreign contingent and a domestic crew with only three faces from the previous setup. Similarly, Kerala Blasters, NorthEast United, and Hyderabad FC have made six new overseas signings while Jamshedpur FC, Odisha FC, Chennaiyin FC and FC Goa have made five each. Mumbai City, on the other hand, has completely revamped their foreign contingent.  

It is widely acknowledged that a team that has been together for a considerable period of time tends to be more fluid in transitions and executing training ground routines on the pitch. Moreover, the players are also in tune with Habas' methods which is a bonus for them. 

It is likely that the coach will stick to his 3-5-2 system that is well drilled into the players. Each of them knows their job and it will not be surprising if they kick-off from where they finished in the previous campaign. 

However, a lack of proper pre-season and the absence of any pre-season friendlies could have an adverse impact. 

Khassa Camara have big boots to fill this season at NorthEast United FC, tasked with the role of replacing former Highlanders' Colombian midfielder Jose Leudo.

Leudo was a leader on and off the pitch for the club in the past two seasons and Camara will be expected to fill the void left in midfield. 

Jersey Number: 6

Professional debut

Born in Chatenay-Malabry, France, Camara played his youth football at French third division club ESTAC Troyes before getting promoted to their senior team in the 2011-12 season. Unfortunately, Camara did not play a single game in his first year of senior football. He finally made his senior debut against Montpellier in 2012.

Experience in France and Greece

He continued to play at the club for three more seasons, before going on loan to French third division club Boulogne where he played nine matches.

After playing three seasons in France, the defender moved to Greece to play for Ergotelis FC where he played just seven matches before terminating his contract with the club. He then joined fellow second division club Xanthi FC.

Camara spent four and half seasons with Xanthi and had appeared in 79 league matches. Before coming to India, Camara had appeared in a total of 148 matches in various leagues in Europe scoring seven goals.

International Experience

Camara made his international debut back in 2013 against Canada in an international friendly and had started in the match for his team. He played in two more friendly matches against Canada before being part of the Mauritanian squad in the 2018 World Cup qualifying rounds. The midfielder appeared in three matches in the qualifying round against Tunisia twice and South Sudan once.

He also played in the African Cup of Nations qualifying round last year and had appeared in three more matches against Mali and Angola. He played only eight times for his national side and scored once. 

Last stint

The Mauritanian last played for Greek second division side Xanthi FC. After his contract got over with Greek club, the forward came to India to join NorthEast United.

Nigeria travel to Sierra Leone for their reverse fixture in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations billed for Cameroon.

The Super Eagles played out an unacceptable 4-4 draw in the first fixture, surrendering a four-goal lead as John Keister’s men left Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium with a point.

Victory for Gernot Rohr’s men against the Leone Stars will guarantee them a ticket to their 19th appearance at the biennial African football showpiece.

Having picked up an away point, Keister’s side would fancy their chances of stunning the Super Eagles as they are keen on qualifying for Afcon for the first time in 24 years.

WHEN IS THE GAME?

The Africa Cup of Nations qualifier has been scheduled for 17:00 (West African Time) on Tuesday, November 17.

WHAT CHANNELS CAN I WATCH THE GAME ON TV?

WHERE IS THE CLASH OF THE TITANS?

National Stadium Freetown

HOW CAN FANS GET INVOLVED?

Goal will be providing comprehensive coverage, news, interviews and features of the showdown.

Unofficial sources have touted German coach Karsten Neitzel as Selangor's new head coach earlier this week.

While Selangor secretary-general Johan Kamal Hamidon declined to confirm the rumour when contacted by Goal, he confirmed that the new boss has been involved in their 2021 roster.

"All the players' arrivals and departures are under Michael (technical director Michael Feichtenbeiner) and the new head coach. They have been in discussions on the matter and many other issues. 

"While the new coach was not around, Michael filled him in with information and feedbacks. All the decisions were made by both of them," explained Johan in a telephone conversation on Saturday.

And the Red Giants faithful will not need to wait long for the official club announcement on the new head coach appointment.

"We will announce it this coming Monday (November 16) through a video release. You will find out who he is then."

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho is open to ending Gedson Fernandes' loan from Benfica early with a January return now possible. 

The 21-year-old midfielder joined Spurs on an 18-month loan in January this year but he has made just one appearance for the club this season after featuring in 13 matches last campaign. 

With Tottenham now well stocked after a successful summer window, the Portugal international is set to struggle for regular minutes and Mourinho has floated the idea of Gedson returning to Benfica when the transfer window re-opens. 

Though happy to have him in his Spurs squad, Mourinho is seemingly willing to sanction an end to the loan should the player or Benfica request it come January. 

"For me it is never a problem, but a solution. Having him in the squad, even if he is not called up and not playing, is an extremely comfortable situation," Mourinho told SportTV.

"I will never be the one to push him or say that I don't want him here. But I understand the situation of the kid and Benfica.

"If the club wants to end the relationship here, we will be here to collaborate, because we want the good of the player. Benfica has the power to decide and will be accepted by us."

Prior to joining Tottenham, Gedson has established himself in Benfica's first-team squad after nearly a decade in their youth set-up. 

Speaking to Spurs' website in April, the young midfielder conceded he has found the transition to the Premier League surprisingly tough.

“It’s completely different to what we saw on the TV. When I made my first minutes, I couldn’t believe it because everything felt so slow but at the same time everything was so fast on the pitch. It’s something different to learn," Gedson said.

"Mentally, I think when you play the first few minutes of a game, you feel so tired. After that you feel okay, you feel comfortable, so you can play your game but yes, in the first few minutes, they are crazy moments.

"You are alert, you want to see what’s happening but, at the same time, you have no time to wait and watch around to see where your man is. You need to be focused. Your head has to stay in the moment."

Fernando Santos defended his decision to start Diogo Jota on the bench as Portugal fell to France in the Nations League.

N'Golo Kante's 53rd-minute goal proved to be enough for France on Saturday as the world champions claimed top spot in Group A3 and a place in the Finals.

Santos opted for a front three of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva and Joao Felix in Lisbon, with Jota introduced shortly after Kante's goal.

The Liverpool forward had eight passes in the opposition half, as many as Silva managed in his 72 minutes, but finished without a shot on goal.

But Santos said the attack was not Portugal's problem against France, defending the decision to start Jota from the bench.

"As I said before, this team played in France and did very well there. And I don't remember someone asking me why Diogo Jota did not start the game," the Portugal coach told a news conference.

"Jota is definitely a top-quality player, everybody knows that. So is Bernardo, and the same goes for Cristiano. And Felix, too. If Jota had played and the team's performance wasn't good, you would ask me why Bernardo or Felix didn't play as Felix is in top form at Atletico Madrid and Bernardo is Bernardo. That's normal.

"I understand your question and I am alright with it. It's normal to listen to these questions after the game.

"But I don't believe this was our problem. We had collective issues and we couldn't stop France playing. And perhaps one or another problem in the midfield, too."

The loss ended Portugal's Nations League defence after they were crowned inaugural champions last year.

While Santos lamented their exit, he was looking ahead to their final group game against Croatia on Tuesday.

"Bad, very bad. It's difficult for me, it's difficult for the players too. It's obviously difficult to take it. And we won't probably sleep tonight. But even without sleeping, tomorrow we need to focus on Tuesday's game," he said.

"We have responsibility to feature in that game and we represent Portugal. The Portuguese fans are used to seeing this team playing well and winning games. Fortunately, we have won many games. I believe tonight was my fourth defeat at the national team since I got here. Therefore, we have to keep our heads high.

"Obviously it will be difficult tomorrow but we must move on and focus on the game against Croatia. We must go there and play well, as this team is used to doing."

Timo Werner was delighted to mark his return to Leipzig with a brace in Germany's 3-1 win over Ukraine on Saturday.

After Leroy Sane cancelled out Roman Yaremchuk's opener at Red Bull Arena Leipzig, Werner scored a double as Germany went top of Nations League Group A4.

Werner, RB Leipzig's all-time leading goalscorer, left the Bundesliga club for Chelsea in June, but starred back at his previous home.

The forward was pleased with his brace and said Germany were only getting better.

"My first goal was really simple because the assist from Leon [Goretzka] was very, very good," Werner told DFB.de.

"To score two goals here in Leipzig, where I had four great years, is a great feeling. I always enjoy returning to Leipzig. It's a shame that we couldn't have any fans in here.

"Overall, it was a good performance. Our form is picking up and going forward things are looking pretty good. We're also getting more solid at the back.

"We are working hard so that we can have a good Euros next year."

Goretzka also set up Sane's equaliser and his five total shots were the most of any player on the pitch. Ilkay Gundogan, meanwhile, completed 97 of 104 passes and had 67 in the opposition half, which was 26 more than the next best – defender Niklas Sule.

Germany coach Joachim Low was satisfied with his side's performance.

"That wasn't an easy game for us. Everyone saw that Ukraine can play," he said.

"In the first half, we set a high tempo and had the game under control, in the second we weren't quite so determined and lost the ball a few times. Overall, I think we can be satisfied.

"We had to replace a few players, but we were still able to find our rhythm. We brought tempo and a threat to the game with our three quick forwards, who kept our opponents busy all game.

"In defence, we tried to break down Ukraine's passing channels early, which is why we tested Robin Koch in the middle. He did a good job. Toni Kroos will return to the team on Tuesday against Spain."

Germany are a point clear of Spain ahead of their meeting – their final group games – in Seville.

France manager Didier Deschamps has confirmed Kylian Mbappe is set to be involved in their next Nations League clash against Sweden. 

Mbappe has sat out of Les Bleus past two matches due to a lingering hamstring injury with Deschamps' side losing 2-0 against Finland before bouncing back with a 1-0 win over Portugal on Saturday. 

With just one goal from two matches, Mbappe's absence has been felt in the final third and France are now poised to welcome the Paris Saint-Germain star back into the fold when they face Sweden on Tuesday. 

"He will be there, he is keen and he is ready," Deschamps said when asked about Mbappe's availability. 

On his side's win against Portugal, the France coach added to TF1: "It’s great to see the players like that, to come out and win here. This victory is deserved, with a lot of solidarity, also of quality. We achieved our goal, we wanted to finish first. Whatever happens in the last game, we'll stay first. It’s good to reach the goals, I’m very proud of the players.

"It's not always easy, especially during these complicated times. Some have club situations which are not the best. But when they meet there, there is still that competitive spirit and tonight they have proven that the France team is still a great team.

"Taking into account the quality of the opponent, obviously this is a benchmark match. I'm not talking about the one we played three days ago against Finland but in a game like today there is less need to warn them about the goal. They prefer to play these matches but the group is there and present. They have proven that the state of mind is still there." 

PSG manager Thomas Tuchel is now set to sweat on the fitness of Mbappe and noted prior to the international break that clubs are powerless when it comes to how players are used by their countries.

“It's the right of the national team to call up players. We cannot do anything," Tuchel said. “If the boys are injured and can't play, I always prefer that they don't play.

“It's a super important phase, a good time to recover for players, but we have confidence that they will be treated well, that they have good care and good preparation. It's the truth. We have confidence in these people who are responsible for the national teams.

“If the players are called up, there's nothing we can do."

Spain head coach Luis Enrique appeared to be unaware his side played the final portion of Saturday's match against Switzerland with a man advantage.

La Roja required a last-minute goal from Gerard Moreno to snatch a 1-1 draw in Saturday's Nations League clash with the Swiss.

Spain were heading for successive Group A4 defeats before substitute Gerard struck to cancel out Remo Freuler's first-half opener in a game that saw Sergio Ramos miss two penalties.

Nico Elvedi fouled Alvaro Morata in the box to give Ramos his second penalty attempt in the 80th minute, with the defender shown a second yellow card for the infraction. 

However, when Luis Enrique was quizzed about his side's numerical advantage by Marca after the game, the head coach turned to a staff member and appeared to ask "what sending off?" before answering the question.

Having started with Gerard and Alvaro Morata in Wednesday's 1-1 friendly draw with the Netherlands, Luis Enrique reverted back to his striker-less system at St Jakob-Park by recalling Dani Olmo to lead the line.

It was ultimately Villarreal striker Gerard who made the difference for Spain as he got on the end of Sergio Reguilon's left-sided cross and clinically converted from seven yards out – one of 20 shots the visitors attempted.

Luis Enrique's side have scored three goals in their past five games but the coach has stood by his decision to leave out the likes of Morata and Gerard in Basel until the second half.

"Soccer can be like this," he said. "It is a wonderful game but sometimes it does not do justice. A lot of things happened and we tried to play our style. 

"We felt that a number nine was not going to be necessary in the first half. We lacked a bit of freshness but I think Switzerland were good.

"We lacked when it came to the most difficult thing – scoring. On the basis of the first half we deserved to win, and on the basis of the second as well. It is easy to say after the game that Morata had to play or Gerard should have played."

Spain have taken one point from their past two Group A4 matches, having lost 1-0 to Ukraine last month, and now face Germany – one point better off after beating Ukraine 3-1 on Saturday – in a final-game shootout for top spot on Tuesday.

"I already have a plan for the Germany game," Luis Enrique added. "We will have to see how the players recover and take that into account.

"But we now know that we need to win or be out, as if it was a knockout game in the European Championship."

Arguably the biggest selection call of all, however, was Luis Enrique's decision to bring in Unai Simon over benched pair David de Gea and Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal for the second match running.

Simon made two saves but was well beaten for Freuler's opener and was caught out in the second half when racing way off his line and failing to get the ball, with Ramos getting back to block Haris Seferovic's shot on the line.

Asked to explain his goalkeeping pecking order, Luis Enrique said: "I have always declared that I am happy with all three of them.

"I will keep calling on them. Unai has been very good."

Spain head coach Luis Enrique has jumped to the defence of record-breaker Sergio Ramos, who missed a pair of penalties in Spain's 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Saturday. 

On a night when Ramos passed Gianluigi Buffon to become the most-capped player in European football history, the Real Madrid captain saw two second-half penalties saved by Switzerland keeper Yann Sommer.

Remo Freuler opened the scoring for the Swiss in the 26th minute, before Gerard Moreno spared Ramos' blushes with an 89th-minute equaliser in the UEFA Nations League match at St. Jakob-Park in Basel.

Ramos had scored a remarkable 25 straight penalties for club and country before missing two in the span of 23 minutes, and his head coach said that record means he is in no danger of losing his status as Spain's top penalty-taker. 

"Sergio Ramos' record with penalties is up there with the very best," Luis Enrique said after the game. "It would be very unfair to take him off because he's missed one, two, three.

"If there were another penalty, he would've taken it...if he misses two, to take him off penalty duties would be a joke. There's a list of penalty takers and Sergio Ramos is at the top."

Gerard also backed up his coach's words on a night when Ramos reached his 177th international appearance. 

"Sergio is a born winner. Today he couldn't score the two penalties but he's played many games – many defeats, many victories. He has a lot of experience," Gerard said.

"Today the penalties didn't go in but I don't know how many he's made before that. It's not something we should worry about. I'm sure if there's another penalty he's going to take it and he's going to score.

"We are all calm. Sergio is also calm. I haven't been able to talk with him yet but I'm very calm that the next penalty Sergio takes he's going to score."

With the draw on Saturday, Spain fell to second place in Group 4 of League A, one point behind Germany. La Roja will take on Germany on Tuesday at the Estadio La Cartuja in Seville. 

West Ham United star Sebastien Haller said he does not regret ditching France to pledge his international allegiance to the Ivory Coast.

Earlier this month, the France youth star who was born to an Ivorian mother, received his debut invitation to the Elephants' set-up for their double-header 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar.

Haller made an instant impact on his debut appearance for the Ivory Coast, after replacing injured Jonathan Kodjia and he scored the second goal that sealed their 2-1 win in Abidjan on Thursday.

When asked if it was difficult for him to leave France after playing for their U16, U17, U18, U19, U20 and U21 teams, the 26-year-old told France Football; “No since I'm not giving up anything, I haven't been anywhere. I did not go to the A-team and I do not regret this choice at all.

“If I haven't been there, it's because there are reasons, it's life, it's career. I'm glad I didn't go because, otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to reach Cote d'Ivoire. Didier Deschamps? Everyone makes their choices as they see fit. Everyone makes their way in relation to themselves. You can't blame something that didn't happen. If it didn't happen, it must have been like this.

“I try to avoid looking back or trying to regret things that might have happened. Today, you have to move forward, look ahead, take the opportunities, focus on them and be positive.”

Haller narrated how Ivory Coast coach Patrice Beaumelle convinced him to join his project in the West African country.

“Honestly, he (Patrice Beaumelle) came to see me a few months ago about this. I always had the choice of Ivory Coast in the back of my mind when I started football,” he said.

“It has always been relevant in the sense that I have both nationalities. For a while, it's true that the next logical step was to go to France because I had known the youth categories and had grown up in France. But we mature, we reflect, a lot of things are happening. There are also contexts which allow a choice to be oriented.

“Today, if I made this choice, it is because I am reaching an age where I do not really want to play on I do not know what uncertainty. I wanted to take what there was to take and really indulge myself. That you trust me and return that trust.

“I'm 26 years old, I want to be important for this Ivory Coast team and not be just an extra and come for two or three selections. I want to try to register for this duration. And I like it. The coach made me want to join the selection and I took the decision.”