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Former Maroons FC head coach Asaph Mwebaze has revealed how Montreal Impact defender Mustafa Kizza helped them get Ugandan Premier League (UPL) promotion five seasons ago.

Mwebaze stated he approached KCCA FC – Kizza’s immediate former side – looking for players he thought would help them fight for a UPL slot after their relegation.

“In the season of 2016/17 KCCA had several young stars that had just graduated from their junior side while Maroons had just suffered relegation to the second tier and was trying to assemble a team for the long haul,” Mwebaze told Football256.

“I contacted coach Mike Mutebi to take some of those players and specifically asked for [Peter] Magambo, [Mustafa] Kizza and [Allan] Okello to bolster my young side in Luzira.

“I was told that I could have Kizza, [Paul] Willa and [Ronald] Kikonyogo, I ran off to Fufa house on deadline day with then Maroons CEO [Innocent] Oguda to have these players transferred on the Fifa matching system.”

The former Nyamityobora head coach further explained how the left-back brought a new lease of life at Maroons.

“Kizza reported for training the next day and I knew I had just completed the jigsaw for promotion. I had a defence of Kizza, Eddie Kapampa, Richard Ayiko, Maxwell Okello and Allan Anguyo,” he continued.

“That season we played a 3-5-2 formation and we went the first round unbeaten with Patrick Kaddu firing on all cylinders.

“Kizza’s ability to deliver the ball in dangerous areas provided us with a very lethal attack with compliments from Kapampa on the right.

“He became our dead ball specialist as his ability to hit the target was jaw-dropping. He was profoundly known as ‘Muchezaggi’ translated as a player in English.

“His assists contributed to the proficient attack at Maroons led by Kaddu with Solomon Walusimbi, Pius Obuya and Kikonyogo in tandem.”

Subsequently, Kizza signed a deal with Montreal Impact for two years with an option for an additional three.

Kizza was a key member of the Kassasiro Boys side which lifted the UPL title in 2019.

In the abandoned 2019/20 season, in which KCCA surrendered the title to Vipers FC, the full-back-cum-winger scored five goals and gave 12 assists from 19 games.

He has already started training with the Canadian side after he was unveiled on Friday and given jersey number 12 just the same number he wore at KCCA.

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden has earned his return to the England squad, says Micah Richards.

The 20-year-old has been included in Gareth Southgate's squad for the upcoming matches against Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Iceland.

It is just the second time Foden has been called up, having made his debut in September before he and Mason Greenwood were sent back home after breaching coronavirus protocol in Iceland.

Foden issued a lengthy apology for his behaviour in Iceland, but he and Greenwood were overlooked by Southgate for the international games in October.

While Greenwood has once again been left out, the manager has decided to give Foden another chance and ex-City right-back Richards says it is "fully deserved".

“Every player has got their own journey. They have to learn from their own mistakes," he said on Sky Sports.

“The best way to do right is to do well on the pitch, and he does that, time and time again. He's been recalled to the England squad and he fully deserves it. 

“In England we always talk about how we can't retain the ball, we need all these technical players, and then when they come around, they don't play and don't get a chance.I'm glad he's in the squad because he's a top player.

“The important thing for Foden now, like any young player, is to play regularly.

“Obviously he's had one or two opportunities over the last year or two.”

Foden has made 10 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side this season, scoring twice in the Premier League and once in the Carabao Cup. 

Former Manchester United star Roy Keane has been impressed by the way the youngster has stepped in to replace David Silva following his summer departure.

"Silva's now left, it is unfair to compare them because Silva's one of the greatest players we've ever seen in the Premier League," Keane said

"The key for him now, he's got all the talent, is can he do it week in, week out? He's made one or two mistakes. He's a talented kid."

Geoffrey Kondogbia has highlighted the positives of his debut game for Atletico Madrid in Saturday’s 4-0 La Liga triumph over Cadiz.

The Central African Republic international joined the Red and Whites from Valencia on a four-year deal as a replacement for Ghana’s Thomas Partey, who joined Arsenal.

Eventually, he made his much-awaited bow against the Yellow Submarine after coming on for Koke with 18 minutes left to play.

The 27-year-old held sway in the middle, albeit, he was cautioned in the 85th minute after lunging into Salvi Sanchez.

In the end, Diego Simeone's side got maximum points at stake thanks to goals from Marcos Llorente, Luis Suarez and a brace from Joao Felix.

Kondogbia is delighted to play his first game for Atleti while assuring that he would keep working hard.

He also talked about the depth of quality in Simeone’s squad and he believes with them, he would adapt quickly.

“It was an incredible night. We took the lead early and things went well for us after that. I also had my debut, so I think it’s positive for the team and myself,” he told club media.

“I’ll try to work hard and help the team. Now it’s time to get to know my teammates and understand what they and the coach want from me. I’ll slowly adapt to the team.

“They’ve welcomed me really well. I already knew Yannick, and Thomas [Lemar] a little bit, who played for AS Monaco.

“I’ve found a fantastic group of players and I think that will help me to adapt quickly.”

After the latest result, the 10-time Spanish top-flight kings are third on the log having accrued 17 points from seven matches, while Alvaro Cervera's men occupy the sixth position with 14 points having played two games more.

Atletico Madrid return to action after the international break with a blockbuster clash against Barcelona on home soil on November 21. For Cadiz, they are next in action in La Liga against Real Sociedad on the road on November 22.

Kondogbia is expected to be in action for Central African Republic when they take on Vahid Halihodzic’s Morocco in this week’s double-header Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Aleksey Miranchuk struck 11 minutes from time to earn Atalanta a 1-1 draw against Inter in Sunday's cagey Serie A clash, denying Lautaro Martinez the match-winning glory.

The Lombardy rivals have now won just two of their last 13 games between them and neither side really got going in a low-quality contest at the Gewiss Stadium.

Martinez guided Ashley Young's cross away from Marco Sportiello just before the hour mark to open the scoring for Inter, who had Alexis Sanchez back in their line-up and brought on Romelu Lukaku in the second half.

Arturo Vidal squandered a glorious chance to double the visitors' tally and that proved a costly miss as Miranchuk found a late equaliser, leaving Inter sixth in the table and a point below their opponents.

Hans Hateboer had a header routinely kept out by Samir Handanovic and Ruslan Malinovskiy fired over from a good position in a first half of few chances.

The closest Inter came to a breakthrough before half-time was through Vidal's looping header that dipped too late and ended over the crossbar.

Yet it was the visitors who took the lead 58 minutes in thanks to Martinez's glanced header after being picked out by Young eight yards from goal.

Vidal should have doubled Inter's lead seven minutes later but he was denied from a one-on-one by Sportiello, who also kept out Nicolo Barella's follow-up attempt.

Inter have struggled for clean sheets this season and they were unable to hold on to their lead here as substitute Miranchuk controlled the ball and drilled into the bottom corner.

That made Miranchuk the first Russian to score in Serie A since Viktor Boudianski for Ascoli against Palermo in May 2007, and Atalanta could easily have snatched the win, only for Luis Muriel to plant a diving header wide from six yards.

Both sides had late penalty shouts turned down, with Lukaku going to ground moments after Danilo D'Ambrosio got away with a high boot in the other box, as the contest finished all square.

What does it mean? Inter still stuttering

After going three games without a win in all competitions prior to this, Antonio Conte acknowledged the importance of his Inter side picking up a victory at the Gewiss Stadium.

Atalanta shipped five against Liverpool at this ground in midweek and were there for the taking, especially after Martinez had given the visitors a goal to build on.

But Inter were once again caught out at the back, conceding for the 16th time in 10 matches. Going further back, it is now one win in eight and Conte will surely be feeling the heat over the two-week break.

Martinez makes his mark

With Lukaku still not fit enough to return to the starting XI, it was left to Martinez to lead the line alongside Sanchez, who is also still attempting to regain full fitness.

Martinez scored his fifth goal of the campaign from one of his game-high five shots on target - Malinovskiy was next best with three - and it was only after he went off that Inter conceded.

Inter's lax defending

Miranchuk was picked out on the edge of the Inter box, allowed to swivel, knock the ball out of his feet and then fire away from Samir Handanovic into the bottom-right corner, almost in one swift movement.

As good as the goal was - his first in Serie A - he should never have been allowed to get the shot away in the first place. Stefan de Vrij could not get near him and was the only outfield Inter player who took part in the full match and did not attempt a tackle.

What's next?

Atalanta travel to Spezia on their return to Serie A action, while Inter resume duties after the international break with a home match against Torino.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said he felt no hurt seeing Liverpool celebrate the Premier League title last season.

The Etihad Stadium side had set the standard in the two previous campaign, winning the crown in back-to-back seasons, yet Liverpool blew them out of the water in 2020-21.

The Reds won the title with a record number of games to spare, while they accumulated an impressive 99 points despite a relative slump in form towards the end of the campaign.

Guardiola, whose side go head-to-head with the Anfield club in their first meeting of the season on Sunday, has said that he was unmoved by Jurgen Klopp’s triumph.

Asked how much he hurt after the loss, he said: “Absolutely zero because they well deserved it.

“I am professional enough to know we are not going to win all the titles. In football and sport you lose more than you win and the important thing is how you learn from your mistakes.”

Meanwhile, he will not get carried away, no matter the result of Sunday’s fixture.

“We are not going to win the Premier League on Sunday and we are not going to lose it on Sunday,” he said of the match, which could see City close the gap to the Reds to two points with a game in hand. “Of course being close to Liverpool would be important and being up the table would be important.

"The team is ready, like they always have been in these type of clashes. We know how important it is but we have a lot of games to play and incredible months ahead.

"This kind of game against the top, top teams show you the moment you are in right now."

Ahead of the match, City lie 12th in the standings on 11 points, six behind provisional leaders Tottenham. Liverpool, though, could reclaim their familiar spot at the head of the standings going into the international break with a victory.

City won the last clash between the sides 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium in July, although that was something of a dead rubber as the Reds had already been crowned champions.

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson has expressed his concern about the international travels of four players of the club for 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying assignments amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Striker Jordan Ayew and midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp have been summoned by Ghana for a double-header against Sudan. Attacker Wilfried Zaha has been called up by Cote d'Ivoire for back-to-back games against Madagascar while midfielder-cum-centre-back Cheikhou Kouyate is in the Senegal squad for matches against Guinea-Bissau. 

Hodgson's worry has been elevated by the outcome of the last international break where some players, including Ayew, tested positive for the disease upon their return to the club. 

"I am a little bit disappointed that players are going to go as far as Africa to play matches," Hodgson has said, as reported by his club's official website.  

"I don’t know that in this Covid world and environment in which we live, it is really great news to be sending your players to places like Sudan and Mauritius.

"But it is something that we probably have to do, but I am just hoping this time the countries that they go and play for will look after them well because the last time we lost Jordan Ayew for two weeks."

Hodgson was left fuming after the last international break when Ayew contracted coronavirus upon joining Ghana for international friendly matches against Mali and Qatar in Turkey. 

"Unfortunately he [Ayew] tested positive for Covid in our last test on Friday," Hodgson said last month, per the Evening Standard.

"He's been away with Ghana, which we weren't exactly delighted to accept that he had to do. Like several other Ghanaian players, I believe when they have gone back to their clubs they have tested positive.

"Now we have to follow the relative government and Premier League guidelines before we see him again.

"I don't know [when we'll have him back]. Don't ask me to stand here and explain all of the Premier League government guidelines when it comes to Covid."

About six other Ghana players also tested positive for coronavirus after their last set of internationals.

Celta Vigo defender Joseph Aidoo, Hoffenheim centre-back Kasim Nuhu Adams, Vitoria Guimaraes left-back Gideon Mensah and Besiktas midfielder Bernard Mensah were among the infected players.

Ghana are set to host Sudan in a first leg fixture on November 12 before travelling away for the reverse fixture five days later. 

Bayern Munich youngster Jamal Musiala remains at the centre of a tug of war between England and Germany despite his recent call up to the Three Lions' Under-21s squad for the first time.

The 17-year-old has three national team options through his British-Nigerian father and his German mother, but it is understood that he is unlikely to opt to play for the Super Eagles in future.

The DFB have already called up the Stuttgart-born youngster to their Under-16s, but having come through at Chelsea's academy before moving to Munich, he has played more for English youth teams.

It is understood that despite his call up to Aidy Boothroyd's Under-21s, his future won't be secured until he formally debuts in a competitive senior team fixture. This would see him tied to that nation through FIFA's rules, as the youngster prioritises his development and is torn between both nations.

Boothroyd spoke about his decision to call up the young attacking midfielder who has been making a big impact with the European champions this season.

“Jamal has been doing really well at Bayern Munich, getting a couple of starts and making a number of cameo appearances and when you’re involved in a team of Bayern Munich’s quality you have to take notice of that,” he added.

“We’ve been tracking him for quite a while and he has been in the system. I work very closely with not only Les Reed but John McDermott and Lee Carsley, as well as Gareth, in terms of when it is right for players to come into the squad.

“We think it’s the right time for Jamal to get into the U21s, so we can get a close look at him. He’s been playing really well, getting Champions League exposure and he is one of those players who has forced himself into our plans.”

Musiala is just one of many England stars to have ongoing dual nationality considerations with Conor Gallagher having Irish ancestry, Tariq Lamptey with Ghana and Eberechi Eze having trained with Nigeria's national team already.

The hype around Musiala has risen as he becomes the youngest player to play and score for Bayern Munich as he breaks a series of records in 2020.

Hansi Flick has now made the youngster a permanent fixture of his squad after he turned down a lucrative new contract at Chelsea to make a move to the Bundesliga.

"I'm really happy about my years in England," Musiala said upon his arrival at Bayern. "There were a few interested teams in Europe, but if such a big club in Germany is interested, you can't say no. I loved Bavaria from an early age."

Derby County defender Lee Buchanan also earned his first U21 call-ups to Boothroyd's squad for games against Andorra on 13 November and Albania four days later.

The Young Lions already secured their qualification for next year’s European Championship finals last month, thanks to a victory over Turkey at Molineux.

Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo has confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo suffered an ankle injury in the 1-1 draw with Lazio on Sunday.

The Portugal star, who gave his side the lead in the first half at Stadio Olimpico, picked up a knock in a clash with Lazio midfielder Luis Alberto and was replaced by Paulo Dybala in the 76th minute of the game.

Pirlo could not give any details on the severity of the injury but told DAZN: "Ronaldo is a key player not only for us but for all the teams he has played for. Unfortunately he had an ankle problem and was forced to leave the field."

The reigning Italian champions held on to their lead until the deep into second half stoppage time, when Joaquin Correa laid it off for substitute Felipe Caicedo to smash into the bottom corner and earn a point for the home side.

Pirlo was happy with his side's performance overall, but warned that such slip ups could cost them the Serie A title.

"We had a good match, they had never shot us on goal, there were no signs, but we have to take care of every little detail," the former midfielder said. "We didn't manage the ball in the last 10 seconds. We are satisfied with the game, unfortunately not with the result.

"The head comes first of all, today all the boys have given their best, shown that they can play these matches. if you go on to the pitch with a negative attitude, you have bad performances.

"We were missing the malice to achieve the decisive results. When they do it like they did today, they see the solutions.

"We are always working to improve, we put new ideas into every game. Today [Federico] Chiesa was unable to play, [Giorgio] Chiellini is injured and Alex Sandro and [Matthijs] de Ligt are out, but we can’t use these as excuses.”

Pirlo's men are now three points behind Serie A leaders AC Milan, who host Hellas Verona at San Siro on Sunday evening. Lazio, meanwhile, are ninth in the table and five points adrift of the Rossoneri.

Things are back on the up again at Manchester United following Saturday’s 3-1 victory against Everton at Goodison Park, as they bounced back from a goal down to put a miserable week behind them.

The Red Devils headed into this one on the back of consecutive defeats—against Arsenal and Istanbul Basaksehir—with two performances to match the underwhelming scorelines.

Against Everton, at least early on, it looked like it would be a similar story, before Bruno Fernandes turned on the class and Edinson Cavani netted a late third to alleviate the pressure—for now at least—on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Cavani’s strike will fuel optimism at Old Trafford, but it also threatens to shunt Odion Ighalo further into obscurity at the club.

The Nigeria international moved to United at the start of the year, on a loan move from China, where he’d enjoyed an enviable scoring record after departing Watford.

He may not have been United’s first choice, and he wasn’t the kind of glamour signing to get the pulses racing, but as short-term fixes go—particularly with the club’s injury concerns at the time and the Red Devils competing on multiple fronts—it was a move that made sense.

Initially, things worked out well, with Ighalo engendering much goodwill when he revealed—seemingly with striking authenticity—that United had been close to his heart since his youth.

Easing the pressure on the side as they competed on multiple fronts, Ighalo became the go-to man for the cup competitions; he scored at will in both the FA Cup and the Europa League.

He even equalled a United record that had stood for 95 years when he bagged against Norwich City following the resumption of action after the coronavirus suspension, becoming the first player since Jimmy Hanson in 1925 to score in his first four competitive starts for the club.

It almost didn’t matter that he was barely playing in the Premier League, and not scoring when he did.

Will we look back on that goal in the future and say that that was as good as it ever got for Ighalo at Old Trafford?

Certainly, while United responded strongly during Project Restart, the Covid-19 delay and subsequent resuming of action didn’t work in his favour.

First of all, Marcus Rashford returned from injury, then Mason Greenwood proved that he could be a difference-maker in the Premier League, United were knocked out of the FA Cup, and the decision was taken to play the Europa League after the conclusion of the Prem season.

Suddenly, almost all of the reasons why Ighalo was brought to the North-West had disappeared. He was way down the pecking order already before Cavani was recruited on a free transfer before the transfer window closed.

Here was another veteran—older than Ighalo no less—with a greater pedigree in the game; more success, more silverware, and destined for more playing time at Old Trafford than his new teammate.

Since October 24, Cavani has played 93 minutes across all competitions for United, Ighalo has played zero during that period, and not taken to the field for the heavyweights since the 3-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup in September.

While Ighalo, on one hand, has something of a track record in English football—an advantage he holds over Cavani—any concerns about the South American’s ability to cut it in the Prem were dispelled when he netted late against Everton.

He’d previously gone close against Chelsea, and when he scored against Everton became the oldest player since Zlatan Ibrahimovic—also once of this parish—to bag his first top flight goal.

Cavani may have endured a tough season in Ligue 1 in 2019-20, as he scored just four, but he bagged 100 league goals alone across the previous four seasons, and is clearly a quality addition to the squad.

But where does his arrival leave Ighalo?

Having extended his loan deal at Old Trafford until the start of 2021, the Nigeria forward isn’t set to leave any time soon, even though there were some feint rumours of an exit during the offseason.

Instead, barring injury to one—or even two—of his striking rivals, the attacker appears primed to sit out the remainder of his United career on the substitutes bench (at best).

It’s set to be a disappointing conclusion to Ighalo’s time at Old Trafford, as while things didn’t begin particularly auspiciously, he overcame the initial scepticism with his goals and attitude, and has certainly deserved more opportunity to build on his encouraging goals-to-minutes ratio.

Harry Kane scored his 150th Premier League goal to snatch a 1-0 victory for Tottenham at West Brom on Sunday.

Despite starting with Kane, Son Heung-min and Gareth Bale in attack, Jose Mourinho's side delivered a largely flat attacking performance against the Baggies.

Indeed, they needed a good Hugo Lloris save and the intervention of the left-hand post in the second half to prevent Slaven Bilic's men taking the lead in the second half.

However, Kane secured a fourth win in a row away from home in the top flight when he headed Matt Doherty's delivery beyond Sam Johnstone.

The best of the early chances fell to Son, who had lots of time and space in the penalty area but eventually saw a shot blocked over by Semi Ajayi.

West Brom twice came close to a breakthrough, Karlan Grant nodding a good Darnell Furlong cross wide and Eric Dier heading well off the line with Grant lurking.

It took until the hour mark for Spurs to register a shot on target, Sergio Reguilon stinging the palms of goalkeeper Sam Johnstone with a speculative strike from outside the box.

Giovani Lo Celso, on for the injured Tanguy Ndombele, had a great chance to make a swift impact but hooked his shot wide from barely 10 yards out.

Conor Gallagher clipped the post from the edge of the box and Lloris reacted superbly to tip away a Grant header following a corner, as West Brom's best chances went begging.

Johnstone thought he had secured a share of the spoils, saving well low to his right to keep out a strike from Carlos Vinicius, but his indecision as Doherty swung in a high ball allowed Kane to head in the winner.

What does it mean? Kane milestone goal sends Spurs top

Mourinho's side jumped to the top of the table and knew they would stay there for the international break if Leicester City and Liverpool failed to win later on Sunday. Regardless of that outcome, their unbeaten run in the league now stands at seven, while West Brom remain winless and on just three points from eight matches.

Kane, who reached 200 goals in all competitions for Spurs this week, is on 150 in the top flight in only 218 appearances. Only Alan Shearer (212 games) and Sergio Aguero (217) reached that tally quicker.

Ajayi a giant for Baggies

Bilic was deeply unhappy when West Brom offloaded Ahmed Hegazi, but Ajayi has since found some fine form. The Nigeria centre-back was outstanding against Kane, Son and Bale, with a team-high five tackles, four interceptions, three blocks and 11 possessional gains.

Bale anonymous

Bale scored the winner against Brighton and Hove Albion last week, but he offered little in his first league start since rejoining Spurs, mustering just two shots and attempting only 21 passes, the fewest of any of Spurs' starting XI.

Key Opta stats

- Tottenham have won each of their opening four away games of a league season for just the fourth time in their history (also 1949-50, 1960-61 and 2017-18).
- West Brom have failed to win any of their first eight games of a league season for only the second time, having last done so in 1985-86, when they would go on to be relegated from the top-flight.
- Tottenham have kept a clean sheet in back-to-back away league games for the first time since October 2018.
- West Brom have failed to score in back-to-back home Premier League matches for the first time since a run of four games in a row from April to May 2017.
- Kane has been directly involved in 27 goals in his last 14 starts for Tottenham in all competitions, scoring 17 and assisting 10.

What's next?

Spurs face the tough prospect of a home game against Manchester City on November 21. West Brom resume duties after the international break at Manchester United.

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck has stated his charges prepared well for a win over Yanga SC in the Kariakoo Derby played on Saturday.

The two teams shared the spoils and the Belgian says there is no option but to take the point and focus on the forthcoming appointments. 

"We had prepared well for the game despite missing the services of some of our key players like Meddie Kagere and Chris Mugalu," Vandenbroeck told reporters. 

"As a team, we accept everything that has happened and we will rectify the mistakes made ahead of our next assignment. It was not our plan to get a draw against Yanga, we wanted a win and were psychologically prepared."

Earlier on, defender Joash Onyango also stated the 21-time champions had come into the derby with a plan to get a win.

"It was a tough game for either team, owing to its magnitude and none wanted to lose. Yanga played well, but we also played well. I thank my teammates for playing according to the plan," the Kenya international told reporters. 

"We were prepared to get a win, however, it did not go according to plan and we ended up sharing spoils. A point is better than none, it is football and in some instances, it does not happen as wished." 

In that match that ended 1-1, it was Yanga who scored first.

Wananchi won a penalty in the 35th minute and Sarpong did justice to his hardworking teammates by converting from the spot and tilt the scoreline in their favour.  

Tuisila Kisinda’s great surge towards Simba’s box was responsible for the most open opportunity, that resulted in the penalty. Onyango tripped the Ghanaian centre-forward and the referee pointed to the spot with Simba players protesting – as they felt Kisinda was fouled outside the 18-yard area – head coach Sven Vandenbroeck stood stunned on the touchline.  

Sarpong scored to make his goals from the spot three since joining Timu ya Wananchi from Rayon Sports. As Sarpong enjoyed a good moment in his maiden Kariakoo Derby, it was the exact opposite to Onyango who was signed from Gor Mahia.  

Onyango scored in the 86th minute to ensure the two teams picked a point each from the tense encounter in Dar es Salaam.

Simba won a corner that was delivered by Luis Miquisosne and Onyango rose quite high to head the ball past Metacha Mnata.

Felipe Caicedo was Lazio's hero as his last-gasp strike cancelled out Cristiano Ronaldo's goal in a 1-1 draw against Juventus at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.

Lazio lacked bite in the absence of star striker Ciro Immobile, one of three players along with Lucas Leiva and Thomas Strakhosha absent after reportedly returning inconclusive coronavirus tests.

Ronaldo, who returned after his own isolation due to COVID-19 with a double against Spezia last week, scored a sixth Serie A goal of the campaign after 15 minutes and that looked by being enough to settle what had been a largely comfortable outing for the visitors.

But substitute Caicedo scored in the fifth minute of injury time to secure a point for Lazio in a result that leaves Juve three points off Serie A leaders Milan, who have a game in hand.

Juve probed a couple of times early on but Ronaldo sticking out a leg to divert home Juan Cuadrado's drilled cross, after great work down the right by the Colombian, was their first meaningful attack.

Lazio displayed hallmarks of a good side missing their best attacking weapon, though with a little more luck Vedat Muriqi would have got on the end of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's teasing header across the face of goal.

Fortune was on Lazio's side when Ronaldo smacked the right post and then forced Pepe Reina into a smart stop with a stinging free-kick.

Ronaldo and Adam Marusic exchanged efforts, while Adrien Rabiot tested Pepe Reina in a second half that struggled to ignite.

Pirlo withdrew Ronaldo with 14 minutes to go, a decision that appeared to surprise the star forward even though an ankle sprain was later confirmed.

Ronaldo's team-mates looked to have completed the job without him but Caicedo turned in the area and picked out the bottom-right corner after collecting Joaquin Correa's pass in a dramatic finale not befitting the rest of the game.

What does it mean? Ronaldo sub proves costly

Juve won just one of the four matches in all competitions that Ronaldo missed but appeared on track for a third win on the spin with their talisman back in the fold. But with just a slender 1-0 lead, the decision to take off their best forward may not have been the wisest one, even considering the fact he was nursing some ankle pain.

Ronaldo rocking and rolling despite Juve setback

Ronaldo became just the second Juve player, after Paulo Dybala, to score in his first four Serie A matches of a season in the three-points-for-a-win era. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner had three shots on target from five attempts – another rattling the upright – while he completed 21 of 29 passes.

Super-sub Caicedo steps up

Immobile was also unavailable for the midweek 1-1 Champions League draw against Zenit and Lazio missed the cutting edge of a striker who scored 36 Serie A goals last term.

Muriqi was game enough but only one of his three efforts was on target and Simone Inzaghi replaced his striker with Felipe Caicedo after 54 minutes. What a substitution that proved to be.

Key Opta facts
- Juventus are unbeaten in their first seven league games for the eighth time in the past 10 Serie A seasons.
- Ronaldo has scored 27 goals in 2020, more than any other player in the top five European leagues.
- Since last season, Caicedo has scored five goals in the 90th minute or later - more than any other player in Serie A.
- Lazio have gained 33 points from losing positions since the start of last season, more than any other team in the top five European leagues.

What's next?

Juve are back in action in a little under a fortnight at home to Cagliari, while Lazio's first assignment after the international break is a trip to Crotone.

Simba SC midfielder Clatous Chama has maintained the draw against rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) in the Tanzania Mainland Premier League derby was a fair result for both teams.

Chama, who was doubtful for the Kariakoo derby was drafted to start after a late fitness test and marshalled the midfield well though they found themselves trailing in the 31st-minute when Ghanaian striker Michael Sarpong converted from the penalty spot.

However, Simba never gave up, as they battled hard and levelled the score with four minutes left to the final whistle when Kenya defender Joash Onyango scored from a glancing header after a well-delivered corner-kick.

The ‘Mwamba wa Lusaka' has now said they are satisfied to have picked up a point from the derby but warned their journey to win a record fourth title is still on despite the dropped points.

“A point apiece, in the end,” the Zambian player wrote on his social media pages. “A draw is never enough but the journey is not over yet. We’ll keep pushing until we claim what we rightfully own.”

In an earlier interview, Yanga coach Cedric Kaze blamed the team’s display in the second half for the 1-1 draw.

The Burundian tactician, who was overseeing his first Kariakoo Derby since taking over the team from fired Serbian Zlatko Krmpotic, acknowledged his team’s performance dropped significantly in the second period, which allowed their rivals to snatch a draw at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

“In the first half my players played very well, we controlled the game, the passing was accurate though we missed a couple of scoring chances, we deserved to take the lead at the break,” Kaze told reporters after the match.

“However, in the second half, our style of play dropped at the highest speed and we allowed them back into the game, we made our work difficult for ourselves, and it was the reason we conceded the goal.

“You must admit we were playing against a very organised team, a team which has been together for a very long time, and I even told my players to make sure that they should be alert throughout the 90 minutes, but all in all I have to congratulate for the point earned, it was a very good derby.”

Yanga will remain in second position in the 18-team league table heading into the international break with 24 points, while Azam FC are top on 25 points and Simba are third on 20 points.

Jose Mourinho has demonstrated he is the manager to take Tottenham to a trophy-winning level, with his "very direct" method of dealing with players earning praise from Michel Vorm.

Former Spurs goalkeeper Vorm, who has retired since leaving the club at the end of last season, believes Mourinho's blunt approach can be a positive, alongside his hunger for silverware.

The Dutchman indicated Mourinho's team may not have the verve of the sides previously managed by Mauricio Pochettino, but they may be better set up for success.

Vorm told Voetbal International: "Five or six years ago you couldn't have imagined that he would become a Tottenham coach.

"He has a certain way of working and playing and that takes time. Now you can see his style more clearly at Tottenham. Now you can start judging him a bit more. Mourinho really insists on winning a prize.

"I get along very well with him. Look, people also have a certain image of Louis van Gaal. I also worked very well with him at Oranje [the Dutch national team].

"I also think Van Gaal is a nice man and I see similarities with Mourinho. Of course I had a certain image of him. But when you work with him, it is different. I like a clear way of communicating and Mourinho is very direct. Take it or leave it."

There may be casualties along the way as Mourinho decides which players he can trust, with Dele Alli having notably struggled to win over the Portuguese of late.

Vorm said Tottenham took "real strides" over the past five years and admitted it was "a pity that wasn't rewarded with a prize".

The north London side sat fifth in the Premier League heading into Sunday's match at West Bromwich Albion, having only lost once in seven top-flight games this season and boasting the opportunity to go top with a win.

"That is one of the reasons that Mourinho is now there," Vorm added. "In terms of football it may not be as spectacular as under Pochettino, but with him they hope to take the next step."

Harry Kane scored his 150th Premier League goal to snatch a 1-0 victory for Tottenham at West Brom on Sunday.

Despite starting with Kane, Son Heung-min and Gareth Bale in attack, Jose Mourinho's side delivered a largely flat attacking performance against the Baggies.

Indeed, they needed a good Hugo Lloris save and the intervention of the left-hand post in the second half to prevent Slaven Bilic's men taking the lead in the second half.

However, Kane secured a fourth win in a row away from home in the top flight when he headed Matt Doherty's delivery beyond Sam Johnstone.

The best of the early chances fell to Son, who had lots of time and space in the penalty area but eventually saw a shot blocked over by Semi Ajayi.

West Brom twice came close to a breakthrough, Karlan Grant nodding a good Darnell Furlong cross wide and Eric Dier heading well off the line with Grant lurking.

It took until the hour mark for Spurs to register a shot on target, Sergio Reguilon stinging the palms of goalkeeper Sam Johnstone with a speculative strike from outside the box.

Giovani Lo Celso, on for the injured Tanguy Ndombele, had a great chance to make a swift impact but hooked his shot wide from barely 10 yards out.

Conor Gallagher clipped the post from the edge of the box and Lloris reacted superbly to tip away a Grant header following a corner, as West Brom's best chances went begging.

Johnstone thought he had secured a share of the spoils, saving well low to his right to keep out a strike from Carlos Vinicius, but his indecision as Doherty swung in a high ball allowed Kane to head in the winner.

What does it mean? Kane milestone goal sends Spurs top

Mourinho's side jumped to the top of the table and knew they would stay there for the international break if Leicester City and Liverpool failed to win later on Sunday. Regardless of that outcome, their unbeaten run in the league now stands at seven, while West Brom remain winless and on just three points from eight matches.

Kane, who reached 200 goals in all competitions for Spurs this week, is on 150 in the top flight in only 218 appearances. Only Alan Shearer (212 games) and Sergio Aguero (217) reached that tally quicker.

Ajayi a giant for Baggies

Bilic was deeply unhappy when West Brom offloaded Ahmed Hegazi, but Ajayi has since found some fine form. The Nigeria centre-back was outstanding against Kane, Son and Bale, with a team-high five tackles, four interceptions, three blocks and 11 possessional gains.

Bale anonymous

Bale scored the winner against Brighton and Hove Albion last week, but he offered little in his first league start since rejoining Spurs, mustering just two shots and attempting only 21 passes, the fewest of any of Spurs' starting XI.

Key Opta stats

- Tottenham have won each of their opening four away games of a league season for just the fourth time in their history (also 1949-50, 1960-61 and 2017-18).
- West Brom have failed to win any of their first eight games of a league season for only the second time, having last done so in 1985-86, when they would go on to be relegated from the top-flight.
- Tottenham have kept a clean sheet in back-to-back away league games for the first time since October 2018.
- West Brom have failed to score in back-to-back home Premier League matches for the first time since a run of four games in a row from April to May 2017.
- Kane has been directly involved in 27 goals in his last 14 starts for Tottenham in all competitions, scoring 17 and assisting 10.

What's next?

Spurs face the tough prospect of a home game against Manchester City on November 21. West Brom resume duties after the international break at Manchester United.