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Former Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder Michael Essien has described Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho as the best manager he worked with in his playing career.

Mourinho brought Essien to England for a reported club-record fee after his fine performances in Ligue 1, where he won back-to-back top-flight titles with Lyon.

Essien established himself as a key player for Chelsea under Mourinho between 2004 and 2007 and then reunited with the Portuguese tactician whom he once called his daddy at Real Madrid.

When asked about his best managers, the 37-year-old picked Mourinho, who was appointed Tottenham manager last November as his number one, and he also included Everton's Carlo Ancelotti as another coach he had a great relationship with.

“He [Mourinho] would be the first one for me [in terms of managers I have worked under],” Essien told talkSport.

“He’s a still a great manager. I worked under him and we had a very good relationship, and I had a very good relationship with Ancelotti as well. Those two are very good managers.

“They’ve all played a part in my career and development. It’s great to look back and reflect on what aspects they taught me and I will take that on board [in my coaching career].”

Essien commenced a new path in football in the summer when Danish Superliga club FC Nordsjaelland handed him a player-coach role, which gives him a chance to develop his coaching skills.

The two-time Premier League winner is excited with the new career as he looks forward to being in the dug-out.

“I’ve just started to do my coaching badges and I got a great opportunity to come here. I’m very happy to be here and it’s all about a new transition in my career because I have a lot to give to the young ones,” he continued.

“I love the game and I’ve always wanted to be in the game so why not [become a manager in the future]? When I was playing if you’d asked me if I was going to be a coach, I would have said no but as time goes on, things start changing.

“I’m enjoying my new role now. It’s very different to be a coach than to be a player. I’ve always been a player, so learning the coaching aspect of the game is very good and it gives me an open mind in terms of the game. I’m learning and enjoying it as well.

“My options are open. The most important thing is to learn the aspects of the game, get the badges and keep my options open and see what happens.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer declined to comment on speculation his job is at risk after Manchester United lost their second game in four days.

Solskjaer’s side fell to their first Champions League defeat of the season against Istanbul Basaksehir just days after losing to Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Following that league defeat, Roy Keane speculated the players would get Solskjaer the sack after such a poor performance. After a dismal display in Istanbul they have now lost four of their nine matches in Europe and the Premier League this season.

Asked about whether he agreed with Keane’s comments and he feared for his job, Solskjaer replied: "I decline to comment on such a thing. Of course, it's early on and opinions are out there all the time. You've got to stay strong. I'm employed by the club to do a job and I do that to the best of my ability with my staff."

United’s 2-1 defeat came as they conceded two poor goals in the opening half. The first, scored by Demba Ba, came from some truly embarrassing defending.

“We were playing a short corner and everyone forgets to get back with the players they’re playing against and Demba Ba snuck in behind us,” Solskjaer said about the hosts’ opener.

“Lack of communication and lack of good decisions, you don’t really see those goals at this level. We shouldn’t concede easy goals like this, we know how hard it is to create goals and create chances and when you give easy soft goals like the two we have done today it makes it hard.

“Obviously, it’s not a goal you normally concede. We’ve not done our duties and roles their that’s my responsibility we were going to play a short corner but we forgot our defending duties after we played a couple of short passes.”

While there has been plenty of criticism about the defending Solskjaer also has questions to answer as they struggled to break the Turkish side down.

“We started off in the first 10 minutes and it looked like we had some space and there might be some decent openings but we left ourselves wide open for the two goals and that was disappointing,” Solskjaer said.

“Good response to the goal after their second and then in the second half we thought we could push on and create chances but we just didn’t break them down.”

AmaZulu FC registered their first win of the 2020/21 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season when they defeated Black Leopards at Jonsson Kings Park Stadium.

Usuthu grabbed two late goals through their new signing Luvuyo Memela, who was a constant threat to the Lidoda Duvha defence throughout the match.

The former Orlando Pirates winger beat Leopards goalkeeper Jonas Mendes in the 79th minute, before sealing AmaZulu's 2-0 win with another goal with seven minutes left on the clock.

The victory took AmaZulu to the ninth spot on the league standings with four points, while Leopards are placed 16th on the table without a single point.

AmaZulu's KwaZulu-Natal rivals, Lamontville Golden Arrows fought back to hold Baroka FC to a draw at Peter Mokaba Stadium.

The score was 0-0 at the interval with the two teams having failed to convert their chances in the first-half.

The deadlock was broken three minutes into the second-half when Elvis Makgopa netted his scored goal of the season to make it 1-0 to Baroka.

However, Arrows pushed for the equalizing goal which they got in stoppage time through Velemseni Ndwandwe, who ensured that the encounter ended in a 1-1 draw.

The draw saw Baroka slip down to the second spot on the league standings with seven points, while Arrows are placed fifth on the log with five points.

Meanwhile, Swallows FC are still unbeaten in their return to the elite league after securing a comfortable victory over Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila at Thohoyandou Stadium.

The Birds scored twice through Ruzaigh Gamildien and Njabulo Ngcobo in the second half to clinch a 2-0 win which was a second successive victory for Brandon Truter's side.

Swallows are now placed third on the league standings with seven points, while Tshakhuma are sitting in the 13th spot with two points. 

Lastly, SuperSport United returned to winning ways after overcoming Stellenbosch FC at Lucas Moripe Stadium.

The only goal of the match was netted by Teboho Mokoena with three minutes left on the clock and SuperSport held on to secure a 1-0 victory.

As a result, SuperSport are now in the fourth spot on the league standings with six points, while Stellenbosch find themselves 12th on the table with two points.

Robin van Persie has hit out at the effort he saw from Manchester United in Wednesday's shock 2-1 defeat at Istanbul Basaksehir.

United won their first two Champions League group stage matches but were undone by the Turkish champions in Istanbul.

Demba Ba and Edin Visca gave Basaksehir a two-goal cushion in the first half before Anthony Martial halved the deficit just before the break, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men could not find the breakthrough they needed in the second half, ending their 18-match unbeaten away run.

Van Persie, who starred at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson, said his former manager would not have been pleased with the Red Devils' effort on Wednesday evening. 

"They missed the urgency to commit," the Dutchman said on BT Sport. "In my time at Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson said: 'I don't mind losing as long as my team is not running less than the opponent and I want to see commitment going forward and as well defensively.'

"I'm pretty sure Basaksehir ran more than Manchester United. That should never be the case in any game. That has nothing to do with quality or abilities. That's extra. You need to commit, to be there with 100 per cent focus."

Another former Man Utd star, Paul Scholes, aimed to give credit to United's opponents but confessed that he was "struggling to find a positive" in the Red Devils' display.

"It was very disappointing," Scholes said. "You have to give them [Basaksehir] some credit. They looked really strong in the counter-attack, especially in the first half.

"I'm struggling to find a positive for United. You look around the team there should be enough quality to create chances, at least have some shots on goal.

"When the first XI doesn't work you bring three or four quality players on and none of them had an effect on the game. With Ole it will be interesting to see what he does on Saturday with Everton coming up, another tough game."

United, who currently sit 15th in the Premier League table, will travel to Goodison Park on Saturday to take on Carlo Ancelotti's Everton.

Christy Ucheibe shone on her debut for SL Benfica as they defeated POAK 3-1 in Wednesday's Uefa Women's Champions League qualifying round at Gipedo Neas Efkarpias Makedonikou.

Ucheibe was afforded a start on her debut for the Portuguese side following her arrival from Swedish Elitettan side Assi in January.

The Nigeria youth international featured prominently for the Portuguese side and helped Aleksandr Lukhvich's side progress to the Round of 32 on their maiden outing in the 2020-21 campaign.

The Greek giants made a disappointing start to the match as Ucheibe launched a long pass through the middle to Kliemaschwsk Araujo to open the scoring for the visitors after just three minutes of action.

A minute from the half-time break, Silva Sobrinho found the breakthrough from the left before she set up Eyja Lacasse to double Luis Andrade's side's lead.

POAK, however, after the restart staged a fightback as they pulled one back through Thomai Vardali 12 minutes into the second half.

In the 61st minute, Pauleta teed off Catarina Amado to score the third for Benfica and seal their victory over Spyridon Filippou's team.

Nigeria's Ucheibe featured for 81 minutes for Benfica before she was replaced by Beatriz Cameirao, while Cape Verde's Jolina Amani featured for the final 23 minutes after replacing Andreia Faria.

The victory confirms SL Benfica's passage into the Round of 32 of the 2020-21 season of the Uefa Women's Champions League and they will know their foe in the next round on November 6.

Istanbul Basaksehir striker Demba Ba has become the second oldest African player to score a Uefa Champions League goal with his strike in their 2-1 win over Manchester United.

The former Chelsea and Newcastle United forward opened the scoring at the Fatih Terim Stadium on Tuesday evening in the 12th minute with his maiden strike of the season.

At the age of 35 years and 163 days, the Senegal international ranks behind Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba, who scored his last Champions League goal in November 2014 at the age of 36 years and 259 days.

Edin Visca, who assisted Ba’s opener, found the back of the net in the 40th minute to give the hosts a two-goal lead but Anthony Martial immediately responded to reduce the deficit for Manchester United 137 seconds later.

After the restart, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men could not find the equaliser as Istanbul Basaksehir held on to the first-half lead to secure their first win in the elite European competition this season.

Tuesday's outing was Ba's first start in the Champions League since August 2014, and he was on parade for 80 minutes before he was replaced by Fredrik Gulbrandsen.

Nigeria’s Odion Ighalo, however, was an unused substitute for the Red Devils as he awaits the opportunity to make his debut in the tournament.

Despite the victory, Istanbul Basaksehir remain at the bottom of Group H with three points after three matches while Manchester United sit comfortably at the summit with six points after the same number of games.

After ending his eight-game goal drought in competitive football, Ba will aim to build on his maiden strike of the season when the Owls host Gencleribirligi for Sunday's Turkish Super Lig fixture.

Istanbul Basaksehir have won their last three league games and they are placed seventh in the top-flight standings with 10 points after seven outings.

Petr Cech has opened up about his former Chelsea side's long-term rivalry with Barcelona and their efforts to stop Lionel Messi.

Between 2004 and 2012 the Blues faced Barcelona 10 times, with the often counter-attacking Premier League side contrasting with the 'tika-taka' possession football approach of their La Liga rivals.

The two styles led to gripping encounters and very close matches in the knockout stage of Europe's elite competition. Cech, who was in goal for the Blues throughout that period, is now working as Chelsea's technical and performance advisor alongside being an emergency goalkeeper in Frank Lampard's squad.

He played in each of the matches and had a remarkable record of never conceding to Messi. Ultimately, Messi scored past Cech but when he was an Arsenal player, and the keeper opened up about his attempts to stop arguably the world's greatest ever footballer.

“It took him a long time to score past me – 10 games in fact as I was an Arsenal player when he eventually did," Cech told Chelsea's matchday programme ahead of the Blues clash with Rennes.

"He missed penalties, I made saves, he hit the post, but he never scored past me at Chelsea. It was a pleasure to keep a clean sheet against him. When he had the penalty in the Nou Camp in 2012, that was a defining moment.

"I was thinking about what he could do, what he would do. So my strategy was to wait and wait until I could see where he was going to hit it. So when I moved the way he was going to strike the ball, he knew he had to go high to beat me - but he went too high and it struck the bar.

“That game, in general, was huge. When you’re 2-0 down at the Nou Camp with 10 men and it’s still the first half, you’re thinking it’s going to be a long, long night. My friends who were at the game said after that they had discussed the one position they wouldn’t want to be in on a night like that and they agreed it was the goalkeeper.

"It could’ve got ugly as we’ve seen so often for teams in those situations at the Nou Camp against Barcelona.”

Chelsea hung on in 2012 as Messi missed his penalty and John Terry was sent off, with Fernando Torres rounding off a semi-final win over Barcelona in the last minute to win the tie 3-2 on aggregate. Ultimately, the Blues would go onto beat Bayern Munich in the final on penalties.

Still, with the highs came the lows for Chelsea against the Catalan side and Cech remembered how a 17-year-old Messi scared the life out of his side in 2006.

“It was when Lionel Messi was announcing himself," he added. "He was only 17 years old, but everyone could see what a talent and a threat that he was. He got Asier Del Horno sent off in that game and it damaged us a lot.

"You could see from that, added with the season previous, it was a collection of small moments building into a bigger picture and the rivalry kept growing. Things intensified, especially with Jose being a former Barcelona coach and then being our manager.

"These games just seemed to have everything on and off the pitch. It escalated in 2009 when we were knocked out of the semi-final by Barcelona at Stamford Bridge. We should have had probably five penalties in the game and didn’t even get one before Andres Iniesta scored his late goal. It was painful.

“It got to the point that every year when the Champions League draw was made, we knew that at some point, we would play Barcelona. It seemed like it was every year and because of that, it meant we built a rivalry between the clubs pretty quick."

Mamelodi Sundowns were relatively comfortable 2-0 winners over Cape Town City in a DStv Premiership match at the Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday night.

On the balance of play it was a deserved win for the team from Gauteng, secured with goals by Lyle Lakay eight minutes into the game and Keletso Makgalwa eight minutes before the end of regulation time.

It was a former Cape Town City player, Lakay, who struck the opening goal in the ninth minute, sending a low drive past Peter Leeuwenburgh at the near post, following a free kick routine 25-yards out.

More opportunities followed for the Tshwane side as Peter Shalulile had a shot blocked before Andile Jali’s deflected shot in the 19th minute was kept out by Leeuwenburgh.

There was an even better chance for Sundowns when Rivaldo Coetzee’s searching ball put Shalulile clean through on goal, but as Leeuwenburgh closed the angle he rolled his shot marginally wide.

At the other end there was a brief bit of hope for the Citizens when Craig Martin headed into goal, but his effort was ruled offside.
 
It was soon back to the status quo though as Downs got back on the front foot with chances for Lakay, whose powerful shot drew a very good save from Leeuwenburgh, who also kept out a Kermit Erasmus volley 10 minutes before the interval in the Mother City.

The action was lively after the break as both sides showed their intent although it took until the hour mark for a chance to materialise as Thapelo Morena out-paced the home defence but then fired over the target.

For their part, the Citizens improved upon their first-half display and they went close in the 70th minute through a Fagrie Lakay header which flew wide.

Masandawana had an opportunity to extend their lead seven minutes later but Jali was denied by Leeuwenburgh.

It was from a Jali run that Sundowns did finally put the game to bed as he set up Keletso Makgalwa to score the second goal after a great run down the flank and cross in the 82nd minute.

To their credit City rallied hard in the latter stages of the game, but it wasn’t their night as Mpho Makola’s 89th-minute free kick hit the woodwork.

Paul Scholes said Manchester United's defending was "like under-10s football" after they gifted calamitous goals during their defeat to Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League.

United went forward en masse for an early corner and kept nobody back to guard against their Turkish hosts' counter-attacking. As soon as United lost the ball, Edin Visca pumped a long ball upfield from inside his own penalty area and Demba Ba was able to run unchecked from inside his own half before beating Dean Henderson.

"That's completely down to organisation," Scholes said. "At a corner you surely always have someone back on the halfway line."

Speaking on BT Sport, former United midfield general Scholes pointed to assistant manager Mike Phelan telling Nemanja Matic that he should have been covering the possible break.

"It's like under-10s football," Scholes said. "You can understand it if it's the last minute and you're going for a goal."

This took place in the 12th minute, however, and for Scholes there was no excuse.

"It's embarrassing," Scholes said. "What the back four were doing, I've no idea. Defensively they've got to take responsibility. You've got to defend one-v-ones at times at Manchester United and they seem incapable of doing it."

Fellow former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves was equally baffled by the blunder from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side.

"I'm not sure I've ever seen a goal like it," Hargreaves said. "The problem is the players are waiting for a cross that doesn't really materialise and they never really get back. One ball up the pitch and Demba Ba's in on his own."

Basaksehir went on to win the match 2-1 and claim their first ever victory in Champions League football.

United, whose good form in Europe has masked their weak start to the Premier League season, remain on six points in Group H. They had previously impressed in a 2-1 victory at PSG on matchday one before thrashing RB Leipzig 5-0 last week.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men will aim to make amends for this surprise loss in a fortnight's time - following the international break - when they host Basaksehir at Old Trafford in the reverse of Wednesday night's fixture.

Clarke Oduor's Barnsley manager Valerien Ismael has stated he was disappointed by the manner in which they conceded three goals against Cardiff City on Tuesday.

Cardiff City picked up a 3-0 win to record a first home victory in the Championship as Oduor's side were beaten for the first time under their new manager.

The Bluebirds got the goals thanks to Junior Hoilett's close-range finish, as well as efforts from Joe Ralls and Harry Wilson.

Neil Harris' charges had only scored two points from four home matches before Barnsley's visit.

Cardiff City went to the 11th position as Ismael’s two-match winning run was halted and Barnsley dropped to the 17th place.

Although Ismael said he was not happy with how his players conceded, he was quick to point out that they deserved at least a penalty.

"I was disappointed with the defending for the goals,” Ismael said as per BBC Sport.

“But in the first half we could have had a penalty with Patrick Schmidt and then on the counter-attack we conceded a penalty, which was also a penalty, and that changed the game.

“We didn't do enough after 90 minutes.

“A lot of things went wrong, tiredness was an issue and we had injuries which forced us to change the formation.

“It was very difficult because we weren't dangerous enough in the opponents' box. We have to analyse why it was like this and put it right for the game against Derby on Saturday.”

On his part, Cardiff manager Harris praised the players for a positive reaction.

“I can talk a lot about the goals we scored, the chances we created, the clean sheet, but I am most impressed with the reaction of my players,” Harris said.

“Obviously I was honest in my opinion after the game on the performance in the first half previously at QPR. I was honest with my players at half-time and after the game.

“When you do that you want a positive reaction from the group and I got that.

“I thought the performance level individually and collectively was outstanding. The only frustration is that we didn't score more.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta thinks it is too early for talks about Mohamed Elneny's contract extension after his fine start to the 2020-21 season.

Elneny has delivered impressive performances in the Gunners' midfield this campaign since he returned from a season-long loan at Turkish Super Lig club Besiktas.

On Sunday, the Egypt international was outstanding in the middle of the park as Arsenal secured 1-0 win against Manchester United - a first Premier League win at Old Trafford since 2006.

He has featured in nine of Arsenal's 12 matches this season but his current contract is expected to expire at the end of the current campaign.

Ahead of Thursday's UEFA Europa League encounter against Molde at the Emirates Stadium, Arteta claims it is not the time for contract talks when quizzed about a new deal for the 28-year-old midfielder.

He said in a press conference: "Let's go step by step please! What I can say is that I'm really pleased with the player and hopefully he can continue like that and perform all season."

The Spanish coach also expressed satisfaction with the way Elneny has fought for his place in the team and how he is helping with his performances.

"I think he's responding really well to all the challenges we're putting in front of him," Arteta added. "He had a big one when he came back from his loan spell to show what he can bring to the squad. I think everybody's seen what he can do. I'm really pleased with his performances and what he can bring to the team."

Elneny is in contention to make his third appearance in the Europa League on Thursday, having played every minute of Arsenal's games in the European tournament this season.

One player who has struggled to make an impact at Arsenal is William Saliba, with Arteta admitting the defender could leave on loan in January.

He said: “I am fed up with the situation because as you could see we tried to find a way in the last few days [of the transfer window] to give him some football.

“I explained that he needed that transition year when we decided to buy him and send him on loan to Saint-Etienne, for many reasons that didn’t happen, he didn’t have that transition year and he needs to go through that.

“At the moment, with the amount of central defenders that we have in the team we had to leave him out of the squad which is painful because we have some injuries and we could have used him, but it’s part of this profession.

Ajax star Edson Alvarez has revealed his desire to one day join Manchester City. 

The Mexico international has impressed with the Dutch outfit since joining from Club America in July 2019, establishing himself as a key member of the first team. 

Alvarez has featured in both central defence and central midfield for Ajax. In an interview with Voetbalzone, the 23-year-old admitted that adjusting to the Eredivisie took some time after his move from Liga MX.

“I always fight for my team and for my team-mates," Alvarez said. "I am reasonably satisfied with my level, but the football here is different from what I was used to at Club America.

“It all goes faster, so you have little time to make decisions. That is something I have to get better at."

Alvarez has enjoyed playing under manager Erik ten Hag, whose style he believes suits him well.

“I like our playing style and how we put pressure [on teams]," Alvarez said. 

"Many teams are waiting for their opponent, but we are not. At Ajax you have to put constant pressure on for 90 minutes and I love that vision."

Ajax have recently seen three of their key players depart for bigger teams: Donny van de Beek, who moved to Manchester United, Hakim Ziyech, who joined Chelsea, and new Barcelona full-back Sergino Dest. 

But the Dutch giants, as they usually seem to do, have recovered by unearthing new young stars, including Antony and Mohammed Kudus. Alvarez has been impressed by the pair of 20-year-olds. 

“The best players of this Ajax? Antony and Mo Kudus," Alvarez said. "Antony really is a top player. He is very fast, structured and also a nice person.

"He really has it all," Alvarez adds on Kudus, "so it's a shame for us that Mo has now been injured. I think he is our best player at the moment."

Though he's only been at Ajax for just over a year, Alvarez confessed that he's already dreaming of a move to England. 

“I would really like to achieve [an Eredivisie title] one day and then it is a dream of mine to play in the Premier League one day. 

"Manchester City is my favourite club, so that would be perfect."

The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has insisted that Nigeria's game against Sierra Leone will be played without fans.

The Super Eagles will take on the Leone Stars in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game at newly renovated Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City on November 13.

The Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 recently gave their approval for contact sports to return in the West African country but behind closed doors.

The president of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, recently stated that fans will be allowed into the stadium but at a reduced seating capacity.

In a letter, to the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, the Ministry insisted that the game will be played without fans in adherence to the directives from the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19.

“The ministry wishes to bring to your urgent attention that in compliance with the condition of no gathering agreed upon by the ministry and the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 before the Federal Government opened up football and contacts sports, the match between Nigeria and Sierra Leone will not have any audience," read the letter, as per the Punch.

"No gathering save for players, match officials and government officials from both countries. Testings must be conducted on all of them prior to the match.

“The no gathering, no audience for football and contact sports is still in force, which means there shall be no gathering for the Nigerian vs Sierra Leone match, as any violation of this condition may lead to a rollback of the opening up of football and contact sports in the country.

“The PTF and the ministry are on the same page on this matter and the protocol for clearances rests with both the ministry and the PTF when it comes to staging any sports event in Nigeria.

“Full compliance with Covid-19 protocols is to be enforced. The PTF is worried about a spike following the second wave of Covid-19 and is considering another lockdown.”

Nigeria currently lead Group L with six points after securing victories against the Republic of Benin and Lesotho.

The Super Eagles played friendlies against African champions Algeria and Tunisia in October as part of their preparations for Sierra Leone.

Mohamed Salah says equalling Steven Gerrard’s Liverpool Champions League record is an “honour” for him.

The 28-year-old got a goal and an assist as Jurgen Klopp’s men brushed aside Atalanta 5-0 at Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia on Tuesday night.

Salah’s effort, a composed left-footed finish at the end of a rapid burst forward, was the Egypt international's 21st in the Champions League proper for the team. And that moved him on level terms with Gerrard as the Reds' top goalscorer in European Cup and Champions League history.

“I am happy to have equalled Gerrard’s record [with 21 goals in the Champions League], he is a Liverpool legend,” Salah said on Sky Sports.

“It’s an honour for me, but my job is to score to help the team and win games most importantly.

“Unlocking the game immediately gave us confidence and the possibility of creating more chances. Atalanta’s game helped us, but it also helps them.

“They proved it last year, they are a team that scores a lot and also concedes a lot. They are a strong team, that’s for sure. They’ll do well again this year.”

Thanks to the away win, the Anfield giants lead Group D having garnered nine points from three games.

Since joining the Reds for £36.7 million ($45m) in the summer of 2017 from Serie A outfit AS Roma, the Egyptian has been an instant hit for Klopp’s men helping them win the Champions League, Premier League, Super Cup and Club World Cup.

His brilliance in front of goal saw him win the Premier League topscorer prize twice, and in the process joining the likes of Alan Shearer, Michael Owen, Thierry Henry, Robin van Persie and Harry Kane as players who have won the accolade for two consecutive seasons.

This season, however, he has found the net seven times and is next to Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-Min in the race for the 2020-21 Golden Boot prize.

He is expected to lead the Reds’ charge for a sixth consecutive win across all competitions when his team travel to the Etihad Stadium for Sunday’s blockbuster Premier League showdown with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

Wazito FC have confirmed the signing of striker Clinton Okoth from Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions Gor Mahia.

The club has confirmed the arrival on their official website by stating: “Wazito is pleased to announce the signing of Clinton Okoth from Gor Mahia.

“The young striker joins us ahead of FKF Premier League (FKF-PL) kick-off in two weeks’ time. He is expected to beef our attack.

“The forward, a product of Migori Youth, joined Gor at the start of the year from National Super League side, Migori Youth FC. He took the NSL by storm scoring 14 goals in the first half of the season and in the process attracted interest from several top clubs.”

Wazito coach Fred Ambani said on the signing: “I am happy that he has joined us. He is a young quality striker who can get better with time. He is confident in front of the goal and as a former striker, I will sharpen him further. I have full confidence in his abilities.”

Okoth will be part of the team that will take on Zoo FC in a friendly match on Thursday in Kericho.

Wazito will be keen to win wrestle the league title from Gor Mahia after their attempt last season faded away in the first round of the competition.

The former National Super League (NSL) champions will start their campaign to win the trophy with a clash against Kariobangi Sharks on November 21 before playing away against Mathare United on November 29.

They will then take Sofapaka on December 5, tackling Ulinzi Stars on December 9, and then wind up their first opening fixtures with a clash against KCB on December 13.

Wazito have beefed up their squad with a number of signings including Maurice Ojwang, Edwin Omondi, Steven Odhiambo, and Fidel Origa from Western Stima, Castro Ogendo from Bidco United, Peter Odhiambo from Gor Mahia, and Jackson Juma from AFC Leopards.

Others are Kevin Okumu from promoted side Nairobi City Stars, Jackson Juma from AFC Leopards, Boniface Omondi from Gor Mahia, Kevin Kimani from Mathare United, Mark Otieno from Leeds United, and striker Vincent Oburu from AFC Leopards.

Arsenal's Joe Willock says that Mikel Arteta's progress has been "mind-blowing", with the 21-year-old midfielder adding that he must now find a way to push his way into a more regular role in the manager's plans.

Arteta took over at Arsenal midway through the 2019-20 campaign, eventually leading the Gunners to an FA Cup triumph.

This season Arteta has Arsenal hopeful of pushing on for a top-four spot, having recently picked up a 1-0 win over fellow contenders Manchester United.

The Gunners also continue in the Europa League, having won their first two matches over Rapid Wien and Dundalk ahead of Thursday's clash with Molde in London.

Willock says that the entire squad is feeling good about the progress so far under Arteta, despite recent claims from Manchester United legend Roy Keane that there is a lack of respect for the Spanish manager.

"As you know we all really, really respect the manager," Willock said on Wednesday. "What he’s done over the 10 months he’s been here is mind-blowing and we can only hold our hats off to him and that’s something that we talk about

"We talk about the big respect we have for him in the changing room so I don’t think that’s a lack of respect; it’s just the relationship we each have with him."

Willock made 44 appearances for the Gunners last season, but has yet to feature in the Premier League this campaign. 

He had made five appearances across the Europa League, Carabao Cup and the Community Shield, but Willock says that he must find a way to push his way into Arteta's plans after the summer signing of Thomas Partey. 

"I always want to kick on, play more games and start more games in the PL and become a player that I’ve always wanted to be," he said. "I just wanted to focus on doing that.

"At the start of the season I had a few conversations with the boss and it was very encouraging and the manager is someone I have a good relationship with so I trust him. I’m just trying to work hard and have performances that ask questions.

He added: "For me I thrive off competition so when I had the competition with him that was a conversation that it was negative for me, it was something positive. I want to learn off these players that were coming in and I can train with every day and sort of compete with them.

"I’m 21 years of age and I want to compete with these players and I said to him that’s what I want to do and it was very encouraging for him to support me and say if I play well I’ll get the chance so that’s what I’m trying to do right now."

Simba SC recorded a 2-0 Mainland Premier League win over Kagera Sugar on Wednesday ahead of the Kariakoo Derby clash against Yanga SC.

John Bocco and Said Ndemla scored the important goals for Wekudnu wa Msimbazi who have now posted two straight wins after the initial one against Mwadui FC.

Bocco scored the opener for the reigning champions in the 42nd minute from the penalty spot after the first 40 minutes had few chances at goal. They extended their lead in the third minute of first-half added time through the effort of Ndemla.

The win is a morale booster for Simba who will tackle Kariakoo rivals Yanga SC on Saturday at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

The 2020 treble winners are also in a race to catch up with Timu ya Wananchi and Azam FC after recording back-to-back losses against Tanzania Prisons and Ruvu Shooting.

“We need to win and reduce the gap separating us from Yanga,” Simba SC's head coach Sven Vandenbroeck told Mwanaspoti before the match as four points now stand between the most successful Tanzanian clubs.

Simba will miss Meddie Kagere and Gerson Fraga who are all injured while Bernard Morrison will sit out due to a three-match ban following an altercation that occurred during their match against Ruvu Shooting.

Chris Mugalu, who was also a doubt for the Yanga derby, was introduced in the 64th minute in place of captain Bocco, suggesting he could be fit enough for the Saturday big tie after an injury.

“We can start with one striker and have attacking midfielders like Luis Miquissone, Francis Kahata, Said Ndemla and Ibrahim Ajibu behind,” Vandenbroeck said as he plots for a win against Timu ya Wannachi.

“There is no doubt that the match against Yanga is a big one that touches on the emotions of many people. Having all key players available always brings more confidence but we will have to find an alternative although I have complete faith in my remaining players that they can actually do a good job.”

Meanwhile, Namungo FC were held to a 2-2 draw at home by JKT Tanzania while Ruvu Shooting fought for a 1-1 draw in the other matches.

Al Ahly midfielder Hussein El Shahat has responded to reports linking him with Mamelodi Sundowns. 

Recent reports indicated that Masandawana have made a $3 million (R48 million) bid for the highly-rated attacking midfielder.

The Tshwane giants are also said to have made another $2 million (R32 million) bid for El Shahat's teammate Ayman Ashraf at the Egyptian champions 

This came after it was reported that Al Ahly were keen to sign Sundowns' influential playmaker Gaston Sirino, after the club appointed Pitso Mosimane as their new head coach late last month.

El Shahat, who is an Egypt international, explained that he was unaware of Sundowns' interest in his services as he is currently on vacation. 

“I do not know anything about the existence of any official offers from the Sundowns Club,” El Shahat told MBC Egypt on Wednesday according to Eg24 News. 

“I am currently on vacation with my children and do not occupy my mind with anything, but certainly when you have performances, this means that you are doing well.”

Sirino was one of Mosimane's key players during the accomplished tactician's time with Sundowns and the Uruguayan player signed a new five-year deal at the Chloorkop-based giants in June 2020.

El Shahat is Al Ahly's record signing having joined the Cairo giants from United Arab Emirates (UAE) giants Al Ain, after they paid a whopping $5 million (R80 million) for his services in 2018.

However, the 28-year-old player revealed that he has received offers from the Arabian Gulf where he flourished whilst playing for Al Ain. 

“There are Gulf offers that came to me through my agent, but I only focus on the team and continue with it. I closed everything out of love for the Al-Ahly club that I chose," he added. 

El Shahat is keen to help Al Ahly clinch a record-extending ninth Caf Champions League title this year and he spoke about his working relationship with South African tactician Mosimane. 

“I hope to achieve the African Champions League championship with Al-Ahly and to dedicate the title to Moamen Zakaria. It does not matter which team we will face in the final match, and we will play to win," he continued.

“I had a shaky confidence after the opportunity I wasted against Wydad [Casablanca] in Morocco [in the Champions League semi-final first-leg match] after returning from injury and the feeling pressured me to score, but I managed to regain confidence during the return match.

“The coach, Pitso Mosimane, spoke to me and gave me more confidence, and told me that I gave everything I had in the match.”

Al Ahly will take on either Egyptian giants Zamalek or Morocco's Raja Casablanca in the Champions League final on November 27.

Mikel Agu has expressed his disillusionment over his inability to tie down a regular place in the Nigeria senior national team.

Since making his Super Eagles debut in a 3-0 friendly triumph over Togo on June 1, 2017, the Vitoria de Guimaraes midfielder only boasts of seven international caps.

After two years in the international wilderness, he was recalled to the three-time African champions’ squad for October’s friendly games against Algeria and Tunisia.

In the 1-0 defeat to the Desert Foxes, he was a second-half replacement for FC Midtjylland’s Frank Onyeka while he was completely overlooked against the Carthage Eagles.

He did not make Gernot Rohr's squad for the 2020 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers aganst Sierra Leone.

According to the 27-year-old, he doesn’t understand why he gets overlooked despite doing everything possible from his own end.

To him, his time in the senior national team is yet to come, nevertheless, he assured that he would always give his very best when invited and played in his natural position.

“I have done everything on my own part to settle in the national team, yet I get ignored sometimes, I know my time is yet to come with the national team,” he told Completesports.

“I just want to make one thing clear. In the games that I have played in, my comfortable position as a holding four, one was against Togo in Paris and the other was against Uganda in Asaba, I was one of the outstanding players in both games.

“I think the only game in which I didn’t play well was against Zambia in Uyo and that was because I had an off-day which is normal with every player.

“You can’t be 100 per cent every day. So, if I get to play in my natural position, then I know I will always give my best every time I’m on the pitch. I will continue to do my thing here in my club.”

After loan spells at Club Brugge, Vitoria Setubal and Bursaspor, Agu joined Primeira Liga outfit Guimaraes on a permanent deal in 2019.

In the 2019-20 season, he featured in 16 games, scoring once and accruing five cautions - against Moreirense, Belenenses, Sporting Lisbon, Tondela and Rio Ave.

This season, he has featured in five out of six outings as Joao Henriques’ team occupy the sixth position after accruing ten points so far.