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Ekiti State Football Association has launched its official website as part of its unwavering mission to advance the sport in the state.

In a closed-door event held in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, the portal [www.ekitifootball.org] was unveiled with the channel expected to keep the public up-to-date with news, competition and related news from the state’s FA.

In a chat with Goal, chairman of EKSFA Bayo Olalenge claims the website is one of the numerous projects he promised to accomplish when he assumed office, while explaining what the platform means to the Land of Honour and Integrity.

“There are several positive impacts this website would have on Ekiti State Football Association. One of it is visibility which will enable people see the activities of the association,” Olanlege told Goal.

“Another one is for us to be able to identify components – all other affiliated organisations – and be able to collate their data and have somewhere we are storing them for future use.

“Also, it would be easier for people to find us and know what we are capable of doing.

“Importantly, we have had issues with the way we do registration which makes it easy for people to manipulate lots of info. With the website, it would be done online and that will help us to reduce the problem of falsification of information.”

Football in Ekiti had been in a state of comatose; however, Olalenge’s election as FA boss has brought a gleam of hope thanks to his deliberate support of grassroots football – as well as the workings of his fellow executives.

For instance, the South Western Nigeria state will be featuring in the football event of the 2021 National Sports Festival – their maiden appearance since its creation in 1996.

As per club football, Ekiti Football were trying their best to secure promotion to the country’s elite division before the second-tier was hit with an indefinite suspension.

The United States presidential election 2020 is headlined by the face-off between the two-party candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

Soccer, naturally, is very far down on the agenda, but both Trump and Biden have weighed in with opinions on some notable issues within the sport over the past few years.

While it may not be a deal-breaker for voters by any stretch of the imagination, those who are invested in the game in some capacity might well be curious how their preference stands when it comes to soccer.

So, with that in mind, Goal has taken a look at some of the issues on the record.

Where does Donald Trump stand on soccer issues?

Trump's relationship with soccer in the United States is much like a lot of his other relationships: complicated. 

While he is only too happy to be associated with the fact that the World Cup will be held in U.S. (along with Canada and Mexico) in 2026, he is also capable of telling the world he won't watch the national teams if they contradict him.

World Cup 2026

"Thank you for all of the compliments on getting the World Cup to come to the USA, Mexico and Canada," Trump tweeted when FIFA confirmed that the North American trio had beaten Morocco in the bid. 

"I worked hard on this, along with a great team of talented people. We never fail, and it will be a great World Cup! A special thanks to Bob Kraft for excellent advice."

Trump did lend a hand to the push for the World Cup to be hosted in North America, with the New York Times reporting that he sent three letters to FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Indeed, he also met with Infantino on a number of occasions to discuss the hosting of the competition as well as issues within the game.

"You are part of the FIFA team now," beamed Infantino as he presented Trump with a jersey (and, for some reason, referee cards) on a visit to the White House in 2018.

Trump's interest in soccer is genuine and part of that is because his son Barron is an avid player, having been involved with D.C. United and Arlington Soccer Association youth teams.

"My son heard [Infantino] was going to be here and he said, 'Dad I'd like to meet him'," Trump told reporters in 2018. "My son Barron loves soccer and soccer has to be one of the fastest growing sports in the world."

Megan Rapinoe, Black Lives Matter & 'taking a knee'

As much as he heralded the idea of 'Team America' in the World Cup conversation, Trump was quick to turn his back on the national team in 2020. In June of that year, he took aim at U.S. Soccer (along with the NFL) following their decision not to force players to stand for the American national anthem before games.

"I won’t be watching much anymore!" Trump blasted on Twitter in response. "And it looks like the NFL is heading in that direction also, but not with me watching!" 

The issue of forcing sportspeople to stand during the playing of the national anthem arose after Colin Kaepernick and others began to kneel in protest against police brutality and racism in 2016.

Trump immediately branded the kneeling protests "disrespectful" to the United States and since then he has consistently criticised athletes who choose to take a knee during the anthem.

After USWNT star Megan Rapinoe knelt in solidarity with Kaepernick's protest in a number of international and NWSL games, U.S. Soccer adopted a stance on the matter in 2017, when they made it official national team policy to "stand respectfully" during the playing of national anthems.

However, their 2020 decision overturned that stance and the organisation acknowledged that it was "wrong" to make it compulsory to stand during the anthem.

"We have not done enough to listen - especially to our players - to understand and acknowledge the very real and meaningful experiences of Black and other minority communities in our country," a U.S. Soccer statement said.

"We apologise to our players - especially our Black players - staff, fans, and all who support eradicating racism."

Rapinoe, interestingly, has been one of Trump's most outspoken critics and her numerous broadsides have even prompted the president to respond directly on Twitter.

Equal pay

Trump discussed the women's game in a 2019 meeting with Gianni Infantino and revealed that they discussed how to make it "even better and more equitable".

A few months prior to that meeting he had suggested that the issue of pay disparity boiled down to economics, though stressed that he had not yet made his mind up on the matter.

"I think a lot of it also has to do with the economics," Trump told The Hill. "I mean who draws more? Where is the money coming in?

"I know that when you have the great stars like [Portugal's Cristiano] Ronaldo and some of these stars... that get paid a lot of money, but they draw hundreds of thousands of people.

"But I haven't taken a position on that at all. I'd have to look at it."

Where does Joe Biden stand on soccer issues?

Joe Biden has always taken an interest in the exploits of the United States national teams and is never shy about voicing his support for them, particularly during tournaments.

While he cannot claim the same sort of credit that Trump has with respect to the World Cup 2026 bid, he and his wife have been part of delegations at both the men's and women's World Cups.

Equal pay

In recent years, when it comes to soccer, Biden has been most vocal on the issue of equal pay for the USWNT, strongly backing their fight against the national association.

"USWNT, congratulations on the big win and thank you for the jersey!" he wrote in a tweet after the U.S women won the 2019 World Cup.

"Your talent, heart and advocacy for equal pay represents the best of America and serves as an inspiration for all."

Indeed, he has also made some sterner statements on the matter, particularly after the women's team lost their lawsuit in the courts in May 2020.

Reacting to the news, Biden urged the USWNT not to surrender their pursuit before issuing a serious warning to U.S. Soccer.

"To USWNT: don't give up this fight," he wrote on Twitter. "This is not over yet.

"To U.S. Soccer: equal pay, now. Or else when I'm president, you can go elsewhere for World Cup funding."

In contrast to Trump, who had not made his mind up on the matter in early 2019, the fact that Biden felt strongly enough about it to issue such an ultimatum underlines how clear his stance is. In fact, he can actually point to a record of working for equal pay in all sectors which stretches back to his time in the Obama administration.

Back in April 2020, Megan Rapinoe had Biden and his wife Jill on her podcast to discuss political matters including equal pay and, while she initially endorsed Elizabeth Warren as the Democratic candidate, it is perhaps no surprise to learn that she is now 'Team Biden'.

Black Lives Matter & 'taking a knee'

Biden has not been critical of athletes who have chosen to kneel in protest against racial injustice and he has been supportive of the Black Lives Matter concept.

In the lead up to the election, the former vice-president issued an address in which he said: "Black lives matter. Period. I'm not afraid to say it. Inequities have to be met head on.

"African Americans need a fair shake when it comes to economic opportunity, healthcare, criminal justice, education and housing."

In 2020, a number of photos circulated online giving the impression that Biden had been kneeling in solidarity with the Kaepernick protest, but it was quickly shown that he was simply kneeling to talk to a child rather than making a statement.

The 2020 U.S. presidential election takes place on Tuesday November 3.

Antonio Conte has revealed that he came close to taking charge of Real Madrid on a couple of occasions, but is now content at Inter.

Inter travel to Spain to face Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, and Conte has admitted he could have been in the opposite dugout.

Conte did not go into details on when the opportunities arose, but he has stated that the approaches came mid-season and he had no desire to move in the middle of a campaign.

“In the past there was an opportunity for me to become the coach of Real Madrid, but the time was not right,” Conte said at a press conference on Monday. 

“There have certainly been a couple of moments where I was very close to joining Real Madrid but the season had already started - it would have been so difficult to join them during the season.”

Conte has had a stellar coaching career, which took off when he was appointed Juventus boss in 2011.

Three Serie A titles came his way in Turin, before being lured into the international scene by Italy. His spell in charge of the Azzurri lasted from 2014 to 2016, when he was installed as the manager of Chelsea.

Premier League glory came his way in his first season in charge, but things soured at Stamford Bridge and he departed after guiding the Blues to FA Cup glory in 2018.

Conte spent a year away from management before being installed at the helm of Inter in the summer of 2019. 

Inter are trending in the right direction under Conte, and Tuesday’s clash with Real will be a test of their European credentials. 

Conte’s side are third in Group B after two games, which both ended in draws, and Tuesday’s clash is a huge occasion as Real are bottom of the table following a home loss to Shakhtar Donetsk and a draw with Borussia Monchengladbach. 

If Inter are to win in Spain on Tuesday, they will have to do it without star forward Romelu Lukaku, who has failed to shake off a muscle injury in his thigh and misses the trip to Madrid.

Mauricio Pochettino says he is ready to return to management, almost a year after he was sacked by Tottenham.

The Argentine’s enthusiasm will no doubt intensify speculation linking him with replacing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager of Manchester United.

Pressure has begun to mount on Solskjaer at Old Trafford in recent months, with United currently 15th in the Premier League table.

After taking Spurs to the Champions League final, Pochettino has been linked with a number of top jobs including those at Real Madrid, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.

However, after six years in England, Pochettino seems keen to return to the Premier League.

“I discovered an amazing people in this country, an amazing culture. I am in love,” Pochettino said on Sky Sports.

“I was always ready to be involved in the game again. I love football. It’s my passion, not my job.

“It’s not a stress when you are working. It’s not a stress to go to the training ground. It’s not a stress to prepare for a game. It’s not a stress to compete… look, my hair is still getting longer and longer!

“I am looking forward to being involved in the game again, I love the game. It’s difficult; we are inside, we are working, we are doing things but it is not the same thing to be involved every day, to share it with your players, your staff and the club. You miss that.

“Football without fans, you realise that you lose the passion… it means a lot to have the fans in the stadium but we need to protect the industry, that is why we need to keep going and playing.”

Pochettino was appearing as a special guest ahead of the Monday night clash between Leicester and Leeds - managed by his old mentor, Marcelo Bielsa.

“When I played for Bielsa at Newell's [Old Boys] Reserves, he was ahead of everyone,” Pochettino said.

"Remember there was no internet. But for every game we knew the formation and tactics that our opponents would play because Marcelo bought every newspaper in the country to study the teams.”

Pochettino’s next job will be his fourth in management, following spells at Southampton and Espanyol prior to his time at Tottenham.

Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Andrew Kamanga has revealed fans might soon be allowed to watch games at stadiums.

The Super League 2020/21 season started over the weekend without fans as a measure to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Kamanga has, however, revealed there has been engagement with the government on when to allow the fans to start streaming to the stadiums.

“Earlier in the week, we had an important engagement with partners in the game among them MTN, Eden University, Multi-Choice and ZNBC. Presiding over this engagement was the Minister of Youth Sport and Child Development Emmanuel Mulenga,” Kamanga was quoted by FAZ Facebook page as saying.

“We had a very progressive interaction with the stakeholders with Mulenga giving the signal on the need to bring back fans to the stadia in light of reduced Covid-19 infections.

“The minister directed his staff to ensure that everything is done within 10 days to ensure that fans are brought back to the stands. We have taken up this call and built upon our previous engagements with the Ministry of Sports and also their counterparts at health docket to ensure that we are allowed to do so.”

The 2019/20 season had to be cancelled after it had just restarted in July due to the rising number of infected players and team officials.

The federation chief said they would wait to hear what the Health Ministry advises on the request.

The Ministries of Health and Sports together with FAZ worked closely during the short period that the league resumed before it was cancelled in August.

“It should never be forgotten that the final call on matters of health lies with the Ministry of Health,” Kamanga added.

“We have provided the requisite information and also engaged the Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) to ensure that our implementation of Covid-19 protocols remains above board.

“We are hopeful that we will soon have fans in the upcoming fixtures.

“We have heard the cries of the millions of soccer fans yearning to watch their heroes in football stadia and will do our best to facilitate their return to stadia.”

He also spoke about the upcoming African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Botswana and is hopeful the fans will watch the game live at the stadium.

“As the nation prepares for the November 12 home game against Botswana, we are urging the whole country to rally behind the team,” he concluded.

“It is our prayer that fans will be allowed to come and watch the game to ensure we cheer the boys to glory. We remain hopeful that we will come out strong over the two legs that lie ahead in the next few days.”

Zambia will be looking for a maiden group win when they host the Zebras for matchdays three and four.

Fulham’s Ola Aina scored his first Premier League goal with a beauty in Monday’s Premier League clash against West Bromwich Albion, in the process ending his wait to find the back of the net for the Cottagers.

Jamaica’s Bobby Decordova-Reid had given Scott Parker’s men the lead after 26 minutes thanks to an assist from Aleksandar Mitrovic, and the Nigeria international doubled the advantage at Craven Cottage with a breathtaking effort.

The wing-back had some great exchanges with Mitrovic and Decordova-Reid, allowed some space outside the area, before unleashing a thunderbolt into the top left corner from the edge of the area, which was unstoppable by goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

In the interesting first half, Slaven Bilic’s men took a two-goal deficit into half-time and they would have themselves to blame for not taking their chances.

Having been promoted to Chelsea first-team in 2015, the 24-year-old, who was part of the Blues’ three FA Youth Cup-winning sides and Uefa Youth League triumph, was loaned to Hull City after failing to get regular action at Stamford Bridge.

He made just three substitute appearances in the Premier League, one in the FA Cup and two starts in the English Football League Cup for the Blues.

After completing his spell with the Tigers, he was shipped to Serie A outfit Torino for another loan stint. His move was made permanent in a deal worth £8.9m (€10m) after he impressed during his one-year stay in Italy – making 32 appearances and scoring once.

In the 2019-20 season, he accounted for 37 appearances for the Bull, which included 32 matches in Serie A. However, he returned to England to join Fulham a day before their Premier League opening fixture against Arsenal.

Should Parker’s team seal the win against Semi Ajayi’s Baggies, that will be their maiden win in the 2020-21 campaign after a stuttering start.

Aina is part of Gernot Rohr’s Super Eagles to face Sierra Leone in this month’s double-header Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Benin City and Freetown.

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has extended the transfer window which was scheduled to shut on Monday midnight.

According to a statement from the FKF, signed by Head of Competitions Frank Ogolla, the window has been extended by a further four days to allow the conclusion of the play-offs which will determine which team will be promoted to the top-flight.

“Due to the impact of Covid-19 that has seen delay in the resumption of footballing activities and in particular, the end of season play-off matches between Kisumu All-Stars and Vihiga United whose final match is scheduled to be played on Wednesday, November 4, 2020, we wish to inform the primary registration and transfer period initially slated to close on November 2, 2020, has been extended to close on Friday, November 6., 2020,” read the statement obtained by Goal.

“The registration/transfer window for the club that will retain position/gain promotion in/to the FKF Premier League shall be extended to Friday, November 13, 2020.

“Kindly take note that the transfer deadline for international transfers remains tonight, November 2, 2020, at midnight, all clubs are advised to ensure that they conclude their deals before the deadline.”

The play-off battle between Kisumu All-Stars and Vihiga United is now headed to the second leg with All-Stars carrying the advantage having won the first meeting played in Mumias 2-1.

Despite the lead, All-Stars coach Andrew Aruka has maintained they still have a lot to do in the second leg to be assured of keeping their status in the top league.

“The two away goals do give us an advantage but we are not out of the woods yet and we must get the job done in the second leg,” Aroka is quoted by FKF Premier League social media pages.

“Football is unpredictable and anything can happen in the next game, so we can’t afford to be complacent.”

On his part, Vihiga coach Sammy Okoth blamed the team’s early penalty for the defeat, saying it disorganized his plans as the players started to give away balls in the middle of the pack.

“The early penalty undid our game plan completely,” Okoth explained. “We rushed into every decision we made after that and it played hugely to the benefit of our opponents.

“All-Stars’ plan also seemed to like it was geared around creating stoppages as they were too many of them and the game never really flowed.”

Kisumu All-Stars, promoted at the end of the 2018/19 season from the National Super League (NSL), found their maiden campaign in the top-tier tough and now have to navigate the playoffs to remain in the top flight.

South Africa women's head coach Desiree Ellis has revealed her side are "working towards" celebrating a winning start against Angola in their opening Cosafa Women's Cup match on Tuesday.

Banyana Banyana are keen to claim a fourth straight title in their 2020 campaign after a narrow 1-0 final win over Zambia last year.

The 57-year-old trainer has named a 20-player squad, with two goalkeepers, seven defenders, eight midfielders and three strikers for the competition scheduled to be held from November 3 to 14.

Despite late preparation and the absence of top stars, the two-time Caf Women's Coach of the Year winner is confident her side can open their title defence with a victory at Nelson Mandela Bay.

“We played Comoros last year [won 17-0] and I am sure they would have improved,” Ellis told Cosafa.com. 

“Angola was also in the tournament last year. Eswatini was in the same group with Angola, but you cannot take any team lightly. You do so at your peril.

“We have a young group of players and the opportunity now to expose them to international competition and we want to make sure we plan properly. Then it is up to the players to execute.

“The first game of the tournament is always the most important and we are working towards that.”

Defending champions and hosts Banyana will take on Angola at 15:30 local time at Wolfson Stadium.

David Alaba has hit out at Bayern Munich over the handling of his contract talks, saying it felt like “a slap in the face” when the club suggested they wanted to include him in a swap deal.

Bayern announced on Sunday that they had taken the decision to withdraw their offer to the Austria international, after failing to strike a deal with the 28-year-old.

Alaba’s current agreement expires at the end of the season, meaning he could negotiate a transfer in January if no deal is struck.

The talks between the two parties have grown increasingly strained, with Alaba’s father reacting furiously to claims from Bayern president Uli Hoeness that the player was only interested in money. 

Alaba has also denied claims that he was seeking a five-year deal worth €125 million (£113m/$146m).

Following the news that Bayern had withdrawn their contract offer, Alaba spoke to Sky Sport Germany - saying he felt the club had shown a lack of respect.

“After the second or third conversation [about the new contract], I got a call and was asked if I could imagine being included in a swap deal,” Alaba said. “That probably was a slap in the face.

“The respect and appreciation I was looking for when the contract negotiations started was not going in the right direction. That was a year ago now. In times when coronavirus was still very far away.”

Despite expressing his frustration with how the negotiations had been handled, there may still be a chance that common ground can be found between club and player.

Asked if his time at the club was over, Alaba said: “I'm not thinking about that. I've only found out about it from the news yesterday evening and haven't had time to think. We'll see what happens in the future.”

Alaba is one of the finest defenders in the game, and last term Bayern manager Hansi Flick shifted him from left-back to centre-back.

With Alaba’s stock in the game extremely high, there will be no shortage of interest come January.

Juventus were strongly linked with Alaba last season, but there is likely to be stiff competition should he become available on a free transfer.

For Flick, the coach will hope that the contract row does not have a detrimental impact on Alaba’s performances. 

The first test will be a trip to RB Salzburg in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Luis Suarez is helping to get the most out of Atletico Madrid team-mates Angel Correa and Joao Felix, according to head coach Diego Simeone.

The Uruguay international has scored four goals in seven appearances since joining Atleti from La Liga rivals Barcelona for a nominal fee in September .

He fired a blank in the 3-2 win over Red Bull Salzburg and was rested for the 3-1 victory over Osasuna last weekend, with Joao Felix stepping up with a brace in both games.

Correa laid on an assist for Joao Felix in each of those fixtures as he staked a claim to be the Portuguese youngster's attack partner.

However, Simeone insisted it is down to Suarez that others in the side are hitting top form and called on his players to help repay the favour.

"I believe that all this is generated from the presence of Suarez," he said at a pre-match news conference ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Lokomotiv Moscow.

"With the likes of [Diego] Costa and [Alvaro] Morata before him, they had a lot of other characteristics, but we have been looking for other qualities.

"Luis has needed more people close to him, close to where he can hurt the opposition, and that is the team's goal.

"We had to adapt to play with [Radamel] Falcao, with Costa and now with Suarez."

Joao Felix scored in both games as Atletico won home and away against Lokomotiv in last season's Champions League.

The Russian side have collected one point from their first two Group A games and have lost nine of their past 11 European games against Spanish opponents, but Simeone is not taking them lightly.

"We are going to face a very competitive team," he said. "The records of the last 14 games speak for themselves. 

"Their losses were by the margin of one goal, they are always close and competitive games. 

"You have to go back 15 games game to see a 2-0 loss. A team that competes like this is always close to the goal. We will take the game where we think we can hurt them."

Marcus Rashford says Manchester United’s recent struggles have been “heartbreaking”, but he is optimistic they will bounce back from their latest setback.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were deservedly beaten at home by Arsenal on Sunday after a number of positive results in recent weeks.

United responded to their 6-1 humiliation against Tottenham by beating Newcastle, Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig, but they have been disappointing at home in the Premier League.

In their last two games against Old Trafford – against Chelsea and Arsenal – United have mustered just six shots on target, and they have already been beaten three times on home soil in the league.

“This is something I've been doing since I was a kid and something I love to do,” Rashford told United’s official website.

“For it to maybe not go as well as I planned it to be, it's heartbreaking. I think it's a period where we need to get back to basics and find ways to win games."

“It's been tough," he added. "Obviously, we've had a lot of big games and games we need to get points in. It's been a bit up and down but it's like that sometimes.

“It's been an alright month but, for now, it's all about sticking together and finding a way to win games and really picking up the belief.

“We always bounce back when we don't do so well and I think it's another one of those times. We have to come together as a team, get back to the basics, and win games."

Rashford and United gave a glimpse of their potential in the Champions League, as the England forward came off the bench to score a stunning hat-trick in a 5-0 win.

“It was obviously a proud moment, something you dream about as a kid,” he said.

“I was very happy about it but the result was obviously a big result for us in terms of qualification in the Champions League. We need to back that up in the next game and hopefully get another three points.

“PSG was another tough game for us but we found a way to win the game. Sometimes, that one moment is all it takes. We definitely need to do that more and we need to start games a lot stronger than what we have been doing in order to get the points.”

Renato Sanches says he is much happier now than he was during his ill-fated spell at Bayern Munich.

The Portugal midfielder joined Bayern after a string of impressive performances at Euro 2016, but he failed to deliver on the potential that saw him named that year’s European Golden Boy.

Sanches, now 23, suffered through a disastrous loan spell at Swansea before being sold to Lille in 2019, where he has rediscovered his best form.

This summer, Lille president Gerard Lopez claimed the Ligue 1 club had rejected offers of €70 million (£64m/$82m) for Sanches – and it seems he was happy to stay.

“Honestly, I feel better than a few years ago when I signed for Bayern,” Sanches told La Voix du Nord.

“Simply because I play more, and when I play more, I have more confidence in myself. This is really what has changed since then.

“What is important for me is to feel the trust of my team-mates and that they feel my trust too. That's what allows me to find my place in the team, but I always have this feeling that I can do better; it's my mentality, I still have a lot to learn. I just try to give the best, for myself, for the team.”

After struggling under the spotlight in the Bundesliga, Sanches is enjoying himself on the pitch once more.

Lille finished fourth in Ligue 1 in the cut-short 2019-20 season and are unbeaten in their first nine games this time around, sitting second behind Paris Saint-Germain.

“For me, it is important to have this combination of the serious side of the game but also the pleasure side of playing. I need to have fun and have that feeling on the pitch.

“So yes, sometimes there are good games, sometimes others aren’t as good for me, but I need to have this feeling of pleasure to improve myself day by day. Because that's what matters to me, to become better.

“I am an emotional person. I sometimes have trouble controlling my emotions. But I don't want to lose that side of my personality, because if I lose it, I'm going to lose myself too.

“With the coach (Christophe Galtier), there are also times when things heat up a bit, but he is aware of it, I am aware of it, and that is why I must also improve on that side.”

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League side Mathare United have signed forward Danson Kago.

The 26-year-old is seen as a critical player for the Slum Boys as they re-build for the 2020/21 season. The 2008 league champions have confirmed the experienced winger will be with them for the forthcoming season.

"Kenya international Danson Kago has joined the club on a year-long deal," Mathare confirmed on their social media accounts.

"Kago, capped 15 times at Harambee Stars, adds pace, guile, and experience to our attacking department."

The former champions are confident the fleet-footed winger will take less time to settle at the club considering his roots can be traced back to the team.

"A one-time league champion and two-time domestic cup winner, Kago's quick feet are a welcome addition in both offensive wings," Mathare continued.

 "Having honed his skills at Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA), Kago is expected to have a smooth transition as he settles down ahead of the new season.

"Welcome home Kago."

In 2011, Kago was with Posta Rangers before opting to join Sofapaka in the 2012 season up until 2015.

His display attracted Tusker FC, who signed him in 2016, and he went on to play two seasons for them. He eventually made a return to Posta Rangers in 2018 until this year when he was released alongside midfielder Brian Osumba, and Marcellus Ingotsi.

The Mailmen are restructuring for the 2020/21 Kenyan Premier League (KPL) season and they were letting go of players they felt were surplus to requirements.  

"It is better to ensure we have the players we need for the new campaign to realize the set objectives," coach Sammy Omollo told Goal.

"Osumba, Ingotsi and Kago have been released; the technical bench opted to let them go because in a way it felt they will not fit in well for next season. They are good players, but they will not fit in the system, we wish them the best wherever they will be playing.  

"They are good players, and their experience will come in handy in their new teams."  

The Kenyan transfer window comes to a close on Monday, November 2.

Manchester United head coach Casey Stoney believes the club are "probably ahead" of where she thought they would be at this point in their journey.

United only relaunched their women's team in May 2018, with Stoney, who won 130 caps for England before retiring, coming in shortly after as head coach.

The 38-year-old said she projected where the team could be as their journey went on and now, going into their third season and second since promotion to the Women's Super League, she believes they are doing better than she expected.

"When I first took the job, I had a very clear vision, a very clear timeline," Stoney said. "We set our long-term plan and strategy and so far we're on track - probably ahead of where I thought we might be. But that's credit to the group that I've got in this club."

United return to action on Wednesday after a lengthy break, their last game was a win at West Ham on October 18, facing Everton in the Continental Cup. Their opponents were in action over the weekend, pushing Manchester City all the way in Sunday's Women's FA Cup final before losing in extra time.

The game was further evidence that the gap they and United are trying to bridge to the big three - City, Arsenal and Chelsea - is being closed, while adding to Stoney and her team's desire to reach their own cup finals.

"It gives you added motivation," she said. "We went out too early for me. We had a tough draw against Manchester City in the opening round but they are the sort of days and cup finals that we want to be involved in.

“When I got to win [the FA Cup] at Wembley with Arsenal it was one of the greatest days of my career. I never thought as a little girl I would play at Wembley and walk up those steps to lift that trophy. I was lucky enough to play in front of a crowd there too. It’s the showcase game of the women’s calendar.

"When I was doing some punditry there a couple of years ago, it was the only time I have ever missed playing because I was pitch side on FA Cup final day.

"[Everton] are a good team. They soaked up a lot of pressure. They covered a lot of ground," she added, analysing Wednesday's opponents.

"I was really impressed with Sandy [MacIver] in goal. I thought she had a really good performance - good with her hands, good with her feet, an accomplished young player who didn’t seem fazed by the occasion one bit. You’re going to have to play well to score against her, you’re going to have to take your chances and be clinical.

"I also know they’ve got players to come back in like Claire Emslie, who has been in fine form for them and would add to them, because it looked like they took a lot of heavy knocks yesterday to be honest.

"It was a tough game for them. But I know every time we play them they want to beat us so they’ll raise themselves for the game and we need to do the same."

Ola Aina, Tosin Adarabioyo and Ademola Lookman have been named in Fulham’s starting XI to face West Bromwich Albion on Monday night.

The Cottagers have made a disappointing start to the 2020-21 season – losing five games and playing a draw to share the English top-flight base with Burnley.

Against the Baggies, Scott Parker’s men will be eyeing their first victory of the ongoing campaign.

In a 4-3-3 formation, Super Eagles defender Aina will pair Anglo-Nigerian and former Manchester City man Adarabioyo in the heart of Fulham's backline alongside Joachim Andersen and Antonee Robinson.

Cameroon international Andre-Frank Anguissa will hold sway in the midfield together with captain Tom Cairney and Gabon international Mario Lemina.

Nigeria prospect Lookman will play from the right side of the Whites’ attack with Aleksandar Mitrovic and Harrison Reed completing the attacking setup.

Cote d'Ivoire's Jean Seri is not listed for the encounter as Congo's Neeskens Kebano and Anglo-Nigerian Josh Onomah are out owing to injury worries.

Bloemfontein Celtic coach John Maduka is fretting over the fitness of goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane and midfielder Lantshene Phalane, ahead of meeting Orlando Pirates in Wednesday’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) match at Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium.

Mabokgwane might not face his former club after lasting 66 minutes in Sunday’s 1-1 MTN8 semi-final, first leg draw away at SuperSport United on Sunday.

It was a double injury blow after Phalane played just 28 minutes of the match and before being taken off complaining of pain on his groin.

“I have not met the medical team yet and I am not sure of [Phalane's] situation. I just heard that Jackson has been taken to hospital but Phalane is still with the team‚” said Maduka as per Sowetan Live.

“I have not gotten the [medical] reports yet to see how bad the injuries are. Yeah we will first check you know if there might be some few knocks here and there.

"It is very important for us to introduce the fresh legs. We have been playing every three days‚ so it is very important to go to the game against Pirates also refreshed a little bit.

“There might be some changes‚ one or two or three so that the team can be able to compete on Wednesday [against Pirates].”

Given Mashinkinya came on for Phalane on Sunday and could step in again if the midfielder fails to recover in time for the Pirates match.

A 1-1 draw against Golden Arrows and a 1-0 defeat by Swallows FC characterise Celtic’s PSL campaign so far.

Celtic host the Buccaneers who arrive in Bloemfontein on a high after convincingly beating Kaizer Chiefs 3-0 in the MTN8 semi-final, first leg match on Saturday.

Pirates are expecting forward Frank Mhango to be back after the Malawi forward missed the Chiefs match due to injury.

They will be without coach Josef Zinnbauer who has been granted leave to travel back to Germany to attend to his hospitalised son.

The Soweto giants are yet to win a league match after drawing their two matches games against AmaZulu and Stellenbosch on 1-1 scorelines.

Five Uganda U20 players have tested positive for the coronavirus ahead of the upcoming Cecafa zone African Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) is yet to give an update on the matter but Football256 reports five samples turned positive from the tests that were done on Saturday.

The players entered into a residential training camp after head coach Morley Byekwaso had summoned 46 players for the zonal qualifiers.

The said players have been asked to self-isolate but the others are set to continue with the preparations as they reside at the Cranes' Paradise Hotel in Kisaasi nonetheless.

The Hippos are training at IUIU Campus in Kabojja until November 4 and are expected to shift base to the Fufa Technical Training Centre in Njeru thereafter.

They will remain at the centre until November 19 when they will leave for Tanzania for the qualifiers.

The Cecafa Championship - that doubles up as Afcon qualifiers - will be played from November 22 to December 6 and the Hippos are in Group B that consists of Burundi, Eritrea and South Sudan.

The Uganda U20 squad:

Goalkeepers: Jack Komakech (Ascent SA), Dennis Ssendyowa (SC Villa), Tonny Atugonza (Buddo SS), Delton Oyo (Busoga United FC), Joram Nsubuga (KCCA FC), Anthony Emojong (KCCA FC)

Defenders: Joseph Kafumbe (KCCA FC), Aziz Abdu Kayondo (Vipers SC), Umar Lutalo (Aspire Academy), Robert Kitabalwa (St.Mary’s SS Kitende), John Rogers (Onduparaka FC), James Begisa (UPDF FC), Sammy Ssebaduka (Gil Vicente-Canada), Gavin Kizito Mugweri (SC Villa), Musa Ramathan (KCCA FC), Richard Bbosa (Express FC), Simon Baligeya (Busia Young FC), Kenneth Ssemakula (Busoga United FC), Shafik Mavuma (Standard High School)

Midfielders: William Sseguya (Kampala Junior Team), Bobosi Byaruhanga (Vipers SC), Wilber Wamala (Kataka FC), Davis Ssekaja (Bright Stars FC), Swamad Okur (Kataka FC), Ivan Eyam (Mbarara City FC), Steven Sserwada (KCCA FC), Faisal Wabyona (Big Talent Academy), Ashraf Zzizinga (Kampala Junior Team), Andrew Kawooya (KCCA FC)

Forwards: Isma Mugulusi (Busoga United FC), Ivan Asaba (Vipers SC), Joseph Kizza Bukenya (KCCA FC), Sunday Opio (KCCA FC), Godfrey Oyaka (KCCA FC), Najib Yiga (Vipers SC), Ashraf Mulindi (Kataka FC), Ivan Bogere (Proline FC), Emmanuel Mukisa (Kataka FC), Derrick Kakooza (Police FC), Samuel Ssenyonjo (KCCA FC), Derrick Onyai (Mbarara City FC), Frank Ssebufu (Buddo SS), Richard Basangwa (Vipers SC), Jamal Masiko (Malmo Fria Laroverken Swedish FA), Alpha Ssali (Proline FC), Rodney Kamya Ssali (Proline FC)

Genk striker Paul Onuachu has been announced as Moses Simon’s replacement in Nigeria’s squad for next week’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Sierra Leone.

According to a tweet from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the lanky forward has been drafted into Gernot Rohr’s squad for the games taking place in November.

Simon, 25, suffered a groin injury in Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in a French top-flight clash – and was subsequently replaced by Kader Bamba after 25 minutes.

Although Nantes are yet to announce the number of weeks he would spend on the sidelines, a reliable source very close to the player said the ex-Levante man would be unavailable for the showdown against John Keister’s men.

“Moses [Simon] was unable to go for a test today [on Sunday] to know the severity of his groin injury, but I can confirm to you that he won’t be available for Nigeria’s games against Sierra Leone,” the source who pleaded anonymity told Goal.

“He will commence treatment as soon as possible and he will return stronger and better in the coming weeks.”

Onuachu scored his ninth goal of the season in his tenth appearance for Genk as they silenced KAS Eupen 4-0 in Friday's First Division A clash.

He was part of the Super Eagles team that faced Algeria and Tunisia in October's international friendlies staged in Austria, albeit, he was unable to find the net.

The three-time African kings take on the Leone Stars at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City on November 13 before heading to Freetown for the return leg four days later.

With six points from two games, Nigeria lead Group L with six points and victory in both games will assure the three-time Africa champions a place at the 2022 Afcon in Cameroon.
 

FULL LIST

Goalkeepers: Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Sebastian Osigwe (FC Lugano, Switzerland); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

Defenders: Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Chidozie Awaziem (FC Boavista, Portugal); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Fulham FC, England); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Kevin Akpoguma (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Germany)

Midfielders: Oghenekaro Etebo (Galatasaray, Turkey); Tyronne Ebuehi (FC Twente, Netherlands); Frank Onyeka (FC Midtjylland, Denmark); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Unattached); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Emmanuel Dennis Bonaventure (Club Brugge, Belgium); Paul Onuachu (Genk, Belgium); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia)

Paul Merson has described Thomas Partey as the “number one” signing of the summer, and expressed shock that Arsenal were able to land the midfielder from Atletico Madrid.

Partey made the move to north London from the Spanish capital on the final day of the summer transfer window.

The early signs have been positive, with the Ghana international impressive in Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Manchester United on Sunday.

Merson was not blown away by Arsenal’s performance at Old Trafford, but Partey caught the Gunners legend’s eye.

“It was a good away performance. It wasn't great - I wouldn't get carried away and say, 'Oh my god it's a turning point',” Merson said on Sky Sports. 

“They beat a terribly, terribly poor Manchester United team on the day. They've done a job, we've seen them lose those games over the last five or six years. But I think Partey's a massive, massive difference. I mean, what a signing.

“When you talk about signings in the summer, he's got to be number one. I cannot believe, without being horrible here, that Arsenal got him. I don't mean that in a horrible way, they're all crying out for it - I know Manchester United are top-heavy and they've got Fred, McTominay and Matic, but they haven't got a Partey.

“Manchester City, too. Fernandinho's coming towards the end, Rodri hasn't really pulled up any trees. You're thinking, 'Wow, who didn't see this?'”

Mesut Ozil, meanwhile, has been catching the eye with his social-media game, as opposed to his on-field displays. The 32-year-old has not featured for Arsenal since their 1-0 win over West Ham in March, but Merson feels there is a route back into the side for Ozil – due to the presence of Partey.

“I think there's a stage for Ozil now that Partey's in the team,” Merson said. “I watched Chelsea play against Burnley, they played N'Golo Kante in front of the back four and let everyone else get on with it. 

“They ripped Burnley to shreds, I haven't seen too many teams make Burnley look bang average. Because Kante was playing in that holding role, it gave Kai Havertz and Mason Mount the freedom to do what they want, they didn't have to spend most of their time on the edge of their own box tracking back. 

“With Partey in there now, who's so dominant in there and doesn't lose the ball, I think there's a place for Ozil now.

“Then if they do drop someone in to pick up Ozil, you've got someone like Partey who's very comfortable on the ball and can hurt you. Then that frees a midfield player up. I think there's a trick being missed here, but that's just me.”

Ozil has not been included in Arsenal’s Premier League or Europa League squads, so the only route into Mikel Arteta’s team until the registration window reopens in January is via the Carabao Cup.

Arsenal face Manchester City in the quarter finals of the Carabao Cup in December.